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Amnesty International calls for release of Thet Hnin Aung; NUG claims resistance controls over half of Burma

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Thet Hnin Aung is serving a seven year sentence at Yangon’s Insein Prison (Credit: Myanmar Industry Crafts & Services Trade Unions Federation)

FROM THE DVB NEWSROOM

Amnesty International calls for release of Thet Hnin Aung

Amnesty International called for the release of trade union leader Thet Hnin Aung on Tuesday. He was re-arrested by the military on June 23 after being released from Zaymathwe Prison in Mon State, where he served a two-year sentence for his role in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).

“In addition to ongoing health concerns that require daily medication, there are grave fears for Thet Hnin Aung’s wellbeing as he has already endured torture and other ill-treatment during his prior imprisonment. The Myanmar military must immediately and unconditionally release [him],” said a statement from Amnesty International.

Thet Hnin Aung was convicted under the Counter Terrorism Law and sentenced to seven years in prison with hard labor. He is being held at Yangon’s Insein Prison. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has documented that 26,588 people have been arrested for political reasons since the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021. 

NUG claims resistance controls over half of Burma

The National Unity Government (NUG) released a statement to mark its third anniversary on Tuesday. It claimed that resistance forces, including the People’s Defense Force (PDF), controlled over 60 percent of the country as well as five border towns. 

“Controlled area means there are no military forces and we are running an administration and some services. Liberated area means we are providing everything needed and there is no way for the military to [take it back],” said Nay Phone Latt, the NUG Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson. 

The NUG added that it has engaged with civil society groups, neighboring countries, and international bodies such as the U.N., since its founding in April 2021. Kyaw Zaw, the NUG President’s Office spokesperson, said that the NUG promises to work with all resistance groups to end military rule and build federal democracy in Burma.

Thailand appoints new foreign minister

The Thai government announced the appointment of its new Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Sangiampongsa on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The previous Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara resigned after he was removed from his post as Deputy-Prime Minister.

Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Parnpree launched a pilot humanitarian aid delivery into Burma in March and vowed to allow up to 100,000 refugees from Burma to stay temporarily in Thailand in April. Maris had served as an advisor to Parnpree. 

“The direction is still there from the prime minister…[of Thailand] to be this kind of facilitator, mediator for the way forward in Myanmar. That objective is still there but the mechanics, they will have a lot to make up for,” said Thai political analyst and Chulalongkorn University professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak.

News by Region

Residents of Kawkareik in Karen State hide in a cave during intense fighting in the town. (Credit: CJ)

KAREN—The Burma Army ordered all Kawkareik Township administration offices to resume operations on May 1. It asked all residents to return to their homes on April 27 after the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) withdrew its forces from the town.  

“They told us to come back but I’m afraid we will get trapped between the two armed forces. Many people returned for a while to check the situation but left again afterward,” said a Kawkareik resident who was displaced from their home. Fighting between the Burma Army and the KNLA in Kawkareik intensified on April 12.  

ARAKAN—Residents of Thandwe Township  are facing shortages of medicine and basic food items as the Burma Army has blocked access to supplies since fighting between it and the Arakan Army (AA) intensified on April 24. “The prices of medicines have tripled or quadrupled,” said a Thandwe resident. 

Residents accused the Burma Army of seizing shipments of food and medicine arriving via airplane and threatened to prosecute pharmacists if they supplied anything to the AA. Nearly 10,000 villagers in the township have been displaced from their homes and are in need of urgent food aid. 

CHINLAND—Chin resistance forces, the PDF, along with the AA, took control of Kyindwe, a town located at the cross section near Kanpetlet Township, Arakan State and Magway Region, on Monday.

“Resistance forces are now clearing the whole town,” said a spokesperson from a group calling itself the Chin National Council Mindat. Resistance forces claimed that 300 airstrikes have been carried out on them since they launched an attack to seize the town on Dec. 24. 

