Regime bans publication of 10 LGBTQ+ themed books

January 17, 2025

photo_6075753229498565509_x — One of the three books banned for LGBTQ+ themed content by the regime's Ministry of Information on Jan. 16. (Credit: CJ)

The regime’s Ministry of Information announced on Thursday that it has taken legal action against Euphoria Book House and the Master Printing Service, in Yangon’s Thaketa Township, for printing and distributing three books that contain “obscene” content. This comes after seven books were banned for LGBTQ+ themes on Jan. 9.

“Their businesses licenses will be revoked and those books will be recognized as illegal content and will receive legal actions in accordance with the law,” regime media reported on Jan. 16. LGBTQ+ themed books in Myanmar are known as “Boy love (BL)” and “Girl love (GL)” books.

The three most-recently banned books were titled: “Thakin Kyin Hylin Pan Daw Mu [Wear the flowers if Master allows]”, and “Oh…Ai Achit Myar Yal Bar Chaung Sone Phoe Khat [Oh…Why is this love hard to find?]” and “Yin Khwin Nyar Yal Chit Lon Po Ai [Chit Lon Po’s excessive love].”

They were written by three different authors but published by one publishing house in Yangon.

The regime accused the authors of writing “obscene literature” that is “degrading” and “unacceptable” for Myanmar society. It added that the three books “mislead the thinking and feelings of young people.”

“I like Mahuya’s books on Boy Love romance. He has many readers who are especially youngsters and his books sell out as soon as they are published,” a reader in Yangon’s North Dagon Township told DVB on the condition of anonymity.

Mahuya is the pen name of an LGBTQ+ themed author in Myanmar.

In April 2022, the regime banned the publication of a book named “My Possessive Step-bro,” which is about two men falling in love. The title sparked controversy online among netizens.

The author of the book is Hnaung Yeik and it was distributed by Shwe Lab Book House. It became the first LGBTQ+ themed book banned by the regime since it seized power after the 2021 military coup.

“Now, two of his books were banned by the regime. But, his works can still be read on Wattpad,” said the reader in North Dagon.

Wattpad is a free social media platform that allows readers to connect with their favourite authors and read their books for free online. It became popular in 2022 following the banning of “My Possessive Step-bro.”

“I think the regime’s action will stop the publication houses and printing services but it won’t stop the authors and readers from reading and sharing what they love,” the anonymous reader added.

The regime announced that it revoked the business licenses of three printing services and three bookstores for publishing and distributing the seven books in November and December.

It accused them of violating Section 8 of the Printing and Publication Law, which stipulates that anyone who publishes, prints and distributes “obscene content” is punishable by a fine of up to 3 million MMK ($641 USD).

“I will post my works via a Telegram channel in the future,” one author posted on social media. “No skin touch is allowed in the BL/GL books. So, no kissing on the forehead or the cheeks and touching each other’s hands are not allowed…if you want to keep your publication license,” added the author, who promised readers to continue writing and sharing LGBTQ+ themed novels on Wattpad.

DVB was unable to reach the three authors for comment by the time of publication.

Publishing licenses of at least 11 book houses, eight printing services, one magazine, and 15 media outlets, have been revoked by the regime in Naypyidaw, which seized power in a military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.

Regime deputy and military headquarters targeted; Central Bank of Myanmar crackdown on currency trading

English Editor

January 17, 2025

photo_6071333854179870207_y — Regime Deputy Prime Minister Soe Win at the National Defence and Security Council meeting in Naypyidaw on July 31. (Credit: Regime media)

Regime deputy and military headquarters targeted

A resistance group calling itself the Brave Warriors for Myanmar claimed that it launched an attack on regime Deputy Prime Minister Soe Win in the Karenni State capital of Loikaw on Tuesday. Soe Win was allegedly in Loikaw in advance of “Kayah State Day” on Thursday. The resistance group also targeted the military’s Regional Control Command Center in Loikaw.

“It was challenging since we had limited time to act quickly upon hearing of Soe Win’s visit. This attack on Soe Win was aimed at contributing to the liberation from the oppressive military dictatorship,” said the group’s spokesperson. The Northwestern Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters also came under attack in Monywa, Sagaing Region, located 342 miles (550 km) northwest of Loikaw, on Jan. 14.

Eleven military personnel were reportedly killed and three were injured at the Northwestern RMC. The Deputy Commander’s residence and the main office at the RMC in Monywa were damaged. Pro-military channels on social media have shared details about retaliatory airstrikes on Loikaw, located 134 miles (215 km) east of the capital Naypyidaw. Regime media has yet to report on attacks in Karenni and Sagaing.

