Prison Desk is a new program brought to you by DVB and the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). It examines the prison system in Myanmar and how political prisoners face cruel and unusual treatment ordered by the military regime, which seized power in Naypyidaw following the coup on Feb. 1, 2021. Hear Sandar Thwin’s story of her and her family’s imprisonment at the hands of the military regime.
Prison Desk – Episode 2: Myanmar’s political prisoners
Resistance drone strike hits military airbase in Mandalay Region; How to stop online harm in Myanmar
Resistance drone strike on military airbase in Mandalay Region
Six military personnel were injured at Shante Airbase in Meiktila Township of Mandalay Region, located 86 miles (138 km) south of the city of Mandalay. Two Harbin Y-12 aircraft and two buildings were also damaged during a drone strike launched by resistance forces on Monday.
“We successfully hit our military targets as planned. No matter their security measures or technology, revolutionary forces can overcome their technology even with limited resources. We worked hard and built this capability over a long period, overcoming many challenges,” a spokesperson from a group calling itself the Meiktila Revolution Force told DVB.
He added that 24 drones were deployed in the attack on the military’s Shante Airbase. The most significant damage reportedly occurred at the production units adjacent to the airbase. Regime media has not reported on the attack. But it did report that Min Aung Hlaing paid a visit to a high-end drone manufacturing facility in Chongqing on Nov. 8 during his first trip to China since the 2021 military coup.
Fortify Rights calls on Thailand to investigate Aung Ko Ko murder
Regional human rights group Fortify Rights is calling on the Thai government to investigate a possible cover up over the torture and killing of Aung Ko Ko, 37, a Burma national who was detained and tortured by Thai soldiers before his body was recovered near the Thailand-Burma border. Thai authorities convicted another Burma national of manslaughter in the case.
“The soldiers responsible for this should be brought to justice without delay,” said Matthew Smith, chief executive officer at Fortify Rights. “Despite the current lack of accountability for the military’s involvement in Aung Ko Ko’s killing, Thai authorities can reverse course and prevent impunity from taking hold. Our report is intended to help the authorities ensure justice in this case.”
The 44-page Fortify Rights report provides an account of how four Thai Army soldiers detained Aung Ko Ko on Jan. 12 in Mae Sot District of Tak Province. It alleges how three of those soldiers then tortured Aung Ko Ko, who later died from his injuries. It also highlights the Thai police investigation into his death, the ensuing trial, and the conviction of Sirachuch, a 24-year-old Burma national, who goes by one name and was an eyewitness to the torture.
How to stop online harm and abuse in Myanmar
A new cyber safety campaign in Burma called Stop Online Harm was launched with a website, Facebook page, YouTube and podcast channel. Its aim is to share resources and technology tools, build capacity, raise awareness, develop strategies, and advocate for change from global technology platforms and governments. It also offers an “online ambulance” to deal with issues such as mental health, technology and legal support.
“Technology-facilitated gender-based violence refers to this harassment, abuse or violence often conducted through digital platforms, which targets each individual based on their gender. It [most] often affects women, girls, and LGBT individuals,” Hetty, the program lead at Stop Online Harm, told DVB. “It also includes a variety of behaviors aimed at intimidating the survivors.”
In 2023, several women pro-democracy activists came forward sharing their ordeals about how their personal information was leaked online by pro-military accounts on the messaging app Telegram. “Pro-junta accounts have taken advantage of Telegram’s lax content moderation rules and are posting violent and misogynistic content, causing women to retreat from public life,” stated U.N. experts.
News by Region
KACHIN—The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) closed three Burma-China border gates located in Loije (Lwegel), Kanpaikti, and its headquarters of Laiza at the end of October. Chinese authorities closed most of its border gates, except for two, in Kachin and Shan states on Oct. 25.
“It has been over two weeks since the KIA shut its border gates,” a KIA source told DVB on the condition of anonymity. Laiza residents claimed that China wants its nationals to return through these border gates. They also report that vehicles from China are waiting for the border to re-open. The KIA seized control of the three border gates after it launched an offensive against the military on March 7.
SAGAING—One civilian was killed and more than 130 homes in three villages of Kanbalu Township were destroyed in an arson attack on Saturday. “A military column with 120 soldiers conducted offensives and burned down the homes. Residents from all those villages fled,” an aid worker told DVB on the condition of anonymity. He added that one recovered body remained unidentified.
More than 200 Kanbalu residents have been arrested and over 800 homes destroyed since the end of October. A People’s Defense Force (PDF) member told DVB that many Kanbalu residents have received military training at the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 6006 and are now members of a pro-military pyusawhtee militia. Tens of thousands of Kanbalu’s 270,539 total population have been displaced from their homes and are in need of urgent humanitarian aid.
