Regime plans to hold elections in 110 out of 330 townships

Political Parties that have registered with the regime’s Union Election Commission (UEC) told DVB that they were told to prepare for polls in 110 out of 330 townships across the country despite no election date being announced. The Myanmar Farmers Development Party said that the UEC has instructed it and the other 53 registered political parties to prepare to field candidates in constituencies nationwide.  

“We are not yet prepared for holding an election campaign. The [UEC] said that it is working to maintain peace within the rest of the [220] townships,” Kyaw Swar Soe, the Myanmar Farmers Development Party chairperson, told DVB. A total of 54 political parties have registered with the UEC after the 2021 military coup. Only nine of the 54 will compete nationwide, according to the regime. 

Forty-five regional and state-based political parties have complained that they have been unable to open offices in their respective areas. The regime said it would use data from its 2024 census for its planned election, which is tentatively scheduled for November. Only 145 townships were included in the census. In the remaining 185 townships, only partial data was collected in 127 while no data was collected at all in 58.

India to end illegal border trade with Myanmar

An official from India’s paramilitary group, the Assam Rifles, stated that it will stop all illegal trade with Burma via the border between Rikhawdar, Chinland, and Zokhawthar, Mizoram State, the Times of India newspaper reported on Monday. Indian authorities have restricted access to the No. 2 India-Burma Friendship Bridge since Jan. 2. 

“There’s no doubt that a large portion of trade through this border point is informal. While it is healthy for Myanmar manufacturers and traders, India is a big loser. This is going to be stopped soon,” said the senior Assam Rifles official. While some trade occurs through legal channels, “significant” informal trading persists in the region, the official added. 

Indian authorities have restricted access for its nationals from outside of Mizoram to cross the No. 2 India-Burma Friendship Bridge. Rikhawdar came under Chin resistance control in November 2023. Zokhawthar is located 33 miles (53 km) west of Tedim Township in Chinland. Six Mizoram districts—Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip—share a 316 mile (510 km) border with Chinland.

Lack of progress on Asia Highway blamed on ‘internal strife’

India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stated on Tuesday that the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral (IMTT) Highway project has come to a halt due to Burma’s internal conflict, NDTV reported. The 870-mile-long (1,400 km) highway will link India with Thailand by land, connecting Moreh in Manipur State with Mae Sot in Tak Province, via Burma.

“The situation in Myanmar has paused the IMTT Highway project,” said Jaishankar. “We cannot allow this to block something so momentous. Practical solutions will have to be found to ensure the advancement of this initiative.” He added that India’s Neighbourhood First policy has made “significant progress” in Burma, as well as in Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.

Around 70 percent of the construction of the IMTT highway was completed by July 2023. But no timeline has been given for its total completion. New Delhi expected it to be operational by December 2019. Jaishankar called for the security and protection of India’s projects in Burma during his meeting with regime Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Than Swe in India’s capital on June 26.

News by Region

BAGO—Sources close to the Arakan Army (AA) told DVB that AA-led resistance forces shot down two military piloted paragliders assisting the Burma Army in its attempt to keep control of Nyaungkyo military outpost in Pandaung Township on Monday. Pandaung is located 135 miles (217 km) west of the regional capital Bago. 

“Two paramotors were destroyed by the resistance forces,” an anonymous resistance force member, fighting alongside the AA, told DVB. AA-led forces attacked the Nyaungkyo military outpost on Feb. 22. The Burma Army and Air Force launched retaliatory air- and artillery strikes. The military outpost is located 10 miles (16 km) from the Directorate of Defence Industries (DDI) 6, known in Burmese as KaPaSa 6. 

MANDALAY—The Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM) told DVB on Tuesday that two political prisoners died at Obo Prison on Feb. 10 and 18. One male and one female political prisoner, who had been sentenced for violating the Counter Terrorism Law and Section 505 (A) of the Penal Code, died due to a lack of adequate medical treatment.

“Most prisons across the country are facing medicine shortages. The number of deceased prisoners will reduce if this problem is addressed,” Thaik Tun Oo, the PPNM spokesperson, told DVB. The female prisoner died from heart and liver disease, while the male prisoner died from skin related issues, according to PPNM. It has documented over 50 political prisoners who died in prison due to lack of medical attention since 2023.     

YANGON—An unnamed resistance group in North Okkalapa Township told DVB that it had caused an unknown number of casualties during a grenade attack it allegedly carried out on the military’s Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 6 in Shwepyitha Township on Tuesday. 

“All of our members managed to return safely after the attack,” said the group’s spokesperson. Another resistance group claimed that it attacked a police station in South Dagon Township with two remote-controlled homemade explosives on Tuesday. Regime media has yet to report on either attack.

(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,450 MMK) 

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