KARENNI—The Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) stated that it has finished providing military training to more than 500 new recruits on Tuesday. KNDF military chief Khu Reedu said the number of new recruits was up to three times higher than before the regime activated its conscription law on Feb. 10.

“We recently established a new strategic camp for those trainees to serve at,” said Khu Reedu. KNDF Deputy Commander-in-Chief Maui said that the number of new recruits joining resistance forces to fight against the military is steadily increasing.

Read this: Regime deputy Soe Win back to work after brief hiatus. DVB English News is on X, FB, IG, Threads & TikTok. Subscribe on YouTube. Follow our podcast on YouTube Music.

Regime deputy Soe Win back to work after brief hiatus

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Deputy regime leader Soe Win visits a hospital in Mawlamyine, Mon State, on April 29. (Credit: Regime media)

Regime media broadcasted a video showing deputy leader Soe Win visiting soldiers receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State, on April 29.

It was the first time he was seen in public since a drone attack was carried out by resistance forces on the Southeast Regional Military Headquarters, while he was reportedly inside, on April 9. 

“Unfortunately, there were many injured [in the drone attack] and the incident was deeply distressing [to Soe Win],” an anonymous source close to the military headquarters told DVB.

Soe Win held a meeting with regime officials, including the chief ministers of Mon and Karen states on Monday to discuss reinforcements being sent to Myawaddy, which was seized by the Karen National Union, and its allied resistance forces on April 11. 

Control of Myawaddy was handed back to the military by the Karen National Army (KNA), formerly known as the Border Guard Force (BGF), on April 23.

The KNA/BGF was tentatively holding the vital Thai-Burma border trade town that brings in over one billion U.S. dollars of revenue for the cash-strapped regime in Naypyidaw.

The KNU claimed that it withdrew from Myawaddy on April 21 because it wanted to avoid further civilian casualties.

Up to 4,000 civilians, who sought temporary refuge in Thailand from April 11-19, returned to Myawaddy once the fighting between the military and the KNU-led forces subsided.

The remaining 658 refugees returned to Burma from Thailand on April 24.

Regime leader Min Aung Hlaing has not been seen in public since the Defense Services Academy (DSA) was attacked by resistance forces during his expected visit to Pyin Oo Lwin on April 14.

He sent his wife two days later, in his place, to attend a Thingyan event at the DSA.

Steps taken by Northern Alliance to reduce tensions; India-Burma border in Mizoram State to remain open

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The Brotherhood Alliance patrols Pansai in Muse Township, Shan State, on Nov. 29 after it seized control during its Operation 1027. (Credit: The Kokang)

FROM THE DVB NEWSROOM

Steps taken by Northern Alliance to reduce tensions

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA/KIO) spokesperson Naw Bu told DVB that it has taken steps to reduce territorial disputes with Brotherhood Alliance members: the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), in northern Shan State.

The TNLA had ordered KIA troops to abandon its liaison office in Kutkai Township on April 15. The MNDAA closed a Kachin literature and culture office in Monekoe, Muse Township, on April 23. “I have been informed that the problems with the MNDAA have been resolved,” said Naw Bu, the KIA spokesperson. 

TNLA spokesperson Tar Bong Kyaw claimed that it had settled its dispute with the KIA. “We agreed to discuss peacefully, respect each other without giving burden to the people,” said Naw Bu. The KIA, along with the three members of the Brotherhood Alliance: TNLA, MNDAA, and the Arakan Army (AA), are called the Northern Alliance. 

India-Burma border in Mizoram State to remain open

The Assam Rifles corrected itself on Monday stating that the border between Mizoram State of India and Burma will not be closed starting May 1, the Times of India reported. The Assam Rifles, a paramilitary group under the command of India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, told village leaders along the India-Burma border that the crossing would be closed.

“We told the Assam Rifles that Mizoram being the most peaceful state in the northeast as also in the entire country, the paramilitary forces should not indulge in activities that could create panic among the civilians,” said an anonymous official in the Mizoram State government.