SHAN—Eleven civilians were killed and four others were injured by an airstrike carried out by the Burma Air Force on a tea shop in Nawnghkio Township, located 75 miles (121 km) northeast of Mandalay in northern Shan State on Monday. “The bomb landed onto a tea shop and killed civilians who [were] inside,” a Nawnghkio resident told DVB.
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) spokesperson Nway Yay Oo told DVB that a total of 20 civilians were killed during Monday’s airstrikes in Mogok in Mandalay Region and Nawnghkio in Shan State, which have been under TNLA control since it launched ‘Operation Shan-Man’ on June 25.
Nearly 1,000 Myanmar citizens renew passports with National Unity Government office in South Korea
The National Unity Government (NUG) representative office in South Korea announced this week that it has processed nearly 1,000 Myanmar passport renewals over the last four months.
It added that it continues to provide passport renewal services despite threats from regime officials at the Myanmar embassy in Seoul, according to a source from the NUG who spoke to DVB on condition of anonymity.
The South Korean Immigration Department has allowed visa extensions for up to two years “on humanitarian grounds” for Myanmar citizens whose passports have expired, added the source.
This agreement came after the regime in Naypyidaw refused to renew passports for its nationals in South Korea, suspected of opposing the 2021 military coup, at its embassy in Seoul.
The NUG representative office is in Incheon, South Korea, which is located 19 miles (32 km) west of Seoul. It announced that it is assisting “those who are actively involved in the revolution and [have been] detained by [South] Korean immigration due to visa issues” on Nov. 10.
“The NUG office doesn’t issue new passports but instead stamps expired passports with their official seal, which can then be used for visa extensions,” a Myanmar citizen who lives in South Korea, and recently renewed his passport, told DVB.
“We are not concerned about threats from the [regime] embassy or restrictions on traveling to Myanmar or other countries,” said a Myanmar citizen working in Seoul.
In response to the NUG passport renewal service, the Myanmar embassy in Seoul issued a statement on Sunday threatening action against any Myanmar national who “illegally” renews their passport using unofficial stamps.
South Korea is the first country to allow such passport renewals following the regime’s September 2024 restriction on passport renewals for its citizens with one-year education visas in Thailand.
“It would be nice if Thailand allowed similar arrangements as in South Korea,” a Myanmar student living in Thailand shared on social media after news of the NUG passport renewals in South Korea was reported by DVB.
The NUG established its representative office in South Korea in September 2021, its first in Asia. Similar offices have since opened in other countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Japan, and Czechia (Czech Republic).
The NUG Foreign Affairs Minister Zin Mar Aung and Planning, Finance, and Investment Minister Tin Tun Naing attended the 44th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising for democracy in South Korea on May 18.
Six civilians killed by airstrikes on ruby mining hub; Regime calls NUG passport renewal stamps ‘illegal’
Six civilians killed by airstrikes on ruby mining hub
At least six civilians were killed and two others were seriously injured during airstrikes conducted by the Burma Air Force on Mogok Township, located around 129 miles (207 km) northeast of Mandalay, on Monday. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Mandalay People’s Defense Force (MPDF) took control of Mogok, which is famed for its ruby mines, on July 24.
“There were no armed groups [in town], only civilians were present in the area that was targeted by the aircraft,” a Mogok resident told DVB. At least 15 homes and a Hindu temple were also destroyed. Another Mogok resident claimed that the airstrikes targeted three sites in the town despite there being no presence of resistance forces or active combat with the military.
The TNLA and the MPDF launched Operation Shan-Man, while attacking military targets in Mandalay and northern Shan State on June 25. The TNLA recently announced that it has allowed small gem businesses to resume mining in Mogok, which are a major source of revenue for both the regime in Naypyidaw and ethnic armed groups active in neighboring Shan State.
Inflation rises as regime attempts to stop currency depreciation
Jared Bissinger, a development economist who has spent the last 15 years specializing in Burma’s economy, criticized the regime for its economic policies. DVB data collected up to Nov. 6 states that the regime has sold $1.5 billion USD, 156 million Chinese yuan, and 4.5 billion Thai baht to combat the depreciation of the kyat.
“The regime is printing money. They’re operating this foreign exchange system, which can also contribute to inflation. And then there’s just increased costs for certain things like logistics due to conflict. And the combined effect of these things is very significant,” said Bissinger, who’s a visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute (Institute for Southeast Asian Studies) in Singapore.
