DVB English News Weekly Briefing for July 5, 2024. In this week’s briefing: A year on since the disappearance of Thuzar Maung and her family from their home in Malaysia; 66 Myanmar refugees end 18-day hunger strike at prison in India’s Manipur State; The Interim Executive Council marks one year of provisional government in Karenni State.
Monk protests spread from Burma to US; Airline and bus services to Lashio suspended due to fighting
Monk protests spread from Burma to US
A protest was held on Tuesday by Buddhist monks and members of the Burmese diaspora in Washington, D.C. in response to the killing of Sayadaw Bhaddanta Munindabhivamsa in Mandalay on June 19.
“We will go on strike until justice is served for the monks who have been arrested and killed,” said Panyinda, a monk from Shwe Thitsar Meditation Center in New York State.
“We are deeply concerned every time they arrest and kill religious leaders and destroy religious buildings,” Reverend A. Roy Medley, from the American Baptist Churches USA, told DVB.
On June 23, monks from Chaung-U Township of Sagaing Region took action against the regime in Naypyidaw, which seized power after the 2021 military coup. They are refusing to accept alms from anyone associated with the military. Monks in at least 14 other townships across Sagaing, Magway, and Tanintharyi regions have joined them.
Airline and bus services to Lashio suspended due to fighting
Domestic airlines stated that flights to Lashio, in northern Shan State, have been suspended indefinitely on Wednesday due to fighting between the military and the Brotherhood Alliance, which includes the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).
“We don’t know exactly when the flights will resume but the airport is currently shut down,” said a spokesperson from Fly With Dream, an airline ticket agent based in Yangon. Myanmar Airlines International and Mingalar Aviation Services have both canceled all flights to Lashio.
All roads into Lashio have been blocked by the military, the MNDAA and the TNLA on Tuesday. Northern Shan State’s Shwe Phee Myay News Agency reported that bus companies running from Lashio to Yangon suspended services on July 2. Thirteen civilians, including three children, were killed and 12 were reportedly injured by artillery July 3-4.
Burma nationals end hunger strike at India’s Imphal Central Jail
Sixty-six prisoners from Burma, held at the Imphal Central Jail in India’s Manipur State capital, ended their 18-day hunger strike on July 3. The prisoners were protesting their impending deportation to Burma. India for Myanmar is a New Delhi-based group calling on the Indian government to stop the deportations.
“During the [hunger] strike, the detainees rejected all support from the jail authorities and survived solely on vegetables from the jail farm. Consequently, some are [facing] serious health conditions,” Salai Dokhar, the founder of India for Myanmar, told DVB. He added that 200 Burma nationals are being held in prisons across northeastern India despite having served their sentences and paid any fines incurred.
Since 2021, an estimated 70,000 Burma nationals have fled into India seeking refuge. Manipur State Chief Minister N Biren Singh has blamed them of inciting communal violence and began deporting a total of 5,457 in May. Seventy-six were released from the prison and deported from India on June 11.
News by Region
CHINLAND—The Chinland Defense Force (CDF) Matupi stated Wednesday that many homes and religious buildings were destroyed in Matupi town. “The military carried out [retaliatory] artillery attacks and airstrikes on the town, causing mass destruction,” said a CDF Matupi Brigade 1 spokesperson.
The Union Theological College (UTC), the Matupi Baptist Church, and the That Dun Memorial Baptist Church were among the buildings destroyed, according to the CDF Matupi. The Chin Brotherhood seized Matupi on June 29. “We will return once everything is stable,” said a Matupi resident. Chin resistance forces now control 11 towns across Chinland.
MANDALAY—The Mandalay People’s Defense Force (MPDF) claimed on Wednesday that it had seized control of six military outposts, including Nweyon Police Station, in Singu Township. The MPDF arrested 13 military personnel and seized more than 4o weapons.
“We are currently attacking more military targets in Singu Township with the help of the Singu PDF,” an MPDF spokesperson told DVB. He warned residents not to go near military outposts or its personnel. The MPDF seized eight military outposts, including an Air Defense Force base, in Madaya Township since “Operation Shan-Man” was launched on June 25.
NAYPYIDAW—The regime stated on Wednesday that police arrested members of an alleged drug trafficking gang led by Wai Phyo, also known as Wai Min Phyo, the former editor-in-chief of Eleven Media Group. Police reportedly seized 13.44 million tablets of methamphetamine.
“Two young men were arrested in Naypyidaw and the others were arrested in Yamethin [Township of Mandalay Region],” a source close to the anti-narcotics police force told DVB on the condition of anonymity.
