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Airstrike on hospital kills one civilian in Mandalay Region; Regime ‘peace talks’ to resume in Naypyidaw this week

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A maternity ward at Yatkansin Hospital, in Madaya Township, Mandalay Region, was destroyed by an airstrike on June 22. (Credit: PDF)

Airstrike on hospital kills one civilian in Mandalay Region

The People’s Defense Force (PDF) in Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay Region, claimed that a pregnant woman was killed and at least 11 others were injured in airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on Yatkansin Hospital in Madaya Township on Sunday. Madaya is located 23 miles (37 km) north of the region’s capital Mandalay and is partly controlled by the PDF. 

“There were two airstrikes over the maternity ward of the hospital, killing and injuring women and infants. We are clearing the area and we are afraid that there will be another airstrike,” a PDF spokesperson told DVB. A total of three buildings inside the Yatkansin Hospital compound, which is under the control of resistance forces, were completely destroyed. 

Residents claimed that resistance forces restricted civilian access to the hospital following the airstrikes on June 22. The PDF added that there was no fighting with regime forces near the hospital, which is located along the Mandalay-Mogok road – between Madaya and Singu townships – 126 miles (202 km) north of Mandalay. It came under PDF control in July.    

Regime ‘peace talks’ to resume in Naypyidaw this week

The regime in Naypyidaw announced that the second round of “peace talks” with ethnic armed groups will be held in Naypyidaw June 25-27. Regime leader Min Aung Hlaing will attend the opening ceremony. The first round was held March 24-26 and were attended by regime officials, including Yar Pyae, the regime Minister for Border Affairs. 

A Naypyidaw resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the authorities have tightened security around the Myanmar International Convention Centre 2, where the meetings will take place. More than 100 representatives from ethnic armed groups and pro-military political parties were present at the first round of talks in March. 

Previous talks under the regime’s National Solidarity and Peace Negotiation Committee have been held 91 times with signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), 25 times with non-NCA signatories, 22 times with political parties, and 13 times with religious leaders, peace brokers and stakeholders, according to DVB data. 

Resistance forces seized the regime’s Htikapalel outpost in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, on June 22. (Credit: KNU)

Another military outpost falls to resistance in Karen State

The Karen National Union (KNU) shared on social media on Monday  that the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), and allied resistance forces, seized the regime’s Htikapalel outpost in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, on Sunday. Kawkareik is located 101 miles (162 km) southeast of the state capital Hpa-An and is in KNU Brigade 6 territory. 

A source inside the KNU told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the KNLA-led resistance forces had dropped 10 to 35 bombs using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), or drones, on regime forces stationed inside the Htikapalel outpost daily since June 3, which forced around 60 regime troops to abandon the outpost on Saturday.

The seizure of the Htikapalel outpost by resistance forces means that three outposts remain under regime control along the Burma-Thailand border. Htikapalel was seized by the military in 1997 after it became the KNU headquarters with the fall of Manerplaw, Hpa-An Township, on Jan. 27, 1995. The KNLA retook control of Manerplaw from regime forces on Dec. 16. 

News by Region

AYEYARWADY—Residents of Pathein Township told DVB that four women were arrested by police on Friday for sharing birthday greetings for jailed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on social media. A source close to the regime told DVB that the women’s phones were inspected. 

The source added that no charges had been filed but the women remained in custody as of Sunday. Sources told DVB that the regime had instructed its officials to monitor any public campaigns across the country, or online, to mark the 80th birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi.

BAGO—At least seven PDF members and 15 regime troops were reportedly killed during fighting in Minhla Township on June 20. Residents told DVB that over 100 homes were burned down in Taungpyat village. Minhla is located 104 miles (167 km) northwest of the region’s capital Bago. 

An anonymous source in Minhla told DVB that the PDF was caught in a pincer attack by regime forces, which were numbered at up to 400 troops. Fighting along the Yangon-Pyay highway has displaced over 20,000 residents from 20 villages since June 16.

KARENNI—Residents told DVB that fuel prices have risen from 4,000 to 10,000 MMK ($0.9-2 USD) per liter over the past week. An anonymous source living at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp told DVB that he can’t start farming until prices go down.

Traders told DVB that poor road conditions during the rainy season and taxation by armed groups along transport routes are to blame. “We’re paying taxes in every direction,” a resident of Demoso Township told DVB. Six towns are under the control of Karenni resistance forces. 

