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Calls for Karen Border Guard Force leader’s arrest; Regime administration collapses in Kachin State’s Bhamo

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Saw Chit Thu, the Karen Border Guard Force leader, has been sanctioned by the U.K. for links to human trafficking and forced labour in cyber scam operations run out of the BGF-controlled casino complex at Shwe Kokko, Karen State. (Credit: KIC)

Calls for Karen Border Guard Force leader’s arrest 

Rangsiman Rome, the chairperson of Thailand’s House Committee on National Security, Border Affairs, National Strategy, and National Reform, called for the arrest of Saw Chit Thu, the leader of the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), on Sunday. The BGF handed over 61 human trafficking victims from seven countries to Thai authorities on Thursday.

“My sources indicate that Saw Chit Thu holds many secrets about certain government officials in Thailand, as he has allegedly funneled large sums of money as bribes to Thai authorities,” claimed Rome without providing further details. He added that his government must do more to address the issue of transnational crime along the Burma-Thailand border. 

Bangkok cut power and fuel imports to Karen State’s Shwe Kokko and Payathonzu, as well as Shan State’s Tachilek last Wednesday. Fuel stations in Myawaddy have limited sales to 30,000 MMK ($6 USD) per customer, as the price of a liter of gasoline rose from 6,000 to 15,000 MMK ($1-3 USD). Drivers queued at the Thai border to be able to purchase fuel in Mae Sot at 30 THB ($1 USD) per liter on Monday.  

Report on economic strategy to hit military financing released

The Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M), led by three human rights experts on Burma, released a report by Australian economist Sean Turnell on Tuesday. It examines the military’s control over the country’s finances and outlines steps for the international community to help build a fair and prosperous economy for the people of Burma.

“The international community must act on this critical vulnerability by strengthening sanctions against State-owned banks and other institutions the junta relies on to facilitate its global transactions,” said Turnell, who served as the economic advisor to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) government from 2015-2020.

Turnell was arrested on Feb. 6, 2021 – five days after the military coup – and was released after 650 days in captivity on Nov. 16, 2022. The SAC-M was established on March 1, 2021 and its stated aims are to cut the military’s access to weapons and finances. It also advocates for ending impunity in Burma by holding the military accountable.

Kachin Independence Army fighters in Kachin State in 2023. (Credit: Kachin News Group)

Regime administration collapses in Kachin State’s Bhamo

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) told DVB on Saturday that the regime administration has ceased in Bhamo Township as fighting with the military continues near Artillery Battalion 366, which was seized by the KIA on Feb. 2. Bhamo, home to the Military Operations Command (MOC) 21, is located 120 miles (193 km) south of the Kachin State capital Myitkyina and 58 miles (93 km) southwest of Laiza, the KIA headquarters.

“We noticed the regime has relied more on drone-, air- and artillery strikes for defence,” Naw Bu, the KIA spokesperson, told DVB. He added that military personnel, including police, have consolidated regime forces at the MOC 21. The KIA, and allied resistance forces, have also seized the Bhamo Airport on Jan. 26, an armored battalion on Jan. 25, and the neighbouring town of Mansi in southern Kachin on Jan. 8. 

Mansi is located 17 miles (27 km) south of Bhamo. KIA-led forces control much of Bhamo District except for the MOC 21, Light Infantry Battalions (LIB) 47, 236 and 237, as well as engineering, medical and logistics battalions, which remain under regime control. The KIA launched its offensive against the military in Bhamo and Mansi on Dec. 4.

News by Region

CHINLAND—The Chinland Defense Force-Hakha (CDF-Hakha) claimed that 46 resistance members have been killed and 200 others have been injured in fighting with the military since Feb. 1, 2021. The CDF-Hakha stated that it is planning to seize control of the Chinland capital Hakha this year in a video recorded at an online fundraising event on Feb. 6. 

“We will not hesitate to sacrifice our lives in order to seize the town,” said Salai Haramlyan, the CDF-Hakha chairperson. He added that it had participated in over 340 attacks against regime outposts in Chinland and launched more than 140 operations since the 2021 coup. Thantlang, Tedim and Falam, which are located 22-122 miles (35-196 km) to the west and north of Hakha, are under regime control.  