The regime sold the foreign currencies through online exchange trading platforms. The USD exchange rate reached a high of 7,000 kyat in August, but has now fallen to 4,520 kyat. The price of basic commodities have been on the rise since Chinese authorities closed most border gates in Shan and Kachin states. The military regime sold $74 million USD in 2023, $295 million in 2022, and $445 million in 2021.
Regime calls NUG passport renewal stamps ‘illegal’
The Burma Embassy in Seoul, South Korea stated on Sunday that it will take action against any Burma national who “illegally” renews their passports using stamps issued by the civilian-led National Unity Government (NUG). The NUG Representative Office in South Korea announced that it would issue stamps to extend the validity of passports for an additional two years.
“We have discovered that some Myanmar nationals have been using unauthorized stamps for passport renewals. These individuals have been blacklisted, and we are working with South Korean authorities to take legal action,” stated the regime representative at the Burma Embassy in Seoul.
The NUG established its representative office in South Korea in September 2021, as its first in Asia. Similar offices have been opened in other countries, including the U.S., U.K., Australia, Japan and Czechia. The NUG added that it is assisting Burma nationals who have been detained in South Korea for visa-related issues.
News by Region
ARAKAN—The Arakan Army (AA) captured a checkpoint at the entrance of Ann town, where the Western Regional Military Command (RMC) is headquartered, on Monday. Ann Township is located 198 miles (319 km) southeast of the Arakan State capital Sittwe.
“We learned that the AA secured control of the checkpoint at around dawn,” a source close to the AA told DVB. The checkpoint is located on a bridge that connects Ann with Magway Region’s Minbu Township. The AA has captured most military bases in Ann since it launched its offensive to take control of the Western RMC on Sept. 26.
MANDALAY—The People’s Defense Force (PDF) claimed that the regime has been sending military conscripts who’ve recently completed training to fight in Madaya and Thabeikkyin townships of northern Mandalay Region, where the PDF has wrested control from the military since June.
“Military troops deployed in the town fired artillery shells around the town despite clashes not taking place. They sent new recruits to Thabeikkyin by helicopter,” a Madaya PDF spokesperson told DVB. Telecommunication services are unavailable in Thabeikkyin, but some Madaya residents told DVB that they still have cellular service.
SHAN—Taunggyi residents said that the number of domestic tourists attending the 2024 Tazaungdaing Hot-Air Balloon Festival has increased compared to last year. Thousands have reportedly already attended the festival, which takes place Nov. 11-17 in Taunggyi.
“It is good for us to make business. I believe around 8,000 to 10,000 visitors are taking part in this year’s festival,” a Taunggyi resident told DVB. Tourism officials stated that hotels have been fully booked until Nov. 17. The festival was rescheduled due to poor weather conditions, according to organizers.
YANGON—A resistance group calling itself Dark Shadow claimed that it bombed an administration office in Insein Township on Monday to mark the one-year anniversary of ‘Operation 1111’ which was launched by resistance forces in Karenni State on Nov. 11, 2023.
“The office is located near Insein police station. Soldiers in a police car inspected the office after the explosion,” an Insein resident told DVB. The group urged people to avoid buildings and targets connected to the military. Dark Shadow reportedly attacked a military checkpoint gate in Mingaladon Township on Oct. 27.
Min Aung Hlaing returns to Myanmar after China visit; Over 100,000 homes destroyed by arson attacks since coup
Min Aung Hlaing returns to Myanmar after China visit
A delegation led by regime leader Min Aung Hlaing arrived at Ayelar Airport in the capital Naypyidaw on Sunday after a visit to Kunming, China. Government employees, students, police officers, soldiers, and celebrities were instructed to welcome the delegation at the airport, a civil servant in Naypyidaw told DVB on the condition of anonymity.
It was Min Aung Hlaing’s first visit to China since the 2021 military coup. “By inviting Min Aung Hlaing to the Mekong summit, China extended implied recognition to him as Myanmar leader, something they have avoided doing up to now,” Richard Horsey, the senior Myanmar advisor at International Crisis Group, told DVB.
“He also had a meeting with Premier Li Qiang, but there was no invitation to visit Beijing or any meeting with [Chinese President] Xi himself.” Explosions occurred on the runway and parking lot of the Ayelar Air Force base on Nov. 5, shortly after the delegation departed for China. Min Aung Hlaing visited Moscow, a close ally to Naypyidaw, and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022.
UN states over two million in Arakan State at risk of famine
The U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) published a report stating that over two million people living in Arakan State are at risk of starvation in the next 12 months. This is due to the sea and road blockades imposed by the military on Arakan, as well as the statewide decline of rice cultivation.
