Ma Thida is a Burmese medical doctor, writer, human rights activist and former prisoner of conscience. She founded and served until 2016 as president of PEN Myanmar, whose mission includes monitoring issues related to freedom of expression, organizing discussions about literature with the public, developing a culture of literature in Myanmar, promoting creative writing, and making literature a part of the country’s educational curriculum. Ma Thida is the author of the book A-Maze: Myanmar’s Struggle for Democracy, 2011-2023. Read an excerpt here.
Ma Thida is a Burmese medical doctor, writer, human rights activist and former prisoner of conscience. She spoke to DVB Newsroom, via Zoom, on Jan. 24. (Credit: DVB)
Ma Thida is a Burmese medical doctor, writer, human rights activist and former prisoner of conscience. She founded and served until 2016 as president of PEN Myanmar, whose mission includes monitoring issues related to freedom of expression, organizing discussions about literature with the public, developing a culture of literature in Myanmar, promoting creative writing, and making literature a part of the country’s educational curriculum. Ma Thida is the author of the book A-Maze: Myanmar’s Struggle for Democracy, 2011-2023. Read an excerpt here.
Several weddings took place in Chiang Mai, Thailand once the marriage equality law became legal on Jan. 23. (Credit: DVB)
On the first day LGBTQ+ couples could legally marry in Thailand, many of them wed in Chiang Mai on Jan. 23. Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia, but only the third in Asia, to legalize same-sex marriage.
“We ran a campaign for promoting the bill every single year for the past few years here at the City Hall on Valentine’s Day. Today is the first day that we can marry it legally,” said Arty Sangsuwan, an organizer with Chiang Mai Pride.
“We have a plan to retire in the beautiful city of Chiang Mai in Thailand. So that’s why we [took] the first opportunity to be the first married couple in Chiang Mai. We first met 26 years ago in Bangkok. In fact, we, we got married in the U.K., just about three months ago. So, we’re very excited to obtain the recognition of that marriage here in Thailand on this historic day,” said Lan Morton and Danai Wachiranupap, an LGBTQ+couple tying the knot on Thursday.
The Marriage Equality Act was published in Thailand’s Royal Gazette on Sept. 24, making it the third country or territory in Asia – after Taiwan and Nepal – to recognize same sex marriage. The new law will allow any two individuals who are 18 years or older to register their marriage and receive the same benefits and rights as heterosexual couples.
The commander of the No. 15 Military Operations Command (MOC-15) Thurein Tun was taken prisoner by the AA after it seized Maungdaw Township, northern Arakan State, on Dec. 8. (Credit: AA)
Arakan Army accused of executing prisoners of war
The regional human rights organization Fortify Rights has accused the Arakan Army (AA) of executing prisoners of war in a report, based on leaked video footage, released on Thursday. It called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate extrajudicial killing by the AA for the torture and murder of two detainees in front of a shallow dirt pit in the ground.
“Torturing and summarily executing civilians or captured enemy soldiers are war crimes,” said Ejaz Min Khant, the human rights associate at Fortify Rights. “Captured enemy soldiers should always be treated with dignity as prisoners of war and afforded the protections of the Geneva Conventions, and those responsible for war crimes against detainees should be prosecuted.”
Fortify Rights analyzed two leaked video recordings from Dec. 25 and Jan. 19 showing the alleged executions and believes they are authentic. The two victims do not appear to be dead by the end of the videos but are unlikely to have survived the incident due to the nature of their injuries and the attack. Fortify Rights was unable to verify the exact location of the incident.
Malaysia optimistic about resolving Myanmar crisis at ASEAN
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for stronger actions to address Burma’s crisis, which has engulfed the country and has crippled the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since the 2021 military coup, stressing the need for inclusive governance to restore peace and stability in the region.
“I am cautiously optimistic. We will coordinate with the United Nations, and ASEAN will continue to discuss this issue,” Anwar said at the ASEAN Plenary Session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025. “We’ve agreed that countries like Thailand will engage with Myanmar at a different level, and we will coordinate our efforts. However, we remain wary of repeating the mistakes of the past decades.”