MANDALAY—At least three civilians were killed and 20 others were injured by airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on Mogok town on Sunday. Residents told DVB that more than 20 bombs were dropped in seven airstrikes in the western part of Mogok, which is located 124 miles (200 km) north of Mandalay. 

“The bombs landed onto the ruby mines. We heard there were problems between ruby miners and someone tipping off the location to the military,” a Mogok resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) seized control of the vital ruby mining hub of Mogok Township, on July 24. Read more.

SHAN—Staff at the regime Ministry of Education in Taunggyi told DVB that they have been informed that they must join a one-month-long military training after this year’s upcoming Thingyan festival, which will be held April 13-16. Taunggyi is the capital of Shan State and is under regime control. 

“Everyone is concerned about it even though we don’t know exactly who will receive the training. Some people plan to resign [from their jobs] as they might be sent to the frontline after the training,” a teacher in Taunggyi told DVB on the condition of anonymity. The regime administration told them they would not be sent to the frontline.

TANINTHARYI—Mawtaung Township residents are worried about the rising price of food due to the Tanintharyi-Mawtaung Road closure caused by fighting between resistance forces and the military since Dec. 18. Mawtaung is located 249 miles (400 km) southeast of the regional capital Dawei across the border from Prachuap Khiri Khan Province of Thailand.

“Prices of all goods have gone up. Shops haven’t closed down, but supplies are running low,” a Mawtaung resident told DVB. He added that prior to the road’s closure, the price of a sack of rice was around 500 THB ($14 USD) but is now 800 THB ($23 USD). Residents now solely rely on commodities smuggled in from Thailand.

(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,510 MMK)

Bangladesh arrests 33 Rohingya for illegal entry from Myanmar

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A Rohingya family crosses a bamboo bridge in a refugee camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh in May. (Credit: Reuters)

A total of 33 Rohingya, who allegedly crossed the Myanmar-Bangladesh border illegally, were arrested by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Bandarban district on Saturday, the Anadolu News Agency reported.

Bandarban is located 72 miles (116 km) north of Cox’s Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh, where over one million Rohingya live in refugee camps. 

Ten men, nine women, and 14 children were arrested after the BGB and other law enforcement agencies inspected a camp in Alikadam sub district of Bandarban. 

The BGB reported that the 33 Rohingya had fled from Myanmar and had paid for safe passage into Cox’s Bazar. It added that the Rohingya will be deported back to Myanmar. 

The BGB arrested 53 Rohingya in Alikadam, Bandarban district, on Jan. 11. It told the media that the Rohingya had fled fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and the regime in northern Arakan State.

Bangladesh’s interim government is seeking international support to assist the estimated 1.2 million Rohingya living in refugee camps across the country. An international high-level conference on the Rohingya is tentatively scheduled for later this year in Doha, Qatar, with the support of the U.N.

Three killed and 20 injured by airstrikes on vital ruby mining town Mogok in Mandalay Region

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Mogok residents inspect the destruction caused by regime airstrikes on Feb. 9. (Credit: CJ)

At least three civilians were killed and 20 others were injured by airstrikes carried out by the Myanmar Air Force on Mogok town in Mandalay Region on Sunday. An unknown number of homes were destroyed by the airstrikes. 

Mogok residents told DVB that more than 20 bombs were dropped in seven regime airstrikes in the western part of Mogok, which is located 124 miles (200 km) north of Mandalay. 

“The bombs landed onto the ruby mines. We heard there were problems between ruby miners and someone tipping off the location to the military,” a Mogok resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) seized control of the vital ruby mining hub of Mogok Township, on July 24.

This was during Operation Shan-Man, in which the TNLA and Mandalay People’s Defense Force (MPDF) launched twin offensives in Mandalay and northern Shan State, on June 25. 

The TNLA confirmed the airstrikes on social media but it has yet to respond to DVB requests for specific details about the attacks. 

The Myanmar Air Force conducted airstrikes near a golf course in Mogok on Jan. 8, but there were no reported casualties. 

Twenty civilians were killed and 13 others were injured by airstrikes on Mogok in November. The TNLA is currently operating its administration and conducting reconstruction efforts in Mogok together with the town’s residents, according to its spokesperson. 