Six Japanese nationals among 6,000 foreigners held in cyber scams

A Thai non-governmental organization (NGO) called The Civil Society Network for Victim Assistance in Human Trafficking stated in its report on Jan. 7 that more than 6,000 people, including six Japanese nationals, from 21 countries are believed to be held in captivity and forced to carry out cyber scam operations in Karen State.

A representative from the NGO told The Asahi Shimbun newspaper that it is difficult to rescue them because many have had their passports confiscated. “We are in the process of confirming the facts with the local authorities and will respond appropriately from the perspective of protecting Japanese nationals,” said Yoshimasa Hayashi, the chief cabinet secretary at a news conference in Tokyo on Jan. 14.

The NGO report said the 6,000 foreigners held in cyber scam operations include 3,900 China nationals, as well as nationals from Indonesia, the Philippines, Ethiopia and Kenya. Many were lured by fake job offers in Thailand and trafficked across the border into Burma. In Karen State, Chinese crime syndicates coerce the human trafficking victims into carrying out cyber fraud and online scams, the report added.

Central Bank of Myanmar crackdown on currency trading

The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) announced on Tuesday that it has prosecuted nine individuals and has filed charges against six others for using social media accounts to buy, sell or exchange foreign currency in Burma. The law stipulates that those selling foreign currency without a licence can receive a maximum sentence of up to three years in prison or a fine of an unspecified amount. Assets can also be confiscated.

The CBM stated that they are investigating individuals rumored to be involved in informal money transfers, known as “Hundi” in Burmese. This practice is technically illegal but has been widely used for decades under successive regimes, who have kept firm control of Burma’s banking system. It also reminded family members sending remittances from abroad to nationals inside the country to use regime-run banks.

The CBM announcement coincides with the surge in U.S. dollar prices on the black market, where 1 USD is valued at 4,650 MMK as of Thursday. The country’s economy is torn between the fluctuating black market currency rate, which sometimes changes by the hour, and the official rate set by the regime Customs Department, which values 1 USD at 3,590 MMK for the third week of January.

News by Region

A meeting was held between ethnic armed groups and business owners in Myawaddy Township, Karen State, to discuss the rise in transnational crime, online fraud and human trafficking on Jan. 15. (Credit: AEC News)

KAREN—Leaders from the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), which was rebranded as the Karen National Army (KNA) last year, and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), met with around 60 business owners to discuss strategies for addressing crime and human trafficking along the Thai-Burma border on Wednesday.

Saw Chit Thu, the BGF/KNA leader, set out rules that all businesses operating in Myawaddy must follow, including reporting on human trafficking networks and cyber scam operations and prohibiting acts of forced or child labour. Any business found violating these rules will be shut down.

Karen ethnic armed groups claimed to have shut down “gambling rings” in Myawaddy on Dec. 30.

KARENNI—Rescue groups told DVB that three civilians, including two internally displaced persons (IDPs), were killed and four others were injured by airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on a camp for IDPs in Dawsoku village of eastern Demoso Township on Wednesday. Demoso is located 10 miles (16 km) from Loikaw.

“They picked night time [to attack] when people were asleep. So, we are afraid of sleeping when their aircraft flies by. We eat our food while standing and flee to the jungle when we are scared,” a Demoso resident staying at the camp for IDPs told DVB. Airstrikes were also carried out in western Demoso on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

CHINLAND—The Zomi Federal Union (ZFU) issued a statement on Tuesday asserting that it would not recognize any claims from the regime in Naypyidaw nor the Chinland Council, led by the Chin National Army (CNA), to Tedim Township of northern Chinland. Tedim is located 117 miles north (188 km) of the state capital Hakha.

“The CNA is attempting to use [its allied resistance force] as a proxy to interfere and seize Tedim. The actions of CNA and their affiliates clearly show no consideration for public interest and only seek to exploit our land for profit and political advantage,” stated the ZFU, which is the political wing of the People’s Defence Force-Zoland (PDF-Zoland). Read more.

Read: Myanmar rights groups demand US tech firms cut ties with Mytel. Find DVB English News on X, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, Threads & TikTok. Subscribe on YouTube.

Rival Chin factions dispute over plans to seize Tedim Township in northern Chinland from regime control

English Editor

January 16, 2025

photo_6073501429684881075_y — A building destroyed by arson in Tedim Township of northern Chinland, where attacks by the Myanmar military against Chin resistance forces took place last May. (Credit: CJ)

The Zomi Federal Union (ZFU) issued a statement on Tuesday asserting that it would not recognize any claims from the regime in Naypyidaw nor the Chinland Council, led by the Chin National Army (CNA), to Tedim Township of northern Chinland. Tedim is located 117 miles north (188 km) of the state capital Hakha.