A total of nine alleged drug traffickers were arrested. All were charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law. Wai Phyo was reportedly detained in Yangon’s Shwepyitha Township along with 20 billion kyat ($6.1 million USD) worth of drugs on June 25.
SHAN— The Shan State Progress Party (SSPP/SSA) announced on July 3 that one Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) member was killed by the SSA during fighting between the two Shan armed groups in Laihka Township, located in southern Shan State, on July 1.
“RCSS forces launched an offensive attack on an SSA camp, leading to a battle that lasted approximately 20 minutes,” stated SSPP Info. It accused the RCSS of causing civilian casualties in the region. The RCSS has not issued a response. A ceasefire signed between the SSA and the RCSS in November 2023 broke down last month as fighting resumed in Laihka and Lawksawk townships.
Brotherhood Alliance attacks Lashio; UN calls on India to stop detention and deportation of Rohingya
Brotherhood Alliance and Shan State Army attack Lashio
Four civilians were killed and two others were injured after artillery shells landed on two homes located on Thaya Road in Lashio during fighting between the military and the Brotherhood Alliance in northern Shan State on Wednesday.
“Gunfire and artillery sounds have been heard since the morning. We don’t know where to run,” said a Lashio resident. A truck driver added that the fighting started Tuesday between the military’s Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 68 and the Brotherhood Alliance, which includes the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).
The Shan State Army (SSA/SSPP) has also reportedly joined forces with the MNDAA and the TNLA to fight against the military in Lashio. The Lashio-Nampong Road is shut down. Shan media reported that fighting is also occurring near the Northeastern Command Headquarters.
UN calls on India to stop detention and deportation of Rohingya
The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) called on India to end the detention of Rohingya refugees and stop their deportation to Burma, where they could face serious human rights violations and abuses.
The CERD added that India “end racial discrimination against Rohingya and to remove restrictions preventing them from enjoying their rights without discrimination, in particular with regard to access to employment, health and education, especially by ensuring the issuance of long-term visas and other identity documents.”
It expressed alarm over reports of Rohingya being deported from India to Burma, which would violate the international legal principle of non-refoulement despite India not being a signatory to the U.N. Refugee Convention. The CERD is a group of 18 independent experts monitoring racial discrimination globally.
A year on: Thuzar Maung and her family are still missing
Debbie Stothard, the founder and coordinator of human rights group ALTSEAN-Burma, spoke to DVB to mark the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of refugee activist Thuzar Maung along with her husband and three children from their home in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 4, 2023.
“Recently, [U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk] visited Malaysia and met with refugees and I hope he at least raised Thuzar Maung’s case with the Malaysian authorities. This is clearly an act of transnational repression,” said Stothard.
Thuzar Maung is a refugee from Burma living in Malaysia since 2015. Following the 2021 military coup, she criticized the regime in Naypyidaw and worked closely with the National Unity Government (NUG). Malaysian police are still investigating. Her friends and colleagues believe that she was targeted for her political activism and work with the NUG.
News by Region
ARAKAN —Five civilians were severely injured during an airstrike on Myonpyin village, located in Thandwe Township, on Tuesday. “Many homes were destroyed. People are facing difficulties due to a shortage of medicine,” said a Thandwe resident.
Myonpyin village has 160 households with more than 300 residents. It is located along The Thandwe-Taungup road. Fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and the military’s Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 55 began in Thandwe on July 2.
CHINLAND—Three members of a family, including a four-year-old child, were killed when a place they were staying at temporarily in Aizawl, Mizoram State of India, was destroyed by a landslide on July 2. The family had reportedly fled their home in Chinland to seek refuge in India since the coup.
“It has been raining heavily these days. Since the houses here were built on the hillside, many landslides occur. The bodies have been recovered,” a relative of the family told DVB. In May, 29 people living in Aizawl died following landslides brought about by Cyclone Remal.
SHAN—A total of 295 Chinese nationals and 12 Burma nationals were arrested in Tachileik and Mandalay on charges of operating online scam businesses, regime media reported. The Chinese nationals were detained in Tachileik on Friday.
Regime authorities seized 900 mobile phones and other electronics allegedly used for cyber scams and online gambling. In Mandalay, 12 Burma nationals were detained, six laptops and 63 mobile phones were seized on June 27.
NAYPYIDAW—The military’s first batch of conscripts were sent to the frontline, according to families of the conscripted. Graduation ceremonies were held at military training centers across the country on June 28.