New ASEAN Special Envoy on Myanmar meets with resistance in Bangkok after regime in Naypyidaw

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Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan announced the appointment of Othman Hashim as the Special Envoy on Myanmar at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Langkawi, Malaysia, on Jan. 19. (Credit: BERNAMA)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Special Envoy on Myanmar Othman Hashim met with the National Unity Government (NUG), the Karen National Union (KNU), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), the Chin National Front (CNF), and the New Mon State Party – Anti-Dictatorship (NMSP-AD) in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday.

This followed Hashim’s visit with the regime in Naypyidaw Feb. 6-8, where he reportedly urged it to cease hostilities, the VOA reported.  

Hashim discussed three of the five points in the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus, which was agreed to by Min Aung Hlaing in April 2021 but not implemented upon his return to Myanmar.

The Special Envoy wants both sides in Myanmar to end violence, allow humanitarian aid deliveries, and begin inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders, the VOA added.  

Hashim is the former secretary general of Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was selected by Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan to implement the ASEAN Five Point Consensus, the regional bloc’s peace plan for Myanmar.

At the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Langkawi last month, Malaysia Foreign Ministry Secretary General Amran Mohammed Zin told the media that ASEAN is focused on ending the violence in Burma.

Malaysia has been continuing efforts based on Indonesia’s approach when it held the ASEAN chair in 2023, during which more than 100 discussions were held with the regime and the resistance in Myanmar, Othman explained.

Since Thursday, both regional and international meetings about the Myanmar crisis have been held, but Malaysia has chosen not to publicize details, according to sources.

Malaysia will host more than 300 meetings and summits throughout the year under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability.” Previously, Malaysia chaired ASEAN in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.

Myanmar refugee dies in Thailand after US clinic closed; Military denies reports it’s now conscripting women

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Refugees from Myanmar at Mae La camp in Mae Sot district, Tak Province of Thailand, on July 21, 2014. (Credit: Reuters)

Myanmar refugee dies in Thailand after US clinic closed

A 71-year-old from Burma named Pe Kha Lau, living in Umpiem Mai Refugee Camp in Thailand, died after experiencing shortness of breath four days after being discharged from a health facility funded by the U.S. on Feb. 2. The clinic, which was run by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), closed after a U.S. freeze on foreign aid.

“To hear of this loss of life is devastating and we offer our condolences to the family and friends of Pe Kha Lau,” an IRC spokesperson told Reuters. The IRC closed and locked hospitals in several refugee camps in late January after receiving a “stop-work” order from the U.S. State Department, according to residents and aid workers.

The IRC has served tens of thousands of refugees from Burma, among the nearly 100,000, living at nine refugee camps in Thailand. Thai officials and refugee organizations are trying to fill the void left by the absence of U.S. funding along the Burma-Thai border. Pe Kha Lau had been hospitalized for three years and was dependent on a supply of oxygen, according to her family.

Beijing reiterates non-interference in Myanmar crisis

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Beijing’s policy of “non-interference” in Burma during a press conference on Friday. It faced questions from the media and criticism from anti-coup resistance forces, including the National Unity Government (NUG), over its support to the regime in Naypyidaw, which seized power after the 2021 military coup, on Jan. 29.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the “main channel for mediation” on the crisis in Burma, and that its efforts to implement the Five-Point Consensus will stabilize the situation. He added that China “supports Myanmar’s efforts to safeguard its independence, sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity.” 

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with leaders of two ASEAN member states—Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra—on Thursday. They reportedly discussed cyber scams centers operating along Burma’s borders. Bangkok cut power to five towns in Burma on Wednesday in an effort to stop transnational crime.

Military denies reports its now conscripting women

Regime spokesperson Zaw Min Tun stated on Friday that there are still no plans to draft women into military service under its conscription law, which was enforced on Feb. 10, 2024 and stipulates women aged 18 to 27 must serve at least two years, or up to five years in the case of an emergency. Female professionals, such as doctors or engineers, can be made to serve up to age 35.

Burma has been under a state of emergency since the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021. The regime extended it a seventh time on Jan. 31. “I want to make it clear that although women are eligible under the law and its regulations, there are no current plans to call them up for military service,” he told regime media, although he did not share specifics about when women might be forced into military service.

