Chin resistance forces, known as the Chin Brotherhood, at the entrance to Matupi town on June 29. (Credit: Operation Chin Brotherhood)
After the 2021 military coup, the Chin National Army (CNA) joined forces with a new armed group called the Chinland Defence Force (CDF). But a split in the resistance lead to a new group called the Chin Brotherhood. On June 29, the Chin Brotherhood seized control of Matupi Township, in southern Chinland, after clashes with the CNA and CDF.
TRANSCRIPT—What’s happening in Myanmar’s western Chin State is worth your attention.
After the 2021 military coup, the Chin National Army (CNA) scrapped the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) it signed in 2015.
To mount an effective resistance to the military, the Chinland Defense Force (CDF) joined forces with the CNA in April 2021.
Together with Chin political parties and civil society, the Chinland Constitution was drafted.
This culminated in the Chinland Council, a provisional government with executive, legislative and judicial branches, in February.
But some in the Chin resistance disagreed and said the council failed to conform to democratic standards.
The Chinland Council is dominated by the CNA’s political wing, the Chin National Front (CNF), and the National League for Democracy (NLD).
This new faction of the resistance calls itself the Chin Brotherhood. It consists of six Chin resistance groups.
On June 29, the Chin Brotherhood seized control of Matupi Township, in southern Chinland, from the military.
Chin resistance forces now have 11 towns under its control.
The Arakan Army (AA) seized control of Paletwa Township in southern Chin State in January.
The Chinland Council accused the AA of ignoring the harmony among ethnic groups by forcibly recruiting Paletwa residents.
Fighting between the Chinland Council forces, led by the CNA, and the Chin Brotherhood took place in Matupi.
But CNA troops withdrew a week later, on June 24.
So far, efforts to unite the two factions of the Chin resistance have been unsuccessful.
The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) told DVB that there are over 200,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
Around 60,000 have taken refuge in India due to the fighting across Chinland.
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.
“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 held at Imphal Central Jail in Manipur State of India were repatriated on June 11. (Credit: Myanmar embassy in New Delhi)
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.
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.
The Weekly Briefing airs every Friday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Audible or Amazon. DVB English News is available wherever you get podcasts. Listen on Spotify & YouTube Music.
Nearly 20 homes and buildings were destroyed by an airstrike carried out on Kyaukme Township, located in northern Shan State, on June 30. (Credit: Namhkone Shan Charity Group)
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.
Thuzar Maung with two of her three children in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2017. (Credit: Free Malaysia Today)
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.
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]
Soldiers arrested Development Media Group reporter Htet Aung while he was taking photos of soldiers making donations to Buddhist monks during a religious festival in the Rakhine State capital, Sittwe, on October 29, 2023. (Credit: Htet Aung Facebook via DMG)
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.
Feel the passion for press freedom ignite within you.
Join us as a valued contributor to our vibrant community, where your voice harmonizes with the symphony of truth. Together, we'll amplify the power of free journalism.