“The CNA is attempting to use [its allied resistance force] as a proxy to interfere and seize Tedim. The actions of the CNA and their affiliates clearly show no consideration for public interest and only seek to exploit our land for profit and political advantage,” stated the ZFU, which is the political wing of the People’s Defence Force-Zoland (PDF-Zoland).

Tedim is home to the Zomi ethnic nationality, which is a collective identity given to the Kuki-Chin living in communities across northern Burma and across the border in neighbouring India. The township is currently under military regime control.

The ZFU added that it was committed to working with the Interim Chin National Consultative Council (ICNCC) and its armed ethnic group, the Chin Brotherhood, to remove any invading force from Tedim. It claimed that it had planned to capture the town from the military in cooperation with its allied resistance forces in the Chin Brotherhood.

This statement came shortly after the Chin National Front (CNF), the political wing of the CNA and a founding member of the Chinland Council, announced its allied resistance group in Tedim, known as the People’s Defense Army (PDA-Tedim), would launch an offensive against regime troops stationed in Tedim.

“No organization has the right to object [to our military offensive] as we are going to capture our own town, and we invite any resistance groups to join,” the political wing of the PDA-Tedim, known as the Tedim Township Council, stated on Jan. 14.

Four main resistance groups operate in Tedim: PDA-Tedim, Chinland Defence Force-Civic Defence Militia–Siyin (CDF-CDM Siyin), Chinland Defence Force-Hualngoram (CDF-Hualngoram) and the People’s Defense Force-Zoland (PDF-Zoland).

While PDF-Zoland aligns with the Chin Brotherhood, the other three are members of the Chinland Council. In early 2024, the Chinland Council was established by Chin resistance groups as an interim administration similar to the Interim Executive Council (IEC) in Karenni State.

This was an attempt by the CNF to unify resistance groups under a single administrative body in Chinland. But, the Chinland Council’s formation was met with disdain from other Chin groups, including the ZFU.

In December 2023, the ZFU and allied resistance groups formed the Chin Brotherhood in opposition to the Chinland Council. Tensions between the Chinland Council and Chin Brotherhood escalated into armed conflict in Matupi Township of southern Chinland on June 18.

This led to peace negotiations between the two factions of the Chin resistance in India last September. At a press conference on Dec. 23, the Chin Brotherhood spokesperson Salai Yaw Mang claimed that resistance forces have seized control of over 80 percent of Chinland from the military. He added that the Arakan Army (AA) is supporting the Chin Brotherhood militarily.

Thirteen townships across Chinland and the Myanmar-India border town of Rihkhawdar are under Chin resistance control. Southern Chinland’s Paletwa Township, 199 miles (321 km) south of Hakha, came under AA control last January. The military controls Hakha and Tedim, as well as Thantlang, located 22 miles (35 km) west of Hakha, and Falam, located 122 miles (196 km) north of Hakha.

Ta’ang National Liberation Army at a ‘stand off’ with military; National Unity Government announces reforms

English Editor

January 16, 2025

photo_6069082054366183805_y — Ta’ang National Liberation Army troops during Operation 1027 in northern Shan State last September. The operation was launched by the Brotherhood Alliance on Oct. 27, 2023. (Credit: TNLA)

Ta’ang National Liberation Army at a ‘stand off’ with military

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) told DVB that it is at a “standoff” with the military’s Artillery Operations Command 902 and Artillery Battalions 354, 206 and 406 in Taunghkam village of Naungkhio Township, northern Shan State. Naungkhio is located 96 miles (154 km) south of the regional capital Lashio and 147 miles (236 km) north of the Shan State capital Taunggyi.

“Currently, there are no reports of fighting in the Naungkhio area and the situation remains calm,” Lway Yae Oo, the TNLA spokesperson, told DVB. Taunghkam is a strategic village 55 miles (88 km) east of Pyin Oo Lwin in neighbouring Mandalay Region. This is where the military’s Defence Services Academy (DSA) and several bases are located. Taunghkam also serves as a link between northern and southern Shan State.

Fighting between the military and the TNLA over control of the artillery bases began in Taunghkham last October. The military has sent in reinforcements, including troops, weapons, ammunition and supplies through Kyaukgu town in Lawksawk (Yatsauk) Township, 102 miles (164 km) south of Naungkhio. The TNLA, and its allied resistance forces, captured Naungkhio last July. It now controls five districts and 12 townships.

