Yasmin Ullah, the co-founder of the Rohingya Maiyafuinor Collaborative Network, speaks to DVB about her genocide case brought forward by the Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP) in Indonesia against Myanmar military leader Min Aung Hlaing.
Learn about Yasmin’s work in our Newsroom interview with her on DVB English News YouTube or Spotify. Listen on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or wherever you get podcasts. Read more about the case.
A ceremony was held in the Karenni State capital Loikaw on April 3 for the first 385 male conscripts, aged 18 to 35, drafted into military service upon the completion of their mandated two-years under the conscription law, which was enforced on Feb. 10, 2024.
Zin Yaw, a former captain in the Myanmar military who defected to join the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) following the 2021 military coup, told DVB that the military may release some conscripts while retaining others as full-time soldiers.
“We need to monitor their releases,” he said. Training for the first batch of military conscripts began across Myanmar on April 8, 2024, according to the regime.
The ceremony in Loikaw on April 3 is the first reported instance of conscripts completing their two-years of military service. Nationwide conscription has now reached its 23rd round with the 21st round of conscripts reported to have completed training earlier this month, according to the regime.
A source in Yangon who assists conscripts to evade military service told DVB that none of the males aged 18 to 35 who were conscripted have returned to their family homes.
“Families are still hoping for the return of their sons and brothers,” the source told DVB on the condition of anonymity.
He estimates that half of all conscripts are believed to have died on the frontline in battle against resistance groups, while the other half remain in military service.
The regime in Naypyidaw has not disclosed the total number of conscripts it has drafted into military service.
The Myanmar Defense & Security Institute (MDSI), a group of former military personnel who defected to join the CDM, estimated in March that the number of conscripts had reached nearly 100,000.
The regime said those who have completed training are now serving in military units nationwide, fulfilling what it described as their “responsibilities for national defence and security.”
The conscription law stipulates that males aged 18-35 and females aged 18-27 are subject to military service for at least two years. Professionals such as doctors and engineers are required to serve until the age of 45 for men and 35 for women.
Officially known as the “People’s Military Service Law,” conscription was enacted in 2010 under former military ruler Than Shwe.
Airlines across Asia are cutting flights, carrying extra fuel from home airports and adding refuelling stops as the Middle East conflict squeezes jet fuel supply in some countries, adding to pressure on an industry already hit by a sharp jump in fuel costs.
European carriers are bracing for similar disruption after Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz cut off nearly 21 per cent of global seaborne jet fuel supply, according to Kpler.
Previous oil shocks mainly drove up prices, but this one is also constraining physical supply, forcing governments, airlines and airports to consider rationing.
“In my conversation with airlines, they are very concerned about what the future looks like, because we do not know when the war will end and we don’t know when the supply chain, the feedstock, will come from the Gulf area,” said Shukor Yusof, founder of aviation consultancy Endau Analytics.
Asia, Europe and Africa are most exposed, analysts say, because the U.S. has ample domestic supplies.
Within Asia, the pain has so far been sharpest in lower-income, import-dependent markets such as Vietnam, Myanmar and Pakistan after China and Thailand halted jet fuel exports and South Korea capped them at last year’s levels.
Budget airline AirAsia X is now loading extra fuel in Malaysia before flying to Vietnamese airports, CEO Bo Lingam told reporters on Monday.
“Not to say that they are not giving us fuel, but they limit the amount of fuel,” he said of Vietnam.
Jet fuel rationing
Past temporary jet fuel shortages at airports due to shipment disruptions, opens new tab or contamination have usually led to rationing rather than complete outages.
Airlines have typically responded by loading extra fuel at home airports, adding refuelling stops on longer routes or carrying less cargo.
For a more prolonged crisis, another solution is cutting flights, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said last week when he expressed concerns the Middle Eastern conflict may not end this month.
“If there’s a risk to 10 per cent or 20 per cent of the fuel supply in June or July or August, then we and other airlines will have to start looking at cancelling some flights or taking some capacity out,” he told reporters.
Asia, which has a thinner supply cushion than Europe and is more dependent on Hormuz flows, has been hit more quickly.
Vietnam Airlines has cut 23 domestic flights per week to conserve fuel, according to the country’s aviation authority.
