It has now been over two years since train routes in Upper Burma have ceased services. The Mandalay to Shwebo, Mandalay to Khin-U, and Mandalay to Myitkyina lines have been shut down since the 2021 military coup. The Myanma Railways staff in Upper Burma joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and the military has not been able to restart the train routes from Mandalay heading north to Sagaing Region and Kachin State, because some of these areas under the control of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
“The train can be run only if the stations along the route are operating. And it is not like other departments. The first reason for these train routes being unable to run is the railway employees in Kachin state are participating in the CDM,” a Myanma Railways station master in upper Burma told DVB on the condition of anonymity. Because the train routes from Mandalay to Kachin State are not operational, travellers must rely solely on road transportation. Locals claim that the road conditions are okay. According to bus companies operating along these routes, Mandalay to Myitkyina and Myitkyina to Yangon are still operating, but military checkpoints have been set up along the highways to inspect all passengers.
A train that was attacked by resistance forces in 2021.
“The prices for bus tickets [have more than doubled] depending on the types of ticket,” said a Mandalay resident. There are a total of 76 bus stations, which is where stops are made for passengers to disembark, from Mandalay to Myitkyina. Fifty-five are in Sagaing Region and 21 are in Kachin State. Previously, there were eight direct train routes operating from Mandalay to Myitkyina and thousands of passengers took those routes on a daily basis. The junta plans to appoint new railway employees to replace striking CDM workers. But they have yet to do so.
“Passenger trains as well as freight trains are not operating. It can’t be possible to operate trains [after the military coup],” said another Myanma Railways station master in Upper Burma on the condition of anonymity. Prior to the coup, Myanma Railways had a total of 156 long-distance trains, including 40 high-speed passenger trains, 52 mail trains, 48 freight trains, 16 short-distance trains. Twenty-one trains circle Yangon 160 times per day. The junta has not been able to effectively operate Myanma Railways since staff joined the CDM in an effort to reverse the coup and re-establish democracy in Burma.
NUG FM receives warm welcome from British officials in London
The National Unity Government (NUG) reported that its Minister of Foreign Affairs Zin Mar Aung met with British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, James Cleverly, in London, U.K. on Feb. 6. The two discussed cooperation on how to address Burma’s ongoing crisis. Zin Mar Aung is meeting with other British officials during her visit to the U.K. The NUG reported that there was a meeting with the Burmese diaspora in the U.K. on Feb. 4 at the University of Westminster. The NUG Economic Minister Khin Ma Ma Myo attended the meeting. Both NUG ministers answered questions raised by the diaspora.
The U.K. embassy in Burma made a statement on Feb. 7 regarding the meeting in London with the NUG foreign minister. “I pay tribute to Daw Zin Mar Aung’s extraordinary bravery, in standing up for the right of the Myanmar people to democracy and freedom,” wrote James Cleverly. “The Foreign Secretary reaffirmed the U.K.’s commitment to the people of Myanmar. He stressed that the U.K. will continue to drive international action to apply pressure on the military regime in Myanmar,” the statement added.
Kyaw Moe Tun and the NUCC shortlisted for Nobel Peace Prize
Kyaw Moe Tun, the Permanent Representative of Burma to the United Nations (UN), and the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) were included on the shortlist of the Peace Research Institute Oslo’s (PRIO) Nobel Peace Prize nominees of 2023. Kyaw Moe Tun was one of Burma’s first senior diplomats to denounce the military coup in 2021. Read more here.
News by Region
BAGO—The junta has ordered resistance forces to hand over their weapons in townships where martial law has been declared in the Bago Region. Residents reported hearing the Burma Army and police make announcements over loudspeakers on Feb. 5. “They told the [resistance] forces in the townships to hand over their weapons, disarm, and not to gather,” a local told DVB. Martial law was imposed by the junta in 37 townships across Burma, including five in Bago Region.
MANDALAY—Fishermen who were using electrofishing equipment to catch Irrawaddy dolphins were detained by resistance forces in Madaya Township on Feb. 4. The fishermen were released after being educated on how to protect Irrawaddy dolphins and freshwater fish species, according to a spokesperson of the group. Their electrofishing equipment was confiscated. Electrofishing in the Ayeyarwady River has contributed to the decline in population of the Irrawaddy Dolphin.