Residents of Rikhawdar in Chinland, a town located on the border with Mizoram in Burma, said the No. 2 India-Burma Friendship Bridge was closed on April 19. The Indian government announced that it would suspend its Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Burma last February, which allowed nationals of both countries to travel up to 16 km on either side of the border for up to two weeks without a visa, using a border pass.

Three women sleep under a bamboo tree in Salingyi Township, Sagaing Region, during a record-setting heatwave. (Credit: CJ)

Chauk in Magway Region records highest-ever temperature

A record-setting temperature of 48.2 degrees Celsius was documented in Chauk town, Magway Region, on Monday. This is the highest-ever temperature recorded since Burma began monitoring 56 years ago. Aid groups claimed that the death toll in Chauk due to heatstroke has spiked in April compared to previous months. 

“Most of the deceased are elders. We normally cremate 30 bodies per month. There are at least four people who die daily in the town because of the record heat,” said an aid worker. At least 55 Chauk residents have died due to heat stroke, while 28 died in March, 36 in February, and 45 in January. 

The temperature reached 46 degrees Celsius in Nyaung-U of Mandalay Region and 45.5 in Sagaing town of Sagaing Region on April 28, according to the regime’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology. It recorded temperatures of 45 and 40 degrees Celsius in Mandalay and Yangon on Monday. This heat wave hits Burma especially hard since there isn’t reliable electricity to cool homes and workplaces. 

News by Region

ARAKAN—Construction of the Tha Htay Chaung hydropower project was stopped on April 24 due to fighting between the AA and the Burma Army in Thandwe Township. “We saw the staff from the project move construction tools to somewhere else on April 26. Chinese nationals from the site also evacuated that day,” said a Yecauk village resident. Nearly 10,000 villagers have been displaced from their homes due to fighting since April 13. 

KACHIN—Mohnyin Township residents said that the Burma Army and a pro-military militia seized and set fire to seven dump trucks on Saturday. The trucks were en route from China to Hpakant but were stopped at a check-point. “They [military] asked for 200 million Kyat from those trucks but the offer fell through, so they burned the trucks that morning,” said a Mohnyin resident.  

MON—The Karen National Union (KNU) claimed that 25 buildings, including three schools, were destroyed by an airstrike in Tagalaung village of Bilin Township on Sunday. “The village is in a KNU-controlled area and there are no ongoing-clashes. Luckily, no one was injured,” said Padoh Saw Aye Naing, the KNU secretary of Thaton district.  

YANGON—Regime officials handed out eviction notices to more than 500 households in Mayangone Township on April 26. “We have been living here for 25 years and it is difficult to move elsewhere. Most of the residents here are not rich,” said a Mayangone resident who received an eviction notice. The regime administration told residents that they must relocate by May 27 and that it will not provide any assistance. 

Read this: Karen and Karenni issue media guidelines for war reporting. DVB English News is on X, FB, IG, Threads & TikTok. Subscribe to us on YouTube. Follow us on YouTube Music.

Burma nationals arrested for illegal entry into Thailand; Royal Thai Navy on standby to evacuate its nationals

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Thai security forces detained 65 Burma nationals near Vajiralongkorn dam in Kanchanaburi province on Saturday (Credit: Ice News Kanchanaburi)

FROM THE DVB NEWSROOM

Burma nationals arrested for illegal entry into Thailand

Thai authorities told local media that 65 Burma nationals were arrested for illegal entry near Vajiralongkorn dam in Thong Pha Phum district, Kanchanaburi Province on Saturday. Police made the arrests after being alerted by residents that migrants were near the dam. 

Thirteen of them were apprehended on a boat. Two Burma nationals who drove the boat confessed to police they were transporting 13 Burma nationals for 300 Thai baht ($8 USD) each. The 13 claimed that they paid brokers 15,000 Thai baht ($404 USD) to obtain jobs in Thailand. 

Forty-eight other Burma nationals hiding near the dam were also arrested. They said they crossed the border on foot and were arrested while waiting to be transported to their final destination. Migration from Burma to Thailand has surged since the military activated its conscription law on Feb. 10.  

