No role in repatriation of Myanmar refugees, UNHCR states
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the U.N.’s refugee agency, stated on Tuesday that it was not involved in the Malaysian government’s planned repatriation of refugees from Burma, and warned that it remains unsafe for them to return to their country since a 2021 military coup turned into a nationwide armed uprising.
Malaysia’s Home Ministry said that it had finalised the first phase of a voluntary repatriation programme that will see 1,476 refugees returned to Burma on Sept. 29. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had earlier said that Burma had agreed to repatriate 5,000 Rohingya, amid rising tensions over the refugees within local communities in Malaysia.
The UNHCR stated that there could not be a safe, dignified and sustainable voluntary return of refugees to Burma. “UNHCR urges that careful consideration be given to the protection needs of all those concerned before they are returned to Myanmar, and stands ready to engage with relevant authorities on protection safeguards.”
Read the full article on our website
Fortify Rights reports 5 killed near Dawei SEZ
Fortify Rights stated on Monday that at least five civilians, including three humanitarian aid workers, were arbitrarily detained, tortured and killed during a military counteroffensive near the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Yebyu Township, located 14 miles (22 km) north of Tanintharyi Region’s Dawei District, in July.
“The Myanmar military junta is terrorizing civilians while attempting to consolidate control over an area containing one of its most strategically important economic projects, a Russian-backed deep-water port and Special Economic Zone,” said Winter Berry, a communications specialist at Fortify Rights, in a report published on Aug. 31.
The bodies of three aid workers from the Ants Humanitarian Aid Team—a youth-led humanitarian group founded in Tanintharyi in October 2024—and one other “civilian” dressed in a People’s Defence Force (PDF) uniform were discovered at an oil-palm plantation between Yebyu’s Aye Ka Ni and Wa Zun Taw villages on July 20, according to Fortify Rights.
Read the full article on our website
Three children among 8 killed by airstrike in Chin State
At least eight civilians, including three children, were killed and 15 were injured after an airstrike was carried out by the Burma Air Force on Mindat Township, Chin State, on Sunday. An unknown number of homes were destroyed, according to residents. “The victims included two primary school students and a Grade 9 student,” one resident of Mindat told DVB on the condition of anonymity.
The Chin People’s Army (CPA), confirmed that the airstrikes took place on Aug. 30. The CPA was formed on Jan. 12 due to the merger of four resistance forces in southern Chin, including the Chinland Defense Force (CDF)-Mindat, CDF-Kanpetlet, CDF-Matupi and CDF-Daai. It added that a “major” counteroffensive is underway in Mindat, Kanpetlet and Matupi—120 miles (193 km) south of the state capital Hakha.
The CPA added that airstrikes have targeted civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, medical clinics, and religious buildings across southern Chin. Regime forces retook control of Thantlang, located 22 miles (35 km) west of the Hakha, on July 17 following its recapture of Tonzang, located 144 miles (231 km) north of Hakha, and Falam, located 40 miles (64 km) north of Hakha, in May and April.
Read the full article on our website
News by Region
NAYPYIDAW—The LGBTQ+ community has criticized the regime’s Ministry of Information announcement on Friday that it has taken legal action against nine social media accounts for allegedly publishing without a licence and distributing queer literature that “misleads young people’s thinking and emotional understanding.”
A member of the LGBTQ+ community told DVB that the censorship aims to erase queer visibility online. Anyone convicted of publishing books or periodicals without a licence could face a fine up to five million MMK ($1,100 USD) under Section 15 of the Printing and Publishing Enterprises Law. Read the full article on our website
TANINTHARYI—Over 2,000 residents in Tanintharyi Township evacuated their homes after the Tanintharyi River rose above its 24-foot (7.3-meter) danger level on Thursday, marking the second major flood to hit the area in less than a month. Monsoon rain has caused widespread flooding in Burma since late June.
Tanintharyi residents told DVB that five temporary emergency relief shelters have been set up to accommodate them, adding that the flooding began in early August when the Tanintharyi River first breached its critical threshold. Read the full article on our website
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,365 MMK)
Watch Myanmar to accept 5,000 refugees from Malaysia on DVB English News YouTube or Spotify. Listen on Apple, or wherever you get podcasts.