Airlines based in Myanmar suspended domestic flights for part of March due to jet fuel shortages, its transport ministry said, and some of its carriers have also cut capacity in April, according to aviation data provider Cirium.
Air India is making refuelling stops in Kolkata on its return from Yangon to Delhi due to fuel shortages at Yangon airport, according to a source familiar with the matter.
In the South Pacific, Tahiti International Airport has restricted refuelling for international flights to quantities essential for flight operations due to the Middle Eastern crisis, a notice to pilots shows.
In Pakistan, pilots are being advised to carry maximum fuel from abroad. That practice, known as “tankering”, is costly because carrying extra fuel increases fuel burn.
“Some countries are in better shape than others,” said Brendan Sobie, a Singapore-based independent aviation analyst. “Some may be limiting (fuel for) foreign airlines, which then leads to the tankering. This could be proactive as some countries fear they could run out.”
Demand destruction
A more than doubling of jet fuel prices since the start of the Iran war has pushed some airlines to cut capacity, while others have hiked fares and imposed fuel surcharges.
In one of the starkest examples, Batik Air Malaysia has slashed domestic capacity by 36 pre cent, with CEO Chandran Rama Muthy describing the cuts as a necessary and proactive response to a “crisis-mode” environment.
“If we were to continue operating without making adjustments, it could further expose the company to operational and financial risk,” he said.
Gulf carriers such as Emirates and Qatar Airways have been operating well below normal capacity due to the conflict, while other global airlines have also cut flights as fare increases needed to cover fuel costs deter price-sensitive travellers.
Even with flight cuts, airline demand is not falling fast enough to match the drop in jet fuel supply, analysts said.
At least 400,000 barrels per day of jet fuel that normally is produced in the Asia-Pacific region via crude that transits the Strait of Hormuz have been affected since the crisis started, according to Reuters’ calculations.
“There is no easy way to replace the lost volumes, especially as Asian supply will start to tighten as refiners cut runs,” said Alex Yap, senior oil products analyst at Energy Aspects.
Industry sources estimate flight cancellations have lowered April demand in Asia specifically by only about 50,000 to 100,000 barrels per day, suggesting deeper cuts may be needed.
“We’re only just at the start of that cycle (of flight cuts) as demand from passengers seems to be resilient, but I think any oil-spike induced economic slowdown could hit demand in the second half of the year,” said Cirium’s Asia editor, Ellis Taylor.
REUTERS
Min Aung Hlaing proposes 6 new government ministries
Min Aung Hlaing, voted by pro-military lawmakers as president on April 3, proposed a change to the total number of ministries in the capital Naypyidaw on Monday. He wants 31 ministries to be run by 30 ministers, which is an increase from 25 ministries led by 25 ministers during the National League for Democracy (NLD) administration led by Aung San Suu Kyi that governed Burma from 2016 up until Min Aung Hlaing led the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021 and placed her in detention.
The six new ministries Min Aung Hlaing proposed were announced by the speaker of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Aung Lin Dwe on April 6. They are the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture, the Ministry of Industry and Small and Medium Enterprise Development, and the Ministry of Digital Development and Communications. The President’s Office was split into two with a new Ministry of President’s Office proposed.
The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs would be split into two. The culture portfolio would be moved from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. The Ministry of Industry would be rebranded to include Small and Medium Enterprise Development, and the Ministry of Transport and Communications would be renamed the Ministry of Digital Development and Communications, with transport separated into its own ministry.
Regime relaxes fuel purchase rule for commercial vehicles
The regime’s Ministry of Energy stated that commercial vehicles, including taxis, three-wheelers, and cargo trucks are allowed to buy fuel up to three times a week depending on the mileage since April 3. The regime’s National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) restricted vehicle owners from purchasing fuel from once every 24 hours to once or twice a week depending on the vehicle’s engine power on March 22.
The ministry added that its quick response (QR) code system for drivers to purchase petrol was extended to the Ayeyarwady Region capital Pathein, and towns along the Yangon-Pyay-Magway highway on April 3. The system was first introduced in Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyidaw and the Shan State capital Taunggyi on March 12. A total of 879 out of 2,943 fuel stations nationwide have adopted the QR system, according to the ministry.
