Former military generals and top officials with the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) made up the vast majority of those applying to carry licenced firearms, police sources told DVB on the condition of anonymity. The military junta’s new gun ownership policy circulated online on Jan. 31 allowing those “loyal to the nation” the ability to own licensed firearms. On Feb. 12, junta spokesperson, Zaw Min Tun, confirmed to BBC Burmese that the new policy was in response to “public demands.”
The 15-page document produced by the junta is broadly intended to safeguard its loyalists against the anti-coup opposition. “The retired top army officer already has licensed weapons. The junta issued the new policy just because it wanted to provide others with guns,” a police source told DVB. Top junta officials met last December to discuss and approve a new gun ownership policy. The document that circulated on pro-military Facebook pages and Telegram channels was issued on Jan. 31 and attributed to the Home Affairs Ministry.
Following the 2021 military coup, pro-regime militia groups were set up, trained and armed to fight the anti-coup resistance forces in Burma. Under the new gun ownership policy, those who apply to own firearms must be at least 18 years of age. The applicants are classified into three groups: civilians, civil servants, and military personnel. The different types of guns that applicants can receive licenses to carry include 38-caliber, 9-mm pistol, shotgun, air gun, rifle or submachine gun, and guns larger than 9-mm. Licenses are valid for one year.
“In [Yangon’s industrial suburban township] Hlaing Thayar, even on the main road, a murderer can walk fearlessly after he has stabbed [someone] to death. When such murderers have access to firearms in the future, there will be a surge in crimes such as robberies and killings. I can’t imagine,” a Hlaing Thayar resident said.
The Burmese-Australian community in Brisbane hosted a fundraising concert by Chan Chan. All proceeds from ticket sales and donations went to support the Spring Revolution against the 2021 military coup, and to assist people displaced (IDPs) from their homes due to the violence carried out by the military in Burma.
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About DVB The DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma) is a non-profit Burmese media organization committed to independent and responsible journalism. The DVB Foundation is registered in Oslo, Norway since 1992.
Burmese in Thailand protest at UNHCR in Mae Sot and Bangkok
Burma nationals demanded rights for refugees in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Mae Sot on Feb. 13. A group called Maesot Myanmar Refugee Voice (MMRV) led the protest. One protester, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there have been incidents of Thai authorities extorting money from Burmese refugees, and she urged the UNHCR to protect them just as it has safeguarded Ukrainian refugees. The MMRV told DVB that refugees have not received any protection from the UNHCR, and many of them are still being held in Bangkok and Mae Sot immigration detention centers. A solidarity protest was reported in front of the UNHCR office in Bangkok. Burma nationals demonstrated in front of a prison and the chief district officer’s house in Mae Sot on Feb. 6 . The Thai-Burma border town, Mae Sot, has seen a considerable influx of Burmese fleeing political instability, war and violence since the coup.
Another 21 undocumented Burma nationals arrested in Thailand
Twenty-one undocumented Burma nationals who entered Thailand by sea were arrested in southern Thailand’s Ranong province on Feb. 13, Thai media reported. They had to pay 18,000 baht ($531.72 USD) each to a broker to work at a construction site, according to the report.
People in Burma celebrate General Aung San’s birthday
Feb. 13 was the birthday of Bogyoke Aung San, who is assumed to be the “Father of the Nation” by many in Burma and was the father of Aung San Suu Kyi. To commemorate his birthday, people eat steamed peas (in Burmese, Pae Pyote) withIndian flat bread ( in Burmese Nan Pyar). He is believed to have frequently eaten this dish. To commemorate Aung San’s birthday, the Free Funeral Services Society of Yangon donated steamed peas and Indian flatbread to its volunteers while the resistance group Daw Na Column – which is based near Karen State – served steamed peas and Indian flatbreads to its members.
