After weeks with so little international coverage, today Myanmar reappeared on some media with the news of the 5,000 released political prisoners. It’s weird, because it almost sounds like the military regime suddenly became “good” and that all problems have been solved.
It’s hard to explain that in reality there are conflicts in almost all States of Myanmar, people are still being abducted or arrested (or even rearrested: at least 50 of the released prisoners have been arrested again under new charges!), land grabbing is still a huge problem, etc.
Today there have been a few interviews and testimonies from the released prisoners. Hearing them speaking about female