Anwar added that while the ASEAN approach to Burma was measured, there was a growing willingness for engagement with the regime in Naypyidaw, which has been excluded from summits and meetings since Min Aung Hlaing agreed to the Five Point Consensus, which is the ASEAN peace plan, but did not implement it upon his return to Burma in April 2021.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính talks with UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22. (Credit: Viet Nam News)
Vietnam Prime Minister meets UN Special Envoy on Myanmar
Vietnam state media reported that Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính met with U.N. Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop on the sidelines of the WEF 2025 in Davos, Switzerland to discuss Burma. He said that Vietnam is ready to exert all efforts to bring peace and stability to Southeast Asia and Burma in particular
“Việt Nam opposed embargo measures that negatively impact the lives of the Myanmar people and the Myanmar issue must be resolved by the Myanmar people themselves, through agreement, compromise, and the involvement of all relevant parties,” said Vietnam Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Wednesday.
State media added that Bishop stressed the need to prioritise Burma and urged all parties to exercise restraint, cease violence, ensure security and safety for civilians, and begin dialogue among all relevant stakeholders to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. She affirmed her commitment to closely cooperate with ASEAN to promote dialogue in Burma.
News by Region
AYEYARWADY—At least six people, including a police officer, were killed and more than 400 homes, including a school and a monastery, were destroyed by airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force in Pathein Township Jan. 8-18. Fighting between the AA and regime troops continues in Magyizin, Bawmi and Chailel villages near Shwethaungyan town, located 43 miles (69 km) northwest of the regional capital Pathein.
“At least eight airstrikes were carried out and most victims were civilians, but we don’t know who or where they were from,” a Shwethaungyan resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity. A source close to the regime’s administration claimed that there were hundreds of military personnel killed during fighting. The AA stated on Monday that it is attacking areas bordering Arakan in Ayeyarwady, Magway and Bago regions.
MANDALAY—The Mandalay People’s Defense Force (MPDF) told DVB on Wednesday that fighting against the military has resumed in Madaya and Thabeikkyin townships, as well as Nawnghkio Township in neighbouring Shan State, since Jan. 21. Madaya, Thabeikkyin and Nawnghkio are located 24 miles (39 km) north, 89 miles (143 km) north and 75 miles (120 km) northeast of Mandalay.
“There is ongoing fighting in at least three places in Madaya as the Burma Army scales up its forces continuously. They also conducted daily artillery shelling from the town to the resistance controlled areas,” the MPDF spokesperson told DVB. He added that fighting resumed in Nawnghkio and Thabeikkyin, which were seized by resistance forces on July 10 and Aug. 25.
SHAN—Nawnghkio residents told DVB that 10 civilians were killed and one other was seriously injured by airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on the town Wednesday. Nawnghkio is located 96 miles (154 km) south of Lashio in northern Shan State. It was seized by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) on July 10.
“A jet fighter dropped a bomb onto a tea shop beside the town’s police station in the afternoon. We don’t know anything about the victims,” a Nawnghkio resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity. The TNLA claimed that two bombs landed near the Nawnghkio police station. This is the second time the town has been attacked by aerial bombardments this week.
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Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in cyber scam operations were taken to the Myanmar-China border to be deported on September 26. (Credit: Regime media)
The China Embassy in Myanmar announced on Tuesday that an initiative by law enforcement targeting cross-border criminal syndicates called “Operation SEAGULL” led to the arrest of 70,000 cyber scam suspects and rescued 160 human trafficking victims from six countries.
“The operation brought together law enforcement resources from various countries, demonstrating an effective collaborative force to combat regional communication fraud and arms smuggling. All parties unanimously agreed that this joint operation served as an irreplaceable regional law enforcement platform, achieving the expected results and effectively protecting regional security and peace,” stated the Chinese embassy in its statement on Jan. 21.
The operation – led by China – was formed by the Lancang-Mekong Integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center (LMLECC) and includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
It has investigated 160 cases of suspected cyber scam operations mostly in Shan State along the Myanmar-China border from August to December 2024.
The announcement came after a meeting held by LMLECC in Kunming, Yunnan Province of China, on Jan. 21. Representatives from participating countries and international organizations, including the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Chiefs of Police attended.
The LMLECC, recognized as the first international intergovernmental security organization in the Lancang-Mekong region, reportedly emphasized the operation’s significance in combating regional criminal networks.