One litre of 92-octane gasoline increased 4,450-4,625 MMK ($1.05-1.10 USD) but 95-octane gasoline decreased from 4,975-4,780 MMK ($1.18-1.13 USD) April 2-6, according to the regime-controlled Petroleum Products Regulatory Department. The price of diesel rose 5,450-5,680 MMK ($1.29-1.35 USD) with premium diesel up 6,085-6,805 MMK ($1.44-1.62 USD).
Philippines to continue engaging with Myanmar
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2026 Chair the Philippines stated that it will continue to engage with Burma following Min Aung Hlaing’s elevation to the presidency on Friday. The Philippines News Agency reported on April 4 that Malacañang Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said that Manila is taking note of recent political developments in Naypyidaw, including the new president.
“The Philippines will continue to engage relevant authorities and stakeholders in Myanmar through Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, in her capacity as Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair to Myanmar, as well as through our respective embassies,” said Castro. The Philippines continues to abide by the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus, a peace plan agreed to by Min Aung Hlaing in April 2021 – following his 2021 coup – but not implemented upon his return to Burma.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Lazaro as the Philippines’ Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair to Myanmar, as part of Manila’s role in supporting regional efforts to address the crisis in Burma. Castro said the Philippines remains committed to supporting ASEAN’s collective efforts and urged renewed momentum toward the “full and effective” implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.
News by Region
MON—A resident of Mudon Township told DVB that a cargo truck driver was killed by an unknown armed group along the Mawlamyine-Thanpyuzayet road on Saturday. Mudon is located 16 miles (25 km) south of the state capital Mawlamyine.
Mudon residents told DVB on the condition of anonymity that fighting between regime and resistance forces followed the shooting. Pro-military media blamed the New Mon State Party – Anti-Dictatorship, an NMSP splinter group established in February 2024.
NAYPYIDAW—The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) blacklisted 286 companies and five executive members of the Htoo Trading Company, including tycoon Tay Za and his son Pyae Phyo Tay Za, for “failing to deposit their export earnings from 2021-25 into their domestic bank accounts in foreign currency within a designated period.”
The 2023-amendment to the 2012 Foreign Exchange Management Law requires earnings from exports to Asian countries to be deposited within 30 days of shipment, while earnings from exports to other countries must be done within 60 days. The Htoo Group of Companies was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2022.
SAGAING—Residents of Salingyi Township told DVB that the Wanbao Letpadaungtaung copper mine resumed operations last week, after it was shut down in December. Salingyi, located 27 miles (43 km) south of the region’s capital Monywa, is reportedly contested between the People’s Defence Force (PDF) and regime forces.
Around 500 workers have resumed operating the China-backed mine, according to a local politician. The military regained control of Tigyaing town, located 182 miles (292 km) northeast of Monywa, and the China-backed Tagaung nickel processing plant from the PDF on March 31.
YANGON—A source close to the regime’s Dagon Seikkan Township Police told DVB that they are seeking two unidentified men accused of robbery on Monday. The two allegedly stole nearly 200 million MMK ($48,076 USD) from the Asia Dragon factory in Industrial Zone 1 on Sunday.
Factory workers told DVB on the condition of anonymity that security allowed the two men to enter the factory during their lunch break, believing them to be inspectors. Police questioned factory workers following the robbery. The two men fled the scene by motorcycle. Police are investigating.
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,140 MMK)
Read our latest DVB English News op-ed: Examining India’s support for the Myanmar military.
A criminal case against Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing, who was voted president by a pro- military parliament on April 3, was filed in Indonesia on Monday by a group of civil society organisations, accusing him of acts of genocide against the Rohingya ethnic group.
Myanmar is a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), but relations have come under strain since a 2021 coup led by Min Aung Hlaing, leading to civil war and a humanitarian crisis, with large numbers of Rohingya displaced and forced into refugee settlements.
Indonesia, which hosts ASEAN’s headquarters, is the biggest Muslim majority country in the world, and is among the destinations for Rohingya people fleeing Myanmar or the refugee camps by boat.
Myanmar’s armed forces, under then-Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, launched an offensive in 2017 that forced at least 730,000 Rohingya from their homes and into neighbouring Bangladesh, where they recounted killings, mass rape and arson.