SHAN—The Ta’ang National Liberation Army/Palaung State Liberation Front (TNLA/PSLF) announced that it rescued 127 Ta’ang (Palaung) people during a raid on a camp on Feb. 4. The 127 people were forced to serve a pro-regime militia in Jaryang village, Lashio Township. Twenty minors between 8 to 17 years of age and 107 adults between 18 to 65 years of age were among those rescued.
RAKHINE—The junta’s Minister of International Cooperation, Ko Ko Hlaing, has been in Sittwe since Feb. 5. The visit is aimed at obtaining evidence to defend the junta at the next hearing of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). A local official said the minister planned to meet with those who witnessed the 2017 violence, as well as administrators from Maungdaw, Buthidaung, and Rathedaung townships. Junta ministers Tun Tun Naung, Thet Thet Khaing, and Myint Kyaing, are also on a visit to Sittwe, according to local officials.
Ko Ko Hlaing also visited the Nga Khu Ya, Hla Pho Khung and Taung Pyo Latwe reception centers in Maungdaw Township on Feb. 7, according to local officials. The reception centers are reportedly ready to accept Rohingya refugees who are now in Bangladesh’s refugee camps. The junta plans to accept and host more than 1,000 Rohingya returnees from Bangladesh – including 300 Hindus – at the reception centers since September 2022, but none of them have taken up the offer. “We won’t ever come back because the Burma side chose people within a household. If there are 10 people in a household, five are selected to come back. If there are six in a household, three are chosen. As a result, families will be separated. If we come back to Burma, we will not be allowed to stay in our original places as well. So no one came back,” a Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh told DVB.
SAGAING—A local information group stated that the Facebook page of ‘Myay Out Hlyat Si Guerrilla Force’ (Underground Thunder Guerrilla Force) falsely claimed a battle occurred in Sar Taung town. Myay Out Hlyat Si Guerrilla Force claimed on its Facebook page on Feb. 5 that a 20-year-old paramedic was killed along with 12 soldiers after fighting broke out in Sar Taung town. Many media outlets, including BBC Burmese, reported news of the fighting on Feb. 6. Sagaing Information Group said that the Facebook page has been spreading false information about battles in Sagaing Region. It said the page was created on Jan. 29 and is impersonating Myay Out Hlyat Si Guerrilla Force led by Bo Mone Daing.
TANINTHARYI—More than 2,600 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Palaw Township are in need of humanitarian assistance. “The primary concern is food. Restrictions [imposed by the military] on rice transports have made things more difficult. Second, there is an insufficiency of medical workers who can provide medicine and health care,” an aid worker told DVB. Martial law was recently imposed in Palaw Township, which has seen clashes almost daily since the coup. “It is very difficult to work with ground transportation. As the cost of goods rises, the rate at which we can purchase and support the IDPs falls, and people are donating less as well. There are more conflicts, more IDPs, and more needs,” the volunteer added. In January, the number of IDPs in Tanintharyi Region reached more than 7,000, according to Southern Monitor.
In Australia and the U.S. twin protests took place over the weekend in Melbourne and Washington, DC to condemn the military coup regime in Burma and its planned election for later this year. In Australia, protesters demanded the government deport family members of the military and its cronies back to Burma.
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At least four killed in landmine explosion in Karenni State
A car carrying six civilians on Zayathpyu Road struck a landmine, killing four and injuring two in Loikaw Township, Karenni State on Feb. 6. “The car was traveling from Loikaw. I think they were migrating somewhere to work in Mawchi. They are not Loikaw residents,” a Shwe Loikaw rescue team member told DVB. A resident of Demoso said that not many use the road as local resistance groups have banned people from using it. “It seems that they [the victims] did not know the road was closed,” the resident said. Restrictions have been imposed on roads connecting Loikaw to Demoso, Hpruso, Bawlakhe, Parsaung, and Mese. There have been reported landmine explosions every month across the country, especially in Rakhine, Chin, and Shan states.