National Unity Government announces reforms

The National Unity Government (NUG) announced reforms to address rising concerns in its leadership and in its finances with some officials being accused of “deviating from the revolutionary path” by the NUG Acting President Duwa Lashi La, who added that there’s a possibility of integrating members with leadership capabilities from allied resistance groups into their administration.

“[The] people interact with our ‘three pa’s’ system every day. The capabilities and ethics of the teams directly interacting with the public are crucial for gaining solid public support and trust,” said Duwa Lashi La, The “Three Pa’s” represents the People’s Defence Forces (PDF), the People’s Administration Teams, and the People’s Security Forces. All begin with the Burmese letter “Pa”.

The PDF under the NUG has been facing scrutiny since the BBC Burmese reported on Sept. 26 that a PDF leader murdered another member in Thityar Aik village of Depayin Township, 86 miles (138 km) north of the regional capital Sagaing, on Apr. 28, 2023. The Yinmabin-Salingyi Strike Committee in Sagaing told DVB in April 2023 that it requested the NUG Interim Local Administration Central Committee take action against its officials for alleged abuse of power.

A journalist from Burma opens his Facebook account on a laptop in Thailand on Jan. 15. (Credit: DVB)

Myanmar netizens on Meta’s fact-checking program closure

Concerns have been raised by netizens in Burma after Meta founder Mark Zukerberg announced that his social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram and Threads, were ending its third-party fact-checking program to implement a community-driven moderation system, similar to the one rolled out by Elon Musk on his platform X (formerly known as Twitter).

“With users themselves determining the accuracy of posts, the algorithm would need enough user interaction [likes, shares, etc.] to ensure a post’s reach. As a result, content with controversial or extremist messages could spread more easily while original posts may lose visibility,” said Moe Htet Nay, a political analyst at the Burma research organization Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica.

Meta’s platform Facebook has been criticized for its role in amplifying hate speech and misinformation during the 2017 Rohingya crisis. Amnesty International reported that Facebook’s algorithm contributed to violence against the Rohingya in Burma. Meta’s figures showed that Burma has 18.5 million Facebook users, which is 35 percent of the population. It has 1.75 million Instagram users, or 3.2 percent of the population, as of early 2024.

News by Region

AYEYARWADY—The Burma Air Force carried out airstrikes on Magyizin village Jan. 11-12 after the Arakan Army (AA) seized control of it on Jan. 10. Magyizin is located 20 miles (32 km) south of Gwa Township in southern Arakan State, which has been under AA control since Dec. 29. The AA began its attack on Magyizin Jan. 7.

“There are more than 15,000 displaced people, moving to Shwethaungyan, Ngwesaung, Chaungtha, Thabaung and Pathein. We heard there were civilian casualties and fatalities but we don’t know the exact number,” a Magyizin resident displaced from his home told DVB. Shwethaungyan Township residents said that Burma Navy ships are currently deployed off the coast of Chaungtha and Shwethaungyan.

SHAN—An airstrike was carried out by the Burma Air Force on Kyaukgu town of Lawksawk (Yatsauk) Township on Jan. 10. Fighting in Kyaukgu between the Danu People’s Liberation Army/Front (DPLA/F) and the military has forced residents to flee their homes since early January. The DPLA/F didn’t share the number of casualties from the airstrike.

“The military has conducted aerial bombardment around the town. We have not yet fully secured control,” a DPLA/F spokesperson told DVB. The DPLA/F, established in August 2022, has joined forces with the TNLA. Together, the two ethnic armed groups have seized control of Nawnghkio and Mongmit in northern Shan State, and Mogok in Mandalay Region.

The Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA) told DVB that five of its members were killed by the pro-military Pa-O National Organisation (PNO) in a village of Hsihseng Township, located in southern Shan State 30 miles (48 km) south of Taunggyi, on Monday. The five PNLA members were killed following fighting with the PNO on Sunday.

“Killing or torturing captured prisoners of war violates both military rules and international law. Throughout our fighting, we have captured many members of both military forces and the PNO. We treat all prisoners in accordance with prisoner of war protocols,” a PNLA spokesperson told DVB, who claimed that there were 20 PNO and military casualties during fighting on Jan. 12.

(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,680 MMK)

Read: Migratory bird watchers unable to visit Gulf of Martaban since 2021. Find DVB English News on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads & TikTok. Subscribe on YouTube.