“My relative who completed his training in Yangon on June 28 was sent to Sagaing. His parents are deeply concerned,” a family member of a conscript told DVB.
The military training began on March 29 at 12 training centers across the country. The regime has since expanded this to 19 training facilities nationwide. The second batch of conscripts are now receiving military training. The third batch was recently recruited. Women aged 18-27 will be conscripted starting next month.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) demands the release of journalist Htet Aung. The Development Media Group staff reporter and an office guard were sentenced to five years in prison with hard labor.
Myanmar refugee activist and her family still missing in Malaysia
Thuzar Maung is a refugee from Myanmar who has lived in Malaysia since 2015. Following the 2021 military coup, she criticized the military regime in Naypyidaw and worked closely with the National Unity Government (NUG).
Malaysian police are still investigating the disappearance of Thuzar Maung, her husband and three kids. Her friends and colleagues believe that she was targeted for her political activism and NUG-related work.
DVB is investigating. If you have any information about Thuzar Maung and her family’s disappearance, please contact [email protected]
Myanmar journalist Htet Aung sentenced to 5 years in prison under counterterrorism law
Originally published on CPJ
New York, July 2, 2024—Myanmar authorities should release journalist Htet Aung, and allow members of the press to do their jobs without fear of legal reprisal or imprisonment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.
On June 28, a court in Sittwe, capital of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, sentenced Htet Aung, a reporter with the Development Media Group (DMG) news agency, to five years in prison with hard labor.
His sentence was in connection with a report the outlet published on August 25, 2023, under the headline “Calls for justice on sixth anniversary of Muslim genocide in Arakan State,” according to the news agency, a DVB social media post, and DMG editor-in-chief Aung Marm Oo, who communicated with CPJ via text message.
Htet Aung was convicted of abetting terrorism under Section 52(a) of the country’s Anti-Terrorism Law. The journalist’s initial indictment was for defamation under Section 65 of the Telecommunications Law, but the charge was changed to abetting terrorism on December 1.
DMG office security guard Soe Win Aung was handed the same sentence as Htet Aung, according to the news report and Aung Marm Oo. Both were also held on a charge of allegedly stealing a motorcycle, the same sources said.
In a public statement reviewed by CPJ, DMG said it “strongly condemns the regime’s unjust imprisonment” of Htet Aung and Soe Win Aung.
“The 5-year sentencing of Development Media Group reporter Htet Aung on bogus terrorism charges is Myanmar’s latest outrage against the free press and should be immediately reversed,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative.
“Myanmar’s junta must stop harassing and jailing journalists for merely doing their jobs by reporting the news.”
After his October arrest, Htet Aung was held in pre-trial detention at Sittwe’s No. 1 Police Station, where he was denied visitation, according to the news agency’s report and Aung Marm Oo.
Htet Aung was initially arrested while taking photos of soldiers making donations to Buddhist monks during a religious festival in Sittwe.
Hours later, soldiers, police, and special branch officials raided the Development Media Group’s bureau; confiscated cameras, computers, documents, financial records, and cash, and sealed off the building.
The agency’s staff went underground to avoid arrest, according to Aung Marm Oo, who has been in hiding since 2019 after being charged under Myanmar’s Unlawful Association Act, which can result in up to five years’ imprisonment and fines.
Development Media Group specializes in news from Rakhine State, where in 2017, an army operation drove more than half a million Muslim Rohingyas to flee to neighboring Bangladesh in what the United Nations called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”
CPJ’s email to the Myanmar Ministry of Information did not receive a response.
Myanmar was the world’s second-worst jailer of journalists, with at least 43 journalists behind bars, at the time of CPJ’s December 1, 2023, prison census.
UN response facing setbacks in Burma; Over half of the country without access to the internet
UN response facing setbacks in Burma
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) stated that there are now over three million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) nationwide. Its recent report highlights Arakan, Kachin, and northern Shan states as areas of significant concern due to fighting.
In Sittwe, residents are reportedly facing mass arrests and forced evictions from their homes, as well as newly-planted landmines. In Myitkyina there has been a significant rise in the number of IDPs, especially since flooding occurred on June 29. A temporary ceasefire in northern Shan State, signed in January between the Brotherhood Alliance and the military, collapsed on June 25.
The U.N. added that the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) is critically underfunded after having received only 12 percent of the necessary required amount. It urged the international community to give more resources to support its humanitarian response efforts in Burma.