Royal Thai Navy on standby to evacuate its nationals

The Royal Thai Navy stated that it is prepared to evacuate its nationals in Burma by boat if fighting between the military and resistance forces continues to escalate along Thai-Burma border, the Bangkok Post reported. Four naval ships stationed in the Andaman Sea are ready for possible evacuations. 

Fighting between the military and resistance forces has spread from the vital border trade town of Myawaddy in Karen State further south to Dawei in Tanintharyi Region. A military base in Dawei Township was seized by resistance forces and set on fire Sunday. 

Thailand said that it is prepared to accept up to 100,000 refugees from Burma temporarily. Up to 4,000 crossed from Myawaddy to Mae Sot during fighting between the military and resistance forces allied with the Karen National Union (KNU) from April 11-19, but returned when fighting subsided last week.

Thailand’s former Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara visited Mae Sot on April 12. (Credit: Reuters)

Thailand’s Foreign Minister resigns

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Monday that a new foreign minister has been selected to replace Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara, who resigned from his post on April 28. No replacement was announced but Srettha assured Thais that it will be someone with extensive foreign policy experience from his Pheu Thai Party. 

Parnpree resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs after he was removed from his post as Deputy-Prime Minister in a cabinet reshuffle. Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Parnpree launched a pilot humanitarian aid delivery into Burma on March 25 and vowed to help broker talks between the military and resistance groups nationwide. 

“I would like to acknowledge his leadership in providing humanitarian assistance and support for wider engagement. I hope the government of Thailand and the new foreign minister will engage and collaborate with us and ethnic partners to solve the crisis in Myanmar,” said Kyaw Zaw, the spokesperson for the National Unity Government (NUG).

News by Region

ARAKAN—Residents from Yecauk village in Thandwe Township claimed that the Burma Army has used 50 civilians as human shields during fighting with the Arakan Army (AA) near Tha Htay Chaung hydro power project on Sunday. “The military used its navy, air force and artillery to assist the fighting,” said a Thandwe resident. Nearly 10,000 villagers have been displaced in the township since fighting began on April 13. 

AYEYARWADY—Eighteen prisoners, including five political prisoners, at Pyapon Prison were sentenced to an additional six months on Friday for allegedly causing riots. Inmates stated that they were demanding an answer from prison staff over why a political prisoner was beaten. “All eighteen prisoners are being moved to solitary confinement,” said an anonymous source close to Pyapon Prison. At least 20 prisoners were injured during a crackdown against them by prison staff on March 31. 

CHINLAND—One civilian was killed and two others were injured by airstrikes carried out on Lundon village of Kanpetlet Township on Sunday. Three homes and a village clinic were destroyed. “Two fighter jets dropped three bombs in and around the village. There is no fighting and the People’s Defense Force is not in the village,” said a spokesperson of the Kanpetlet Township People’s Administration, a governing body administered by resistance groups.  

KACHIN—Resistance forces led by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA/KIO) seized control of a Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 141 outpost near Hsinbo town of Myitkyina Township on Monday. “We cleared the outpost in the morning. We have been surrounding the outpost for two months,” said an anonymous source close to the KIA. Burma Army personnel were killed when military aircraft mistakenly bombed the base over the weekend before the KIA took control of it. 

Read this: Did the Karen National Union lose Myawaddy or withdraw? If you’d like to submit a story idea, please email [email protected]

Watch this: Are Rohingya now facing forced recruitment into the Arakan Army? DVB English News is on X, FB, IG, Threads & TikTok. Subscribe to us on YouTube. Follow us on YT Music.

Karen and Karenni issue media guidelines for war reporting

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A media scrum in Naypyidaw in 2015. (Credit: Reuters)

The Karen National Union (KNU) stated on March 21 that all journalists and media operating in KNU-controlled areas must register with identification documents for security reasons. Only authorized KNU members can give official interviews and filming is prohibited without permission. Videos and photos may be inspected at any time upon request.