News by Region
BAGO—Three locals were injured when a heavy shell fired by the Burma Army landed in a village of Nyaunglebin Township, in the territory of the Karen National Union’s (KNU) Brigade-3 on Feb. 11, according to locals. A civilian-owned rice warehouse is also reported to have been destroyed in the attack.
KACHIN—Indawgyi Lake has been increasingly affected by illegal gold mining since the coup. The Ramsar Convention declared the lake Burma’s fifth Wetland of International Importance in 2018. Locals said that more than 100 acres around the lake have become shallow due to heavy mining. “Since the coup, illegal mining has significantly increased. Extensive gold mining has occurred near Minenaung and Mamonekine villages. As a result, mud has emerged and entered the lake, making it shallow,” a local told DVB.
At least two gem scavengers have been killed and others injured in a landslide at a jade pit in Hpakant’s Longhkin village on Feb. 12. “We currently have two bodies. Another four injured were sent to the hospital. We are now conducting search and rescue operations,” a volunteer who helped the victims told DVB. Locals estimated that at least 15 have been injured or killed. Four scavengers were killed in a similar incident on Jan. 30.
YANGON—A 100-household elder was shot by two unidentified gunmen on a motorbike on Feb. 12 in South Dagon Township, according to locals. “He was taken away in an ambulance. I am not sure if he died,” a local told DVB. Nine people, including one army major and three retired majors, were killed and another eight were wounded in shootings in Yangon Region in January.
An explosive was detonated at an administrative office in eastern Insein Township on Feb. 13, destroying some parts of the office building. “Four or five glass doors in the front of the office were broken,” a local told DVB. There were no casualties reported. On Feb. 12, there was a report of a homemade grenade being found in the township.
TANINTHARYI—Seven family members, including children, were killed in their home on Feb. 11 in Ahlelkone village in Palaw Township, Tanintharyi Region. According to locals, the victims were family members of military-appointed administrator Myint Aung. The victims were identified as the administrator’s wife 61-year-old Kyin Nwet, the administrator’s daughter 42-year-old Than Than Maw, along with his grandchildren: 17-year-old Nay Htet Thein, 16-year-old Zayar Aung , 13-year-old Soe Min Paing, nine-year-old May Zin Phyu, and one-year-old Maung Thar Thar. Martial law was recently imposed in Palaw Township, which has seen clashes almost daily since the coup. “Such action is unacceptable. We’ll look into which group did it,” an information officer of Myeik People’s Defense Force (PDF) told DVB. On Jan. 15, eight male villagers were killed and dumped in Bokpyin Township, Tanintharyi Region.
PODCAST—Australian journalist Phil Thornton discusses his book: “Restless Souls: Rebels, Refugees, Medics and Misfits on the Thai-Burma Border.” DVB English is on-demand via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, Substack, SoundCloud, or here: https://link.chtbl.com/dvbenglish
The Peace Story is a documentary about the increasing use of drugs among young people in Yangon after the 2021 military coup. Note: This documentary is for media and information purposes. #DVBTV #Peace #documentary #Myanmar DVB TV – 13.02.2023
Japan’s Special Envoy for Burma calls for ASEAN to open office in Burma
Japan’s Special Envoy for Burma, Yohei Sasakawa, said that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should open an office in Burma until the political crisis is resolved. “Just blaming from afar will not solve the problem,” he said. Sasakawa encouraged more dialogue between ASEAN and the military junta in Burma. Sasakawa believes dialogue with the military is what allowed him to provide humanitarian aid to the displaced people in Rakhine State, and to negotiate a temporary ceasefire between the Burma Army and Arakan Army (AA). Sasakawa expressed his support for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers statement that “state-level dialogue involving all relevant groups is key in finding a way to resolve Myanmar’s conflicts.”