“Operation SEAGULL” was the first phase of its investigation. The China Embassy added that another phase of the operation is being planned to take place later this year.
A series of high-profile kidnappings have been reported targeting Chinese citizens, including actor Wang Xing, near the Thailand-Myanmar border.
The military regime in Naypyidaw, which seized power after the 2021 coup, accused Thailand of indirectly supporting cyber scam operations along the border by providing essential infrastructure like internet and electricity.
“As long as the military controls the ports and transport routes connecting Yangon River to Magway and [weapons] factories, as well as Meiktila and Taungoo airbases, they can still just hold on. They won’t be able to win the war just with airstrikes. But they could clutch to the centre for quite some time,” said David Mathieson, an analyst on human rights and conflict in Myanmar.
Mathieson told DVB that while various international sanctions have been levelled against the military, only the ones that target its weapons production capabilities are effective. But he acknowledged the growing importance of targeting aviation fuel imports to the regime’s Air Force, which carries out daily airstrikes against resistance-controlled areas.
“Only about 20 out of the 25 [weapons]factories are currently operational. These facilities are mostly concentrated on the western side of the Ayeyarwady River, centered around the Pathein-Monywa Road. KaPaSa 1 and 4 have recently been relocated to Naypyidaw,” said Zin Yaw, a military defector to the anti-regime Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). The CDM is a nationwide movement founded in response to the 2021 military coup.
Besides the DDI, the regime also has central storage units for imported materials, parts and components with end items and machinery, which is commonly referred to as “the store” in Yangon.
The Defence Materials Production School is located in Pyin Oo Lwin Township of Mandalay Region, and a Training School for DDI factory workers is in Ushit Pin of Pandaung Township, Bago Region. Ushit Pin is located near several DDI factories.
“I believe 95 to 98 percent of the bombs used are locally made. While imported bombs might exist, they would only be used for critical targets under specific conditions. To my knowledge, I’ve never seen foreign bombs being used, only KaPaSa-made bombs,” Zeya, a military defector from the Mingaladon Air Base, told DVB.
Magway Region is home to 15 DDI factories. Bago Region has seven, while Tatkon Township of Naypyidaw has two, and Taikkyi Township in Yangon Region has one.
Each DDI factory focuses on specific products but are interconnected. For example, DDI 6 in Nyaung Chay Htauk village of Pandaung Township, and DDI 24, in Pauk Township of Magway Region, primarily produce iron and aluminium raw materials needed for manufacturing arms and ammunition.
Gunpowder used in bombs and artillery shells are produced by DDI 5 in Ushit Pin, which also produces acid and small quantities of gunpowder, along with DDI 13 in Sin Paung Wae of Aunglan District, Magway Region.
Small arms are mainly produced by DDI 1 in Tatkon, DDI 11 in Taikkyi, and DDI 22 Seikphyu of Pakokku District, Magway Region, with 5.5 mm, 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm, and 9 mm bullets manufactured primarily by DDI 9, and partially DDI 2.
Heavy weapons and artillery parts are produced by DDI 8 in Sin Paung Wae and DDI 7 in Pyay Township of Bago Region. Grenades are manufactured by DDI 7, while DDI 10 in Upper Minhla of Thayet District, Magway Region, produces rockets for vehicle-mounted Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS).
In Magway Region, 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm mortar bombs are made at DDI 12 in Thayet and DDI 15 in Aunglan, while DDI 20 in Sidoktaya produces 25-30 mm anti-aircraft cannons.
Tayza, who worked for 10 years at a DDI factory, revealed that while the military relies on domestic materials for production, some are still being imported from countries friendly with the regime in Naypyidaw such as China and Russia.
The factories, built with assistance from foreign technicians and operated by graduates of the Defence Services Technological Academy (DSTA), employ soldiers and civilians from nearby villages. Each factory spans thousands of acres and employs between 500–1,000 staff members, all of which are under tight security.
“Each factory is divided into eight sectors, with outposts set up about three miles away to provide perimeter security. Given the current situation, I believe they’re armed. There’s around-the-clock security at the factory’s main gate and central checkpoints. If a conflict breaks out, they won’t defend the factory—they’ll flee,” added Tayza.
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