KACHIN—Residents of Mansi and Momauk towns told DVB that they were displaced from their homes one year ago during fighting between regime forces and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). The towns are located 40-133 miles (64-214 km) south of the state capital Myitkyina.

“We need shelters because of the monsoon season,” a Mansi resident told DVB. A family living at an IDP camp said they haven’t received any aid for the past six months and are in need of healthcare and medicine. The KIA took control of Mansi in January and Momauk in August. 

(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,550 MMK)

Op-ed: The ‘politically motivated’ mantra of Myanmar’s military junta. Find DVB English News on X, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky Threads & TikTok. Subscribe to us on YouTube.

Myanmar earthquake fundraiser in Chiang Mai, Thailand

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The Myanmar Centre at Chiang Mai University (CMU), in collaboration with the Myanmar community in Chiang Mai, Thailand held an earthquake fundraising event at Tha Phae Gate on June 22. (Credit: DVB)

An event to raise funds for earthquake relief in Myanmar was held at Tha Phae Gate in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on June 22. The Myanmar Centre at Chiang Mai University (CMU), in collaboration with the Myanmar community in Chiang Mai, organized the event.

“Myanmar citizens abroad and Myanmar citizens in Thailand are also trying to work together to help in any way they can,” said Mee Mee, the event organizer. She added that that funds raised from this event will go toward earthquake relief in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region, the epicenter of the March 28 earthquake.

The event featured musical performances, traditional Myanmar dancing, food, arts and crafts. Souvenir t-shirts, handbags, and sling bags were sold by various vendors from the Myanmar community in northern Thailand.

Malaysia urged to recognize Myanmar refugees; A forecast of rains and floods nationwide until end of June

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Malaysian authorities detained 530 Burma nationals during a raid in Klang, outside of Kuala Lumpur, on Feb. 22. (Credit: Malaysia Immigration Department)

Malaysia urged to recognize Myanmar refugees

The founder of Refuge for the Refugees Heidy Quah called on the Malaysian government to recognize Burma nationals, who’ve fled to Malaysia, as “prima facie refugees” and to grant them protection from deportation. This is a legal framework that grants refugee status based on clear and general conditions of conflict or persecution without requiring individual assessments.

“This is crucial to saving lives, and keeping people from [Burma] from being forced into military conscription,” Quah said in a statement following the launch of Stand With Myanmar, a two-day arts and culture event held June 21-22 to mark World Refugee Day. Malaysia deported 80 Burma nationals on May 28, according to the Alliance of Chin Refugees (ACR) in Kuala Lumpur.

Fortify Rights called on Malaysia to end the use of torture inside Immigration Detention Centers and to stop arbitrary arrests and raids of undocumented migrants. Malaysian authorities have arrested 34,287 individuals, an average of 7,800 per month from January to May this year. This is more than triple the 2023 rate of 2,300 and nearly double the 2024 rate of 3,900. 

A forecast of rains and floods until end of June

Independent metrologist Win Naing warns that heavy rainfall in Sagaing, Ayeyarwady, and Bago regions, as well as Kachin, Mon, Karen and Arakan states could cause flooding until the end of June. He urged residents living along riverbanks to evacuate to higher ground. The southwest monsoon in the Bay of Bengal is likely to cause very strong  winds which can blow up to 30 miles (48 km) per hour and cause waves of up to 12 feet (3.6 metres). 

“The level of the Irrawaddy River continues to increase but has not yet reached a critical level. People residing along the riverbanks in Hinthada, Nyaungdon and Ingapu townships [of Ayeyarwady Region] must be cautious,” Win Naing told DVB. Residents from Taungoo Township of Bago Region told DVB that flooding occurred in 10 villages due to the heavy rainfall since June 19, forcing many to evacuate their homes. 

A resident of Kinseik village, who was evacuated from his home due to flooding, said the water rose six feet (1.8 metres) on June 20 because of heavy rainfall. Two bridges in Taungoo collapsed due to the flooding, residents reported. The regime’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology announced on Friday that high waves may occur along the coast due to strong winds in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. 

Karenni National Day was held in Internally Displaced Persons camp-1, as well as Shadaw and Demoso townships, on June 21. (Credit: CTER Karenni)

Karenni National Day held in Karenni State

The Karenni State Interim Executive Council (IEC) announced on Saturday that it had pardoned 28 prisoners and reduced sentences of 148 prisoners to commemorate the 150th Karenni National Day, which was held in Shadaw and Demoso townships of Karenni State, according to the Coordination Team for Emergency Relief (Karenni). 