Junta aims to allow civilians to own up to three guns
The junta has declared that civilians will be allowed to own firearms, according to a leaked announcement on social media. A civilian would be allowed to own up to three guns. At the moment, the announcement issued on Jan. 31 has circulated online, and the junta’s friendly news outlets have not been able to confirm it yet. The junta said that rules and regulations on the use of force and firearms issued on May 9, 1977, have been re-examined and amended in order to be “in line with the changing situation” regarding ownership of the weapons.
Junta leader trumpets voting machines ahead of his planned elections
Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing attended an event that featured Myanmar Electronic Voting Machines (MEVM) that were created by the Union Election Commission (UEC) on Feb. 9 in Naypyidaw. Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe Win and other junta officials also attended the gathering. According to regime media, the spokesperson of the UEC explained how the MEVMs were built. Min Aung Hlaing has yet to announce a date for the junta’s planned elections, set to take place later this year.
News by Region
BAGO—A 45-year old man was killed and three were injured after the Burma Army fired more than 50 artillery shells at villages inside Karen National Union (KNU) territory in Kyaukkyi Township. Around 4,250 residents from seven villages were also displaced. Fighting between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Burma Army broke out inside Kyaukkyi Township on Feb. 7 near Ohm Pin Su village.
KAREN—The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs expressed concern over the humanitarian and security situation in Karen State as 170,000 residents from 20 villages in the state have been displaced due to fierce fighting. They are currently sheltering in the forest and mountains near the Thailand-Burma border and are in urgent need of shelter, food, and medicine.
Locals and businesses in Myawaddy town have been facing difficulties for nearly two months due to power cuts. Since Dec. 16, 2022, the whole town has faced blackouts, forcing locals to rely on gas and charcoal to cook and solar power to charge their mobile phones. Businessmen also claimed they have been facing challenges due to rising fuel prices as they rely on generators. According to a source close to the junta’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy, local authorities are trying to restore electricity by the end of February but are unsure when the blackouts will end. Myawaddy began experiencing power outages after the town’s Thingan Nyi Naung power supply factory was attacked with a drone on Dec. 16 last year. Fighting broke out near Kawkareik town on Aug. 20, 2022, causing damage to the electric tower.
KARENNI–An airstrike hit a church in a village in Pekon township on Feb. 10, according to the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF). Some parts of the church were destroyed. There were no reported injuries.
MANDALAY—About 40 residents from Shin Hla (north) and Po Wa (south) villages in Madaya Township were taken on Feb. 9. “On that morning, reinforcements from Madaya town arrived, then the troops used the civilians as human shields and fired nearly 30 times of artillery,” a Madaya resident said. The villagers were told to carry the bodies of military personnel during the fighting. The troops allegedly beat the civilians and demanded K100,000 ($47.64 USD) per person to be released on Feb.10. There were casualties from the military side as the local resistance forces attacked with five drones that carried explosive devices. Four houses in Po Wa (north) village were destroyed due to the military’s shelling.
Three men were found hanged to death in Meiktila township, according to social rescue teams on Feb. 7. Three locals from three separate villages in the township were found hanged to death. The social rescue teams claimed they have never experienced this kind of case. The reason behind these incidents are unknown.
Four Burma army troops were injured by a local resistance force’s attack in Chanmyathazi Township on Feb. 10. “The sound of the explosion is loud. The injuries were sent to the hospital,” a local said.
YANGON—An unidentified gunman took around K5 million ($2,382 USD) after robbing a branch of CB bank at Thiri Mingalar road, Ward 6, in East Hlaing Thar Yar Township on Feb. 10. The man entered the bank, pointed the gun to the female staff at the counter and took the money. “We found out about the robbery when the security forces arrived at the bank as we didn’t hear any sound of gunshots,” a resident told DVB. Regime forces set up a checkpoint on Yangon-Pathein Road near the bank. There were at least 10 bank robberies in 2022.
DVB’s Weekly Cartoon: Burma’s military junta and Russian officials from Rosatom unveiled its “Nuclear Information Centre” in Yangon’s Hlaing Township on Feb. 6, 2023
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