Over half of country without access to the internet
The freedom of expression activist group Athan Myanmar documented that 169 out of 330 townships have faced an internet shutdown from February 2021 to April 2024. The regime has cut telecommunications to 33 townships in Sagaing and 28 in Yangon regions, as well as 18 in Kachin and 17 in Arakan states.
“Internet freedom and access to [verified] information is included in the right to freedom of expression. Blocking internet access is a crime and we assume that it is a silent weapon being used against the people,” said ZP, the director of Athan Myanmar.
“We can’t use internet services with telecom SIM cards as mobile and internet services have been cut off. Some of the villages in the region lost contact with the outside world. We mostly rely on Starlink,” said an Ayadaw Township resident, whose town has had no access to telecom services since September 2021.
Central Bank fines seven prominent banks
The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) announced on July 1 that it will take action against Roma Bank, Myanmar People’s Bank, Ayeyarwady Bank, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Bank, UAB Bank, Myanmar Metro Bank, and the Construction, Housing & Infrastructure Development Bank.
It has accused the seven of issuing home loans that exceed the set limit set by the CBM. It said that the seven banks will receive fines under Article 154 of its Financial Institutions Law. The CBM officials who failed to properly supervise the banks will be investigated and face repercussions.
Guidelines set by the CBM on June 12 state that withdrawals over 20 million kyat ($9,500 USD) require prior notice with a reason and intended use of the funds included. Money transfers are limited to one million kyat ($470 USD) per transaction with a daily limit of five million kyat ($2,350 USD).
“We usually do transactions for hundreds of millions and now we have to split large transactions and use intermediary accounts to withdraw money, which is time-consuming and complicated,” a business owner told DVB. Payments from individuals to businesses are limited to 10 million kyat ($4,700 USD) per day, according to the CBM.
Japan calls for release of Aeon Orange Supermarket director
Tokyo has demanded the release of Hiroshi Kasamatsu, a Japanese national and the director of Aeon Orange supermarkets in Yangon. Kasamatsu was among 11 businessmen arrested by police and accused of allegedly selling rice 20 to 70 percent higher than the rate set by the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF).
“We call on local authorities to release him immediately,” stated Yoshimasa Hayashi, a spokesperson from the Japanese government, during a press conference in Tokyo on Monday.
Kasamatsu is being held by regime authorities at a police station in Yangon. A lawyer who met with Kasamatsu on Sunday confirmed to Japanese embassy officials that he was in good health.
News by Region
ARAKAN—The regime’s Union Election Commission (UEC) cited “inconsistencies with the requirements of Section 7 of the Political Parties Registration Law” on July 1 after it denied registration to the Arakan National Party (ANP), which won the most local seats in parliament in the 2015 and 2020 elections.
“The rejection of a party with significant support from the Rakhine people and preventing it from participating in political activities is a deliberate attempt to suppress Rakhine politicians,” a political analyst in Arakan State told DVB on the condition of anonymity.
The ANP has sought UEC registration since March 2023. The Political Parties Registration Law stipulates that a party must not have any association with an organization engaged in “armed rebellion,” “acts of terrorism against the state,” or has been declared an unlawful association, which refers to its alleged links to the Arakan Army (AA).
KACHIN—Tens of thousands of Myitkyina residents are in need of urgent assistance as 75 percent of the town is reportedly flooded since June 29. “The people who were affected by the flood have had to evacuate to the highlands. They are temporarily staying in monasteries and religious buildings,” said a rescue worker.
The water level of the Irrawaddy River reached a critical level on Sunday and more than 20 wards in the town were flooded by Monday. The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology announced that the water level reached over 1.2 meters (3 feet) above the critical threshold in Myitkyina and Waingmaw township due to rains.
It is estimated that the water level will reach between 1.8-3 meters (6-8 feet) in Myitkyina, Bhamo, Shwegu, Katha, Thabeikkyin, Mandalay, Sagaing and Myinmu towns over the next seven days.
MANDALAY—The Mandalay People’s Defense Force (MPDF) claimed on Tuesday that it had seized control of eight military outposts, including an Air Defense Force base in Madaya Township during “Operation Shan-Man” which began June 25.
“They are using its aircraft and infantry to retake those outposts. We will establish a foothold and dominate the area in order to kick out the military dictatorship in Mandalay,” said a Madaya PDF spokesperson. The Madaya PDF has joined forces with the MPDF to fight the military.
Sixty-two military personnel surrendered and a total of 117 military families have been detained by resistance forces. More than 120 weapons and ammunition were seized in Mandalay and northern Shan State from June 25 to July 2.