“We bear responsibility for both the local and foreign news agencies who arrive in our area. Every news agency must be held accountable according to the ethical standards of their respective organizations. We publish these restrictions out of necessity. We must prioritize security,” said Padoh Saw Taw Nee, the KNU spokesperson. 

The Interim Executive Council (IEC) requests all journalists register upon arrival in Karenni State with a letter of recommendation from their respective media outlets. While reporting journalists must wear a uniform bearing the logo of the media outlet and carry a press card at all times. Both the KNU and the IEC stated that it will place restrictions on media who fail to adhere to these new regulations. 

“Media agencies and journalists [already] face obstacles in collecting on-the-ground information. When journalists venture into the field to report, [these] restrictions will harm the public’s right of access to information,” said Theu Boon Aung, a Myanmar journalist.

The Independent Myanmar Journalists Association (IMJA) responded directly to the new IEC media guidelines: “It is acceptable in principle that regulations are needed to ensure the safety and accountability of journalists reporting in Karenni [State]. However, we believe that the provisions outlined in the directive issued now pose a significant threat to the safety and freedom of journalists.”

The Independent Press Council Myanmar (IPCM), of which DVB is a member, stated that there was apprehension that the media directives from the KNU and IEC may actually pose a threat to the safety of journalists and freedom of the press. It went on to state that it will publish its code of conduct all Myanmar journalists must abide by on May 3 – World Press Freedom Day.

“We can address each situation responsibly and with accountability. Unfortunately, issuing restrictive letters and imposing limitations significantly curtails our ability to gather true information,” added journalist Theu Boon Aung.

Since the 2021 military coup, 15 media outlets have had their licenses revoked by the regime in Naypyidaw. Around 600 journalists have been arrested and subsequently released. More than 50 journalists remain in prison. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) states that Myanmar ranks 173 out of 180 – near the bottom – in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index.

Did the Karen National Union lose Myawaddy or withdraw?

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Padoh Saw Taw Nee, the Karen National Union (KNU) spokesperson, spoke to DVB after it withdrew its forces from a military outpost it seized on April 11.

A Q&A with Padoh Saw Taw Nee, the spokesperson of the Karen National Union (KNU), on the complex situation in Myawaddy Township after the military raised the Myanmar flag and regained control of its Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 275 base in Myawaddy Township on April 23. The LIB 275 was seized by the KNU and its allied resistance forces only 12 days before.

DVB: What is the current situation in Myawaddy Township of Karen State?

STN: The [Karen National Army/Border Guard Force] allowed the military to enter the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 275 base to take down the Karen national flag and replace it with the Myanmar flag.

We temporarily withdrew from Myawaddy because we didn’t want to be caught in a trap between the military and the (KNA/BGF). I want to make it clear that although we withdrew from the LIB 275 base, the other outposts belonging to LIB 355, 356, and 357, are under the control of our [armed wing] the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA).

DVB: Regarding KNU and its allied forces withdrawing from Myawaddy, is there anything else you’d like to add?

STN: It is only a temporary situation. Our KNLA troops are still in Myawaddy, especially in Thingannyinaung village of Myawaddy Township. The military has sent in troops and reinforcements to attack us, but they can not reach us. 

With the military’s lack of morale, I dare say that they cannot advance in any way. If this country is to become a federal democracy, the military dictatorship will not last. That is why we are determined to put an end to it. When we retreated, we avoided the trap set by the military.

DVB: Is the KNU negotiating with Colonel Saw Chit Thu from the KNA/BGF?

A: What I want to say is that we can’t tolerate military dictatorship, especially the regime in Naypyidaw. This is according to KNU policy.

DVB: What message do you want to give to the people of Myanmar?

A: The only difficulty we face is this military regime. It is already clear that dictatorship can’t continue. At this moment, they are talking about its operation to take back Myawaddy, which has become a national disgrace (as the military lost it to the KNU/KNLA and allied forces on April 11). 

We want to show our people that we can overcome anything that the military tries to do to us.

*This Q&A was edited for brevity and clarity.

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