Myanmar migrants in Thailand launch campaign after raids
A campaign launched by the Myanmar Migrant Workers’ Representative Coordinating Committee in Thailand (MMWRCCT) began collecting signatures in support of a petition calling on the Thai authorities to allow migrant workers from Burma to maintain their legal status without requiring the regime-issued Certificate of Identity (CI).
Nay Myo Zin, an interim committee member at MMWRCCT, told DVB that migrant workers from Burma have raised concerns that personal information collected through the Certificate of Identity (CI) application process is being used by regime authorities to identify conscription-aged males 18-35 for compulsory military service under Burma’s 2024 conscription law.
The regime’s Ministry of Labour stated that more than 429,000 Certificates of Identity (CI) were issued to migrants in Thailand from February and Aug. 16, 2026. Nay Myo Zin warned that thousands of migrant workers could lose their legal status in Thailand if they are unable to obtain a Certificate of Identity (CI), raising concerns that they could face arrest and detention during immigration raids.
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Pressure on China mounts to free prominent Myanmar analyst
The International Coalition for Democratic Renewal (ICDR) and the Forum 2000 Foundation issued a joint statement on Oct. 15 demanding that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese authorities immediately and unconditionally release Min Zin, a prominent scholar from Burma, a political analyst, and founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar (ISP-Myanmar).
Min Zin, a naturalized U.S. citizen, has been detained in China since June 3, after being arrested upon arrival in Kunming, Yunnan Province, while traveling to attend an academic workshop. On Aug. 20, the U.S. State Department officially designated him as “wrongfully detained,” with senior officials confirming that securing his release remains a top priority for Washington.
Held for over 100 days in China on spurious allegations of espionage and endangering national security, Min Zin has been denied direct contact with his family and access to legal counsel. His involvement in Burma’s struggle for freedom is well known and has spanned nearly four decades, beginning as a student activist during the historic 1988 pro-democracy uprising.
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Rohingya leader awarded Daniele Po International Prize in Italy
Rohingya human rights activist and author Yasmin Ullah was awarded the 2026 Daniele Po International Human Rights Prize on Saturday during a ceremony held in Bologna, Italy. The ceremony was hosted by Bologna Deputy Mayor Emily Clancy.
“This award is not mine alone. It belongs to the Rohingya women who have turned survival into resistance, grief into action, and solidarity into a force for justice. I accept it in their name, and in the name of every woman who refuses to be silenced,” Ullah told DVB.
Ullah attended meetings, including a gathering on Oct. 17 at Pieve di Cento, as well as educational sessions with students in schools throughout Bologna and Cento to raise awareness about the Rohingya genocide, human rights, and peace and reconciliation in Burma.
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News by Region
ARAKAN—Fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and regime forces continued on Sunday after it seized control of two regime outposts near Kyarmathauk village in the state capital Sittwe Township on Friday. The village is located roughly four miles (6.4 km) north of the regime’s Regional Operations Command (ROC) headquarters in Sittwe.
A source in the AA told DVB on the condition of anonymity that they are fighting regime forces over the control of the Military Engineering Battalion 908 in Sittwe’s Kyarmathauk village, adding that the Burma Air Force has struck AA positions over the weekend. Read the full article on our website
CHIN—At least seven civilians were killed and 10 others were injured during airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force at a transport hub controlled by the AA near Chaungzon village in Paletwa Township on Sunday. Paletwa, located 287 miles (462 km) south of the state capital Hakha, was seized by the AA on Jan. 14, 2024.
A Paletwa resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the terminal was vital for goods being transported into townships in neighboring Arakan under AA control. Fifty people were killed during airstrikes on a market in AA-controlled Kyauktaw Township, 60 miles (96 km) north of Sittwe, on Sept. 28.
NAYPYIDAW—Yar Pyae, the chairperson of the regime’s National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC), was appointed the Minister for Defence on Wednesday, while outgoing Defence Minister Tun Aung was reassigned to the post of Minister for Digital Development and Communications.
In his new role, Yar Pyae chaired a workshop in Naypyidaw on Oct. 15-16 to mark the 11th anniversary of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). He called for efforts to establish a democratic federal union, ensure lawful resource extraction, and advance a unified peace process in Burma. Read the full article on our website
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