“There were no big events due to ongoing fighting and military operations in the state,” Banyar Aung, the IEC second secretary, told DVB. The IEC chairperson Khu Oo Reh, the Karenni State Consultative Council (KSCC) chairperson Aung San Myint, and members of the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) central committee attended the celebrations.    

The Karenni ethnic nationality has commemorated its national day since June 21, 1875. On this date, Burma’s then-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kinwon Mingyi and British Envoy Douglas Forsyth signed an agreement that the Karenni State would remain separate and independent, according to a historical account prepared by Khu Oo Reh. 

News by Region

MANDALAY—A source in the regime administration told DVB on the condition of anonymity that an airstrike was carried out on Shwebontha village of Myingyan Township on Wednesday. Myingyan is located 69 miles (111 km) southwest of the region’s capital Mandalay. 

The source said that the regime Minister for Security and Border Affairs ordered airstrikes on Myingyan, Taungtha and Natogyi townships, where he suspects People’s Defense Force (PDF) of operating based on information provided from administration staff in the three towns. 

NAYPYIDAW—The Union Election Commission (UEC) announced on Friday that electronic voting machines will be used to “prevent electoral fraud.” The UEC law was amended on Thursday to allow regime staff members take positions at all levels of the electoral process. 

“The amendment allows Min Aung Hlaing to appoint anyone he wants,” a legal professional told DVB on the condition of anonymity. The UEC law, adopted in 2012, previously required electoral sub-commissions to have an independent chairperson, two professionals, and a secretary. Read more

SHAN—Sources close to the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) told DVB that it has retreated from the remaining areas of Lashio Township, which was handed over to the regime on April 22, as well as Hsipaw Township on Wednesday.

“The MNDAA does not want to engage in conflict,” Peng De Jun, the MNDAA deputy commander–in-chief, told the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) during a meeting in Lashio’s Thanlwin village on June 17, where MNDAA and SSPP leaders met to resolve territorial disputes. Read more

TANINTHARYI—The National Unity Government (NUG) told DVB that it began recruiting healthcare workers outside of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) for clinics and hospitals in the region on June 17. This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, and Lady Health Visitors (LHV).

“Although we have healthcare personnel who are participating in the CDM, the number is not enough in order to provide better healthcare services,” Htoo Nay Aung, the NUG healthcare official for Tanintharyi Region, told DVB.

(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,590 MMK)

Read: Resistance forces secure lucrative trade routes in Karen State. Find DVB English News on X, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, Threads & TikTok. Subscribe on YouTube.

Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army to retreat from Lashio and Hsipaw in Shan State

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Leaders from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Shan State Progress Party met in Thanlwin village of Lashio Township, northern Shan State, on June 17. (Credit: The Kokang)

Sources close to the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) told DVB that it has retreated from the remaining areas of Lashio Township, which was handed over to the regime on April 22, as well as Hsipaw Township in northern Shan State on Wednesday.

“The MNDAA does not want to engage in conflict with other ethnic armed groups,” Peng De Jun, the MNDAA deputy commander–in-chief, told the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) during a meeting in Lashio’s Thanlwin village on June 17, where MNDAA and SSPP leaders met to resolve territorial disputes. 

A Lashio resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the SSPP and the MNDAA did not agree over the control of territory and natural resources in Lashio and Hsipaw townships, which are located 134-179 miles (215-288 km) north of the SSPP headquarters in Wanhai village, southern Shan, and 162 miles (260 km) southwest of Laukkai Township in the MNDAA-controlled Kokang Self-Administered Zone of northern Shan. 

The SSPP partially controls Mongyai and Tangyan townships in northern Shan, which are technically under regime control but were handed to the United Wa State Army (UWSA) by the Brotherhood Alliance during Operation 1027. The UWSA invited SSA troops into Mongyai and Tangyan in order “to prevent conflict” in July 2024.

The SSPP also claims partial control of Kyaukme, Hsipaw, Nawnghkio and Namkham townships, which were seized by the MNDAA and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) from December 2023 to July 2025.

Fighting between the MNDAA and the SSA took place after Hsenwi and Lashio were seized by the Brotherhood Alliance from regime forces in March 2024.    

Fighting resumed in April after the MNDAA ordered the SSA to remove its troops from an outpost near the Namma coal mines in Hsipaw, which is located 45 miles (72 km) southwest of Lashio.  

Leaders from both sides discussed the territorial dispute in April, but didn’t reach any agreement to end the hostilities.  