Myanmar rights groups demand US tech firms cut ties with Mytel

English Editor

January 15, 2025

photo_6069082054366184589_y — Regime leader Min Aung Hlaing inaugurated a ceremony for Telecom International Myanmar Company Limited (Mytel) in Naypyidaw on Feb. 11, 2018. (Credit: Regime)

Burma Campaign UK and the International Campaign for the Rohingya (ICR) called on U.S. tech companies to remove Mytel, the military-owned telecoms operator, from their platforms on Tuesday.

Apple, Google, along with its video sharing platform YouTube, and LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft, still host Mytel channels and smartphone applications via their online services and app stores despite the U.S. government imposing sanctions against Mytel on Jan. 6.

“American technology companies whose software may be used by Mytel should immediately review existing contracts, end direct sales and services if they are being provided, and instruct third-party suppliers to do the same,” said Simon Billenness, the ICR executive director.

He added that U.S. companies should also end any existing business arrangement with Viettel, the Vietnamese telecoms operator owned by the Vietnamese government and a partner of Mytel.

Billenness claimed that Mytel has posted online in the past about using technologies supplied by Oracle, Cisco, Juniper Networks, Fortinet, Microsoft, TensorFlow, which is also owned by Google, and PyTorch, which is owned by the Linux Foundation.

“Why are American technology companies still providing services to companies owned by the Burmese military, despite its human rights record and the clear links between Burmese military-owned companies and the human rights violations they commit?” asked Mark Farmaner, the Burma Campaign UK director.

The U.S. government stated that Mytel was sanctioned for financially supporting the Myanmar military, which is responsible for human rights violations, war crimes and for surveillance technology targeting Myanmar’s 54 million citizens.

In 2022, the U.S. stated that the 2017 military crackdown in northern Arakan (Rakhine) State was determined to be genocide against the Rohingya

Over 3.5 million people have been displaced from their homes in Myanmar. Since the 2021 military coup, more than 6,000 civilians have been killed and 28,217 civilians have been arrested nationwide with 21,507 political prisoners still under regime detention.

The telecoms sector in Myanmar liberalized in 2013, which allowed Ooredoo and Telenor to join Myanma Post and Telecommunication (MPT) in the market the following year. Mytel became the fourth and final operator when it was launched in 2017, with the opening ceremony attended by Senior General, and current regime leader, Min Aung Hlaing.

Mytel operates under Telecom International Myanmar Company Limited, a joint venture between the Myanmar military and Vietnam’s Viettel.

The military profits from Mytel through rental fees for constructing communication towers and other infrastructure. Mytel reportedly provides perks to military generals and thousands of free SIM cards to military families and members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) government ousted in the 2021 coup.

Migratory bird watchers unable to visit Gulf of Martaban since 2021

English Editor

January 15, 2025

Environmental conservation groups and bird lovers in Myanmar told DVB that the number of people visiting Mon State to birdwatch at the Gulf of Martaban in the Andaman Sea have declined due to the political instability and strict inspections at military road checkpoints since the Feb. 1, 2021 military coup,

“We used to go out with groups by taking cameras and bird watching gear such as binoculars and lenses. But we will lose those expensive items if they are seized during the inspections. Also the military imposed restrictions like not allowing two men riding a motorcycle together, which is the only way for us to travel around those areas,” said a bird watcher from Yangon on the condition of anonymity.

Migratory birds visit wetlands and inland regions of southern Myanmar from November to January. The Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA), an environmental group founded in 2002, told DVB that between 150,000 to 200,000 species of water and migratory birds migrate annually through the Gulf of Martaban.

“We are not able to travel there because you need to file a lot of paperwork and there are too many restrictions. Traveling to the sea is not safe at this time, so we can only afford to educate local people about the birds,” said Mingalar Lay, the program officer at BANCA.

The migratory birds consume paddy rice, snails, fish, shrimp, small crabs and seaweed before leaving Myanmar in March during its winter season, according to BANCA. It started its work to protect migratory birds in the Gulf of Martaban in 2008 and began its conservation activities in 2010.

The Gulf of Martaban was recognized as one of Myanmar’s four Ramsar Sites on May 10, 2017 due to its unique biodiversity and that it is home to the critically-endangered spoon-billed sandpiper, a migrating wading bird. A Ramsar Site is a wetland that has been designated as important for the world under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971.

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Regime bans publication of 10 LGBTQ+ themed books

Regime deputy and military headquarters targeted; Central Bank of Myanmar crackdown on currency trading

Rival Chin factions dispute over plans to seize Tedim Township in northern Chinland from regime control

Ta’ang National Liberation Army at a ‘stand off’ with military; National Unity Government announces reforms

Myanmar rights groups demand US tech firms cut ties with Mytel

Migratory bird watchers unable to visit Gulf of Martaban since 2021

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