The U.N. warned that the economic conditions in Arakan may further increase tension between the Rohingya and Rakhine communities. “As the crisis worsens, the lack of resources and opportunities will continue to fuel tensions and trigger a greater exodus of youth and families. This would have repercussions both within Myanmar and beyond its borders,” added the UNDP report.
The U.N. called for military blockades on Arakan to be lifted and for humanitarian aid to be allowed into the state. Fighting between the military and the Arakan Army (AA) has escalated since the AA launched its offensive on Nov. 13. At least 511,000 people have been displaced from their homes due to armed conflict across Arakan, according to the U.N.
Over 100,000 homes destroyed by arson attacks since coup
The research group Data for Myanmar has documented that more than 100,000 homes were destroyed during arson attacks conducted by the military since the 2021 coup. Over 73,000 homes were burned down in Sagaing Region. Another 26,583 homes were set ablaze in Magway and Mandalay regions, as well as in Arakan and Chinland.
“The majority of homes were in Sagaing, Mandalay and Magway regions and Arakan State. More than 5,700 homes in Buthidaung of Arakan State may have been burned down due to intense fighting between the [AA] and the military in April and May,” stated the Data for Myanmar report.
It documented that pro-regime forces have burned down 21,023 homes so far in 2024. In 2023, 31,484 homes were burned down. In 2022, 46,856 homes were burned down. In 2021, 2,111 homes were destroyed by arson. The data collected was based on reports from local media and civil society groups. Data for Myanmar states that the actual number of homes burned down by arson may be higher.
News by Region
ARAKAN—Two women were killed and five others were injured by airstrikes conducted by the Burma Air Force in Thandwe and Buthidaung townships on Sunday. Five civilians, including a monk, were injured in Buthidaung and some of them are receiving medical treatment due to injuries.
“Two women were killed instantly after the bombs dropped by a fighter jet landed on a shop in Thandwe. The shop and other buildings were destroyed,” a resident told DVB. The AA took full control of Thandwe on July 16.
KACHIN—The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) told DVB that it seized control of Lanse village in Tsawlaw Township, located around 120 miles (193 km) northeast of the Kachin State capital Myitkyina near the China-Burma border, on Sunday. Lanse is located in the Kachin Special Region 1, which is administered by the Kachin Border Guard Force (BGF).
“Resistance forces led by the KIA attacked pro-military militia outposts in Lanse on Saturday and seized the village the next day. The troops abandoned the outpost and joined forces with other [pro-military] militias in Khaunglanhpu, Puta-O district,” a KIA member told DVB. He added that Kanpaikti town in Waingmaw Township, which is located 78 miles (126 km) east of Myitkyina, is the last remaining stronghold of the pro-regime Kachin BGF in the Kachin Special Region 1.
SHAN—Pinlaung Township residents claimed that the pro-military Pa-O National Organization (PNO) and regime troops stole and harvested over 1,000 acres of rice paddy belonging to residents of Banmauk, Saunglan and Nammapu villages since the first week of November. These three villages are located in the Pa-O Self-Administered Zone of southern Shan State.
“We had to leave our homes without having a chance to harvest our own crops. They took our crops,” a Banmauk resident complained to DVB. Pinlang residents claimed that the PNO used drones to attack villagers who returned to their fields. At least five civilians have been killed by artillery shelling and airstrikes conducted by the military during clashes with resistance forces in Pinlaung since September.
YANGON—A police station in Hlaing Township charged Ngar Min Swe, a former opinion columnist for regime media, with violating Section 505(A) of the Penal Code for “incitement” against the military on Sunday. He was arrested in Mon State’s Kyaikto Township on Saturday for allegedly criticizing Min Aung Hlaing on social media.
Ngar Min Swe was sentenced to seven years in prison for sedition in September 2018 for his social media posts that accused State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi of “causing bloodshed between the army and people.” He was released from prison shortly after the 2021 coup and has reportedly helped organize pro-regime rallies nationwide since then.
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,520 kyat)
Delayed Tazaungdaing hot-air balloon festival takes flight; Another NLD member dies after medical amnesty
Delayed Tazaungdaing hot-air balloon festival takes flight
The Southern Shan State Traditional Hot-Air Balloon Professionals Association blamed poor weather conditions for the delay of the 2024 Tazaungdaing Festival, which takes place annually in the Shan State capital Taunggyi. The festival begins today and will end on Nov. 17 despite originally being scheduled Nov. 9-15. Organizers added that more than 200 hot-air balloons are expected to take flight.
“The festival was organized by the regime so we don’t want people to come. Visitors may be injured or even lose their lives due to the poor management. [Officials] collected 5,000 kyat per household from [residents] to host the festival. They also tightened up security around the city,” a Taunggyi resident told DVB.