Since last month, Yangon residents have told DVB that township authorities have been compiling lists with women’s names eligible for military conscription. The regime has also ordered those selected for military conscription to be barred from leaving the country without authorization.

News by Region

Pro-military supporters hold a rally in Myawaddy, Karen State, on Feb. 8. (Credit: CJ)

KAREN—Nearly 100 residents of Myawaddy, led by pro-military supporters, staged a rally calling for a boycott of Thai products on Saturday. Myawaddy is located 90 miles (145 km) east of the Karen State capital Hpa-an along the Thai-Burma border next to Thailand’s Mae Sot. 

They also demanded the closure of both official and unofficial border gates. “They’re bringing shame to Myawaddy while deliberately trying to create friction between Thailand and Myanmar,” a Myawaddy resident told DVB. Thailand’s Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) cut power to Myawaddy because it hosts several cyber scam centers. 

MANDALAY—The regime’s Central Committee on Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) announced on Saturday that it had seized narcotics worth over 7.3 billion MMK ($1.6 million USD) in Pyigyitagon Township after arresting a group of alleged drug dealers on Feb. 1-6. Pyigyitagon is five miles (8 km) south of downtown Mandalay.

A total of seven were arrested and accused by police of drug dealing. Three vehicles and a motorcycle were seized. They allegedly told police that the drugs that were stored at a house in Pyigyitagon was owned by a man living in Kyethi Township of southern Shan State. Kyethi is 225 miles east (362 km) of Pyigyitagon. 

SHAN—A group calling itself the Southern Shan Revolution Youth, which withdrew its forces from under the National Unity Government (NUG) Ministry of Defense, announced that it is seeking 200 new members on Friday. It wants to join forces with other local armed groups to scale up attacks in southern Shan State. 

“We are calling new recruits to form a new systematic force to attack the military,” a spokesperson told DVB. Applicants must be over age 18 with no health problems and be able to follow orders and duties. The group is currently involved in joint attacks in Moebye Township of southern Shan and in neighbouring Karenni State. 

YANGON—A source close to the police department told DVB that a Chinese national allegedly involved in human trafficking was arrested at the Yangon International Airport on Thursday. The man was alleged to have posted a video to social media offering cash and gifts to two teenage girls living in Dala Township to marry Chinese men. 

“There are three to four people who are allegedly involved in [his] case,” said a police source on the condition of anonymity. Another Chinese national and two Burma nationals are alleged to have visited the teenagers in Dala on Feb. 3. The two Chinese nationals and two Burma nationals have been charged under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law. 

(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,530 MMK)

Read: The Rohingya exodus from Maungdaw in northern Arakan State. Find DVB English News on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads & TikTok. Subscribe to us on YouTube.

Arakan Army launches artillery strike on regime outposts in Rakhine State capital Sittwe

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Members of the Arakan Army march along the road from Arakan State into Ayeyarwady Region in January. (Credit: AA)

A source in the military told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the Arakan Army (AA) launched an artillery attack on regime outposts at Padaleik and Amyintkyun villages, including a naval base near Shwemingan Port, in Sittwe Township on Feb. 7.

“This seems to be a preemptive strike. There are also reports of sniper and machine gun fire targeting security posts. The regime forces are responding with their own artillery fire,” the source added. 

“Tensions have been high in Sittwe since Feb. 4. Those with financial means have already evacuated to Yangon by air,” a Sittwe resident told DVB.

Padaleik village is located just 10 miles north (16 km) of the Arakan (Rakhine) State capital. 

This is where the military’s Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 232 and 344 are based and it’s the first line of defence for the Regional Operations Command headquarters. 

The regime outposts in Sittwe are located 44 miles (70 km) south of Rathedaung Township, which is under AA control.

Fighting between the AA and the military near Sittwe and Ponnagyun townships has been ongoing for nearly one year. On Jan. 16, the Myanmar Air Force carried out airstrikes on Wabo village in Sittwe. 

The AA has taken control of 14 out of 17 townships in Arakan since it launched its offensive on Nov. 13, 2023. Only three remain under regime control, including the capital Sittwe, the vital port town of Kyaukphyu, and the island of Manaung.

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