Burmese protest against arrest of refugees in Mae Sot
Burma nationals protested in front of a prison and the chief district officer’s house in Mae Sot, Thailand on Feb. 6. They held banners that read: “Recognize and respect Burmese Refugees” and “Save Myanmar Refugees.” The Maesot Myanmar Refugee Voice spokesperson told DVB: “There are the people who fled from Burma who have been arrested by the Thai police and immigration officials. We want them to be released. I want refugees fleeing political crises and war to receive humanitarian assistance. I want the authorities to stop arresting Burmese refugees and extorting money from them.” Since the coup two years ago, the Thai-Burma border town of Mae Sot has received a significant number of Burma nationals who fled from war and the junta’s oppression. The town has historically been one of the main locations where Burmese people have taken refuge from atrocities committed by Burma’s previous juntas.
Dozens of undocumented Burmese nationals arrested in Thailand
Forty-nine undocumented Burma nationals were arrested in western Thailand on Feb. 5, Thai news outlet Komchadluek reported. The migrants are said to have been destined to work in Malaysia. They were reportedly defrauded by their brokers, who demanded them to pay 45,000 baht ($1,339 USD) per person to obtain a job.
Ten Burmese citizens arrested by Indian police in Manipur
Ten undocumented Burma nationals were arrested in India’s Manipur State on Feb. 5, according to Indian news outlet NDTV. The ten were arrested for not having proper documentation. Police claimed that the Burmese citizens tried to flee arrest before being caught. They will be charged under India’s Foreigners Act. N. Biren Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur, said that legal action will be taken against anyone in Manipur that harbors undocumented migrants. Since the coup, thousands of Burmese nationals have fled the junta’s increasingly violent crackdowns across the border into Northeast India.
News by Region
KAREN—Eight houses – including two homes of Karen National Union (KNU) officials – were torched after the Burma Army conducted an arson attack in Thandaung Township on Jan. 4. “Eight local houses, including two belonging to KNU officials, were destroyed by fire,” a local told DVB. The attack came after the Burma Army suffered heavy losses during a clash with the People’s Defense Force (PDF) in the township.
KACHIN—A ceremony commemorating the 62nd anniversary of Kachin Revolution Day was held at a school that was opened for displaced students in a Kachin Independence Army (KIA)-controlled area in northern Shan State on Feb. 5. There are six schools in the KIA-controlled area in northern Shan State, with more than 200 students ranging from kindergarten through high school.
TANINTHARYI—The Palaw Region Defense Force (PRDF) claims to have confiscated junta propaganda pamphlets and books from a bus in Palaw Township on Feb. 3. “We discovered them while we were checking a bus on the highway road. The propaganda pamphlets mentioned things about elections and other matters related to news,” a member of the PRDF told DVB. The group is reported to have burned the propaganda leaflets and books, and released the bus drivers after warning them not to associate with the junta. The junta has attempted to influence the public by using similar propaganda tactics in resistance strongholds.
YANGON— Three staff members were injured when an IED attack occurred at the township electricity management office in Hmawbi on the morning of February 6. “The blast happened beside the office building. The office window glass broke and hit the staff,” a local told DVB. In recent shootings in the region’s Kayan and Hlaing townships, one village administrator, a fireman, and an administrator were killed.
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Kyaw Moe Tun, the Permanent Representative of Burma to the United Nations, and the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) were included on the shortlist of the Peace Research Institute Oslo’s (PRIO) Nobel Peace Prize nominees of 2023. Kyaw Moe Tun was one of Burma’s first senior diplomats to denounce the military coup in 2021. He continues to represent Burma at the UN and works on behalf of the National Unity Government (NUG). The NUCC is an organization that includes ethnic armed groups, parliamentarians, civil society groups, and other anti-junta forces that seeks to create a framework for federal democracy in Burma. “Myanmar’s representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, and the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) would be worthy recipients of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize,” the PRIO said. The winners of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced in August.
DVB Peace Documentary 2022 Finalist “To Recovery” shares the story of The Light of New Life mission in Kachin State, which provides rehabilitation for drug addicts and users.
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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.
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