Tourism officials in Taunggyi told DVB that hotels have been fully booked until Nov. 17. Tazaungdaing draws a large number of domestic tourists for the festival’s lights and balloons. Taunggyi residents claimed that regime officials have urged residents, including people who’ve fled their homes due to fighting and now live in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, to attend the festival despite security threats.
Shelling in southern Shan State kills four and injures six
Four civilians, including a 10-year-old girl, were killed and six others were injured by artillery shelling in two villages of Moebye Township, located 94 miles (151 km) south of Taunggyi and 10 miles (16 km) north of the Karenni State capital Loikaw, on Friday. An unknown number of homes were destroyed.
“There is no ongoing fighting in Moebye but the military is trying to recapture the town of Loikaw by conducting an offensive and attacking towns along the Moebye-Loikaw Road. This causes civilian casualties and deaths,” the spokesperson of a humanitarian aid group called Jobs for Kayah told DVB.
It added that more than 500 pro-military Pa-O National Organization (PNO) and Burma Army troops are stationed inside the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 422 in Moebye. Residents claimed that the military has sent reinforcement of over 4,000 infantry troops to the area since October. Resistance forces have urged residents to evacuate their homes due to the threat of artillery and airstrikes.
Another NLD member dies after medical amnesty
A funeral for Win Khaing, the National League for Democracy (NLD) Minister of Electricity and Energy ousted in the 2021 military coup, was held Saturday in Mandalay. The 74-year-old died on Friday at Mandalay Hospital after he was released from Obo Prison on medical grounds Oct. 28.
“His lungs were inflamed and his heart was failing, which led to breathing difficulties and his eventual passing. The military and police came to investigate and collect information,” a source at Mandalay Hospital told DVB on condition of anonymity.
Win Khaing was sentenced under the Anti-Corruption Law to 28 years in prison on Dec. 8, 2021, for allegedly misusing six billion kyat ($129 million USD) of state funds. Former Mandalay Chief Minister and NLD Vice Chair Zaw Myint Maung died at Mandalay Hospital on Oct. 6. Over 123 elderly political prisoners, including 39 NLD party members, have not received adequate healthcare in prison since the 2021 coup, stated the NLD.
News by Region
ARAKAN—The AA transferred 20 Bangladeshi fishermen, who had been detained, to the Bangladesh Border Guard on Nov. 7, The Territorial News (TTN) agency in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh reported. The 20 fishermen were detained Nov. 5 and their 15 boats were seized by the AA on an estuary of the Naf River along the Burma-Bangladesh border. The AA claimed that the fishermen were “illegally fishing” off the coast of Arakan State.
NAYPYIDAW—DVB data collected up to Nov. 6 states that the regime has sold $1.5 billion USD, 156 million Chinese yuan, and 4.5 billion Thai baht to combat the depreciation of the kyat. It sold the currencies through online foreign exchange trading platforms. The USD exchange rate reached a high of 7,000 kyat in August, and has now fallen to 4,500 kyat.
“We heard that they received advance payments of about $400 million [USD] for two years of gas pipeline transit fees after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit,” Aung Thu Nyein, the director of communications at the Institute of Strategy and Policy (ISP-Myanmar), told DVB. The price of basic commodities have been on the rise since Chinese authorities closed most border gates in Shan and Kachin states. The military regime sold $74 million in 2023, $295 million in 2022, and $445 million USD in 2021.
SHAN—Pekon Township residents told DVB that two civilians were killed and 10 were injured during a bombing in Karla village, located 104 miles (167 km) south of Taunggyi and 21 miles north (33 km) of Loikaw, on Nov. 8. Several homes were reportedly damaged.
“There was no fighting in the area. The military intentionally carried out the bombing while people were asleep,” a Pekon resident told DVB. The two killed had fled to Karla from nearby Naungthein village. On Oct. 31, three residents of Panglong Township, located 150 miles (241 km) north of Pekon, were killed during a military drone attack on a vehicle.
YANGON—Overseas employment agencies told DVB that businesses in Laos are offering to pay the fees of migrant workers from Burma due to labor shortages. The regime Ministry of Labor signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the government of Laos in order to recruit migrant workers to work in their respective countries last month.
“Some are implementing ‘zero cost’ recruitment based on their standards, with employers covering the expenses. We are increasingly seeing this trend,” an employment agency owner told DVB on the condition of anonymity. Migrant workers typically pay $100 USD to employment agencies to find work in Laos. The migrant workers receive an average monthly salary of around $250 USD.
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