Over 300 military personnel repatriated from China
More than 300 pro-regime personnel who fled into China during fighting with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kanpaikti, were repatriated via northern Shan State’s border town of Muse on Saturday. Kanpaikti is in Waingmaw Township, located along the Burma-China border 259 miles (416 km) north of Muse and 78 miles east (126 km) of the Kachin State capital Myitkyina.
“We saw a long line of vehicles in Muse on Saturday night that the Chinese authorities used to transport military personnel who fled from Kanpaikti to China. The People’s Liberation Army provided security during the repatriation route which was conducted through Kyalgaung border gate,” a Muse resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity.
The KIA seized control of Kanpaikti from the Kachin Border Guard Force (BGF) on Nov. 20. It now controls all of Kachin Special Region 1, which is a hub for Burma’s lucrative rare earth mining reportedly worth $1.4 billion USD last year. Rare earth elements are vital components used in electronics, including batteries, cameras and computer chips. Pangwa, the capital of the region, was seized by the KIA on Oct. 19.
Political prisoner dies at hospital after release
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) stated that long-time pro-democracy campaigner Sein Linn (aka Ah Ngal Lay) died at Mandalay Hospital on Nov. 20 – one day after his transfer from Obo Prison. This makes him the 108th political prisoner to die in custody, or shortly after his release from prison, since the 2021 military coup.
Sein Linn was convicted under Sections 52(a) and 51(c) of the Counter-Terrorism Law in 2022 and sentenced to 17 years in prison, where AAPP noted that he did “not receive adequate medical care.” He had previously served 20 years in prison for his role in the 1988 pro-democratic uprising in Burma, as well as the 1998 protests.
Sein Linn was a candidate for the People’s Party in the 2020 election. His death follows that of two other prominent political prisoners. Mandalay Chief Minister and National League for Democracy (NLD) party vice chair Zaw Myint Maung died on Oct. 7 and the NLD Electricity and Energy Minister Win Khaing died on Nov. 8. Both had been released from prison for medical treatment.
Over 650 children killed or injured in Burma this year, UN states
At least 650 children have been either killed or injured so far this year in Burma, according to the U.N. International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). It added that children account for 32 percent of all civilian casualties from landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO).
“Myanmar’s humanitarian crisis has reached a critical point, with intensifying conflict and climate impacts putting children and families at unprecedented risk,” said Ted Chaiban, the UNICEF deputy executive director, in a report released on Nov. 21.
The U.N. added that children make up nearly 40 percent of the population of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Burma. There are now over 3.4 million IDPs nationwide, according to the U.N. An airstrike on a Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) church compound killed seven children on Nov. 15.
News by Region
ARAKAN—The Arakan Army (AA) Humanitarian Development Coordination Office (HDCO) stated that 132 children have been killed and 407 have been injured in Arakan State since Nov. 13, 2023. Most casualties were caused by drones and airstrikes. The AA called on the military regime to “take responsibility and accountability for its reckless actions.”
“We live in constant fear, wondering when we might die, when an airstrike might take our lives,” a resident of Kyauktaw, which is under the control of the AA, told DVB on the condition of anonymity. A total of 735 civilians have been killed and 1,529 have been injured by pro-regime forces since the AA launched its latest offensive against the military, it added.
MANDALAY—The regime announced on Thursday that it had seized more than five million ecstasy pills, 412 kilos of methamphetamine, 150 kilos of heroin, and at least three tons of controlled chemical caffeine valued at $12.8 million USD. It claimed 21 drug trafficking suspects were arrested across Mandalay and Sagaing regions.
Regime media reported that the drug shipment originated in southern Shan State and was transported to Mandalay before being stored in Kale Township of Sagaing Region on its way to the India-Burma border, where the drugs were reportedly to be handed to international drug traffickers.
Two civilians were killed and three were injured by airstrikes in three villages of Madaya Township, located 23 miles (37 km) north of Mandalay, on Friday. The People’s Defense Force (PDF) claimed that two fighter jets dropped 11 bombs and that over 20 of its members suffered from difficulty breathing following the airstrikes.
“Our comrades felt dizzy and vomited for the whole night and next day after the attack,” a Madaya PDF medic team leader told DVB. He added that 100 civilian residents also felt sick. Fighting between the military and the PDF began in Madaya on Sept. 21.
SHAN—The Kyinsankyawt-Wanting border gate in the 105 Mile Muse Trade Zone, located on the China-Burma border in northern Shan State, was reopened on Thursday. The Brotherhood Alliance, led by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), seized control of the gate located 102 miles (164 km) north of Lashio, on Nov. 25, 2023.
“The Kyinsankyawt gate has opened since Nov. 21. However, the Chinese side isn’t letting goods out yet. Corn and charcoal are being allowed in from the Burma side,” a Muse trader told DVB. Chinese authorities closed the gate in July, and Muse residents said that it might close again after goods are transported into China. The border gate in Pansai [Kyukoke], which is 17 miles (27 km) northeast of Muse, has also been partially reopened, with small vehicles being allowed to pass through.
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