The complaint to Indonesia’s Attorney General’s office was filed by Yasmin Ullah, a Rohingya who fled Myanmar, and several Indonesian figures, including a former attorney general and the chairman of Muhammadiyah, one of the country’s biggest Muslim groups, they said in a statement on Monday.
They said they would present evidence of forced displacement of the Rohingya, the world’s largest stateless population, as well as killings by the military, adding that the case had been accepted by the Indonesian prosecutors.
“It is the first time under Indonesia’s new penal code that a case has been officially received and I warmly welcome this historic development as a milestone for all Rohingya people on their long march to justice and accountability,” Ullah said.
The claimants stated that Indonesia’s penal code allows for “universal jurisdiction” when certain crimes are considered so serious they can be processed regardless of victim nationalities or where the crime was committed.
Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Another predominantly Muslim country, Gambia, told judges in January at the United Nations’ top court that Myanmar targeted the Rohingya for destruction and made their lives a nightmare in a landmark case accusing Myanmar of genocide.
Myanmar has always denied genocide. The regime did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Min Aung Hlaing was elected president through a parliamentary vote last week after an army-backed party won the December and January election in what Western governments described as a sham, formalising his grip on political power.
The 2021 coup has led to widespread protests and nationwide resistance ever since.
REUTERS
Eleven British members of parliament from across political party lines have signed the “Early Day Motion (EDM) 526,” which is a formal parliamentary proposal supporting the International Criminal Court (ICC) request for an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing.
“What is done through the U.K. Parliament is important for us,” Tun Khin, the president of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK), told DVB. “We are still waiting for the ICC to issue an arrest warrant.”
The EDM 526, titled “ICC arrest warrant for General Min Aung Hlaing,” was introduced by Shockat Adam, an independent MP for Leicester South, on Dec. 9, 2024, along with six other British MPs.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan requested an arrest warrant to be filed against Min Aung Hlaing on Nov. 27, 2024. The charges include crimes against humanity for his military’s “security clearance” operations in 2016-17 against the Rohingya.
The U.S. declared the 2017 Myanmar military operations in Rakhine State against the Rohingya, which led to over 700,000 to flee into Bangladesh, as genocide.
Myanmar is also the subject of a genocide case brought by the Gambia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2019. Hearings ended in January, where Rohingya genocide survivors shared testimony directly with the ICJ. The Myanmar regime delegate sent to defend the military denied genocide was committed.
The case was filed by BROUK on Nov. 13, 2019 under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction for their alleged involvement in genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya community.
This allows national courts to prosecute individuals for the most serious international crimes, such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, regardless of where the crime was committed or the nationality of the perpetrator and the victims.
Khin Thiri Nandar Soe, a spokesperson with the U.S.-based Alliance for Democracy in Myanmar, told DVB that if the ICC issues the long-awaited arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing, then ICC member states will have a responsibility – under the Rome Statute that established the ICC – to arrest him if he enters their territory.
The Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP), led by human rights expert Chris Gunness, and Rohingya genocide survivor Yasmin Ullah filed a criminal complaint against Min Aung Hlaing under universal jurisdiction at the Attorney General’s Office in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 6.
James Shwe, a member of the advocacy groups Free Myanmar and the Los Angeles Myanmar Movement, told DVB that international justice efforts to hold Min Aung Hlaing accountable for crimes committed during his time as senior general of the Myanmar military from 2011-26 will progress rapidly now that he’s ascended to the presidency.
Min Aung Hlaing, 69, was voted president by a pro-military parliament on April 3, which ends his pursuit of Myanmar’s highest civilian office five years after he led the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021 that ousted the democratically elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
Min Aung Hlaing was replaced as commander-in-chief by loyalist Ye Win Oo on March 30. The military drafted 2008 Constitution bars serving military leaders from holding the presidency concurrently.
This case is also under universal jurisdiction for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Chin State since the 2021 coup.
This follows an earlier effort by CHRO and MAP to file the same charges under universal jurisdiction in a court in Manila, Philippines, on Oct. 25, 2023. MAP has two other ongoing cases against Myanmar in the U.K. and Turkey.
The motion by British MPs adds to growing international efforts to pursue justice for the people of Myanmar and hold Min Aung Hlaing accountable for alleged crimes committed by the Myanmar military before and after the 2021 coup.
© Democratic Voice of Burma 2024.