Eight MNDAA troops were killed during fighting with the SSA in Lashio on June 1. 

The SSPP and MNDAA are the members of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), a coalition of seven ethnic armed organizations that did not sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). 

The United Wa State Army (UWSA), the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), the Arakan Army (AA), and the TNLA are members of FPNCC, which was established on April 19, 2017.

Union Election Commission prepares electronic voting machines after regime amends election law

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Union Election Commission Chairperson Ko Ko oversaw a demonstration of electronic voting machines in Naypyidaw on Feb. 5. (Credit: Regime)

The Union Election Commission (UEC) Chairperson Ko Ko told a meeting on Myanmar’s regime-planned elections on Friday that electronic voting machines will be used to “prevent electoral fraud.” Regime media reported that the UEC law was amended on Thursday to allow its staff members take positions at all levels of the electoral process. 

“The amendment allows [regime leader] Min Aung Hlaing to appoint anyone he wants,” a legal professional told DVB on the condition of anonymity. The UEC law, adopted in 2012, previously required electoral sub-commissions to have an independent chairperson and two other professional members with an election officer serving as secretary.

UEC Deputy Chairperson Than Soe instructed officials at the Friday meeting in Naypyidaw to select and train regime staff to manage polling stations. The UEC has stated that electronic voting machines will operate on a “simple and secure” microcontroller system without relying on an operating system, or wireless connectivity such as the internet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.

The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party Chairperson Khin Yi led a visit for political parties from Myanmar to China on June 16, 2025. (Credit: USDP)

The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and People’s Pioneer Party (PPP), led by former regime minister and ex-National League for Democracy (NLD) member of parliament Thet Thet Khine, visited China on June 16 at the “invitation of the Communist Party of China,” according to statements shared on social media on June 16. 

The two political parties are among 10 expected to contest polls nationwide in 267 out of Myanmar’s 330 townships in the regime-planned elections expected to begin in December. A total of 54 political parties have registered to participate in the elections, according to the UEC.

A source close to the Myanmar Army in Kengtung Township of eastern Shan State told DVB that installations and demonstrations of electronic voting machines have been held at three of the regime’s four Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters in Shan State since June 11.

The source told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the demonstration was held at the RMC headquarters due to security concerns, but the UEC excluded the Northeastern RMC in Lashio Township. The other three RMC headquarters are the Eastern RMC in Taunggyi Township, the Triangle Region RMC in Kengtung Township, and the Eastern Central RMC in Nansang Township.

Min Aung Hlaing announced that the elections would be held this year during a visit to Belarus. But he has yet to share the exact timeline or the candidate criteria. No election date can be set until the regime lifts the nationwide state of emergency it has repeatedly extended every six months since 2022 – one year after it seized power in a military coup on Feb. 1, 2021. 

The military ousted the democratically-elected NLD government, and jailed its leaders State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, over allegations of voter fraud following a landslide victory for the NLD in the 2020 general elections. The source added that 30 out of 267 townships where the UEC plans to set up polls in the elections are reportedly active conflict zones.

Russia signs investment deal with Myanmar, sees offshore oil and gas prospects

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Min Aung Hlaing with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 4, 2025. (Credit: RIA Novosti)

Russia signed an investment agreement with Myanmar on Friday that it said could open up new opportunities for Russian energy companies in the Southeast Asian country.

“We especially note the readiness of the Myanmar side to attract Russian companies to the development of offshore oil and gas fields,” Russian Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said after signing the agreement in St. Petersburg with Kan Zaw, the Myanmar regime’s minister of investment and foreign economic relations.

Russia said the deal would help accelerate projects including in Myanmar’s Dawei Special Economic Zone, where a 660 MW coal-fired thermal power plant is being developed.

Russia has been building closer ties with Myanmar’s regime in Naypyidaw, which seized power in 2021 by toppling the elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government led by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held in jail since Feb. 1, 2021.

Myanmar is struggling with internal conflict, an economy in tatters, widespread hunger and a third of the nation’s 55 million people in need of aid, according to the U.N.

Regime leader Min Aung Hlaing met Russian President Vladimir Putin in March and signed an agreement on construction of a small-scale nuclear plant in Myanmar. A month earlier, the two countries signed a memorandum on construction of a port and oil refinery in the Dawei Special Economic Zone, located in southeastern Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region.

Friday’s agreement will also facilitate cooperation in areas including transport infrastructure, metallurgy, agriculture and telecommunications, the Russian government said.

REUTERS

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