FROM THE DVB NEWSROOM

NUG says dialogue with regime not possible

National Unity Government (NUG) Foreign Minister Zin Mar Aung said that dialogue with the military regime will only buy it more time to find a political solution and worsen violence against the people of Burma. She made the remarks at the NUG Ministry of Foreign Affairs press conference on Aug. 29. 

“I don’t think we should talk about dialogue at this time. You can see how the Burma Army responded to the ASEAN approach on dialogue in two years. They are only focusing on their election. They are not interested in the dialogue that the international community is calling for,” said Zin Mar Aung. Regime spokesperson Zaw Min Tun said on Aug. 22 that the regime would only consider dialogue with the NUG and People’s Defense Force (PDF) if they renounce violence.

Military officers sentenced for opposing regime

A military court in Mingaladon Township handed out maximum sentences to two officers from the Defence Services Medical Academy (DSMA) earlier this month without informing their families of the rulings. Ye Yint Swe was sentenced to death for insulting Min Aung Hlaing. Aung Khant was sentenced to 40 years for allegedly leaking military secrets to resistance groups. “Those officers won’t get any appeals or legal rights,” said an unnamed source close to the military.

Nearly 130,000 displaced due to conflict and floods

Nearly 50,000 people in Kachin State, Sagaing Region, and southeast Burma have become displaced due to armed conflict between Aug. 22-28, states the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). Heavy rainfall and flooding have also forced around 80,000 people in Bago and Tanintharyi regions as well as Karen and Mon states to flee to safer areas. More than 50,000 acres of paddy fields were flooded in northern Arakan State as well. More than 1.9 million people are displaced in Burma, with 1.6 million forced to flee their homes since the 2021 military coup. 

News by Region

BAGO—Two locals, including a child, were killed and four others were injured when an artillery shell fired by the Burma Army hit a village in Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 3 territory, Nyaunglebin district, on Aug. 29. The KNU states that the victims were a mother and daughter from Pyinraygyi village, Shwegyin Township. Shelling reported in a nearby area damaged at least six homes on Aug. 28. 

MANDALAY—A child was killed and a boy lost both of his hands after a landmine detonated near Shwe Pyay village, on Mandalay-Mogok highway in Singu Township on Aug. 28. The Burma Army blocked the road after the explosion. Locals claimed that the Burma Army plants landmines in public areas and claims they were placed there by the PDF. 

NAYPYIDAW—Residents have received notices expressing the need for heightened vigilance due to the potential threat of attacks by the PDF. The regime met with administrators of various wards in Naypyidaw on Aug. 28 to deliver the warning.  

“Locals were warned that shootings may happen at any time,” a Naypyidaw resident told DVB. According to locals, security measures have been increased since Aug. 1. Recent clashes have taken place between the Burma Army and the PDF in Yedashe Township of Bago Region, which is located next to Pyinmana Township in Naypyidaw.

SHAN—Two people, including a military officer, were killed and two were injured in a shootout between a pro-military militia and the Burma Army near a gate at the 105th mile border trade zone in Muse Township on Aug. 29. “They were shooting each other. Lon Htan [pro-military] militias shot at the army that was deployed near 105th mile first,” said a Muse resident. 

Five military personnel, including pro-military militiamen, typically guard the gate, according to a cargo truck driver. Fighting between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Kachin Independence Army (KIO/KIA), and the Burma Army has intensified in Muse Township since Aug. 29. The regime has carried out airstrikes on the area. 

YANGON—Explosions were reported at police stations in Yankin, East Dagon, and South Okkalapa townships on Aug. 29. “Two consecutive explosions occurred, and I don’t know how many casualties there were,” said a Yankin resident. The regime has bolstered security around police stations in response. 

“The sound of the bomb was quite loud. Security has been placed in front of the camp. Even bikes could not pass this morning,” an East Dagon resident told DVB. No group has claimed responsibility for these attacks, and no casualties have been reported so far. 

Read our latest op-ed: The exploitation of Myanmar’s ethnic nationalities and homelands by Moe Gyo.