The brutality of the military regime is well documented, but some of its crimes are more brutal than others. Yesterday the Burmese media reported the murder of Aung Kyaw Kyaw, a volunteer who provided oxygen to Covid patients. He was captured by regime soldiers, tortured (his teeth had been extracted, his legs broken), and then killed. The official cause of his death was “drowning”.
Today we report the death of Naing Linn, a NLD official, who has been shot dead by regime troops, just in front of his wife and his two children aged 5 and 8. This is beyond comprehension.
It is difficult to evaluate the situation, as reports basically only come from the Resistance side, while the regime does not reveal the number of casualties it has suffered or inflicted. But the Resistance seem to be growing and the Tatmadaw (the Burmese army), is certainly under pressure.
There is very little talk about Covid lately, but in reality the pandemic is still killing people. The numbers reported by the Junta are not reliable because only official cases are reported, but as we all know, most people don’t really test for Covid. Many die at home and will never show up in the statistics. The cold season is coming, and the risk of a new wave is very concrete. So please take care everyone!
POLITICS, ECONOMY AND OTHER NEWS
• Myanmar Representative to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun will receive the John McCain Freedom Award 2021. The event is organized by the International Republican Institute (IRI), and prominent republican leaders like Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham will attend. Myanmar is one of the very few topics that gets democrats and republicans to agree. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi received the award in 1999
• The National Unity Government (NUG, the democratic government that opposes the regime) Ministry of Home affairs reported that 1562 regime soldiers have been killed, and 552 injured in the month of September. According to NUG, 3272 regime soldiers have been killed since June. The number of casualties on the Resistance side are unknown (and very rarely released), and are impossible to verify. On the other side, the regime never reports its losses. According to AAPP, 1160 civilians have been killed. The real death toll, that does not account fighters who died in battle, is probably higher.
• Over 100 local administrators have resigned in Sagaing, Magwe and Yangon, after receiving threats by Resistance groups. Local administrators are extremely important for territory control.
• The military regime is sending around 3,000 troops to Sagaing, Magwe and Chin State, where the conflict is intensifying and the Tatmadaw is suffering the most losses. Brigadier General Phyo Thant who was leading operations in Sagaing has been arrested. Some rumors report that he’s been tortured and kill because he was planning to defect and join the Resistance. He has been replaced by Chief of Myanmar Police Lieutenant General Than Hlaing
• Min Aung Hlaing calls for people to pay taxes to the military regime government, just a few days after NUG announced its tax plan.
YANGON
• 30 ward administrators from Kayan and 10 from Thongwa resigned.
MANDALAY
• Mogok: two bomb explosions at the Music Zone KTV lounge, where regime soldiers often go.
• Pyigyidagun: Resistance fighters damaged the railway bridge on the line connecting Mandaly to Pyin Oo Lwin
SAGAING
• Tantse : Resistance fighters attacked and killed around 20 regime soldiers
• Pale and Salingyi: landmine attack by Resistance fighters. An unspecified number of regime soldiers killed
• Myaung Township: regime soldiers raided 3 villages in the area, burnt one house and arrested 6 Buddhist monks
• Kalay: Resistance fighters killed a dozen regime soldiers in two different attacks
• Kalay: the regime sent a convoy of 40 military vehicles, including 2 tanks
KAREN (KAYIN) STATE
• Hpa-An: KNLA kills one regime soldier
• 4 Border Guard Force soldiers (BGF, a pro-military armed group) killed by unidentified armed men.
KACHIN STATE
• Naung Mi village, Tanai: clashes between Kachin Independence Army and regime soldiers
CHIN STATE
• Thantlang: the town has been occupied by regime soldiers. Only 5 residents remained, and regime soldiers are shooting everyone who tries to come back. Myanmar Now reports that a 25 year old man has been shot in the arm while trying to bring food to his disabled sister who could not flee with the rest of the family. Last month in Thantlang a Christian pastor was killed by regime soldiers while trying to help civilians put out a fire.
SHAN STATE
• Pauk Pauk: clashes between the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and regime soldiers. The situation in Shan State is very complex with different ethnic armed organizations fighting between each other and the Tatmadaw as well. Thousands of people have been displaced.
• Lwe Kan Village, Mone Koe: a 50 year old woman was killed by a landmine and one man was injured.
• Kyaukme : 4 men and 2 women, former soldiers of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), have been arrested by the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). There have been numerous reports of forced recruitment and forced taxations by EAOs in Shan State.
ARAKAN (RAKHINE) STATE
• Ousted Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu was sentenced to two years in prison with labor for sedition on Friday. (Source: The Irrawady)
MAGWAY
• Salin: Naing Linn, a NLD official, has been shot dead by regime soldiers in front of his own family, including his wife and two children aged 5 and 8.
• Hnan Khar, Gangaw: regime soldiers raid the village for a fifth time. Two elderly died of exhaustion while trying to flee
TANINTHARYI
• Dawei: over 1,000 residents forced to flee after clashes broke out between Resistance fighters and regime soldiers.
COVID DAILY (real numbers are believed to be much higher than officially reported)
1,866 new cases and 34 new deaths
AAPP Burma update
1160 (+1)civilians killed since February 1st
7146 (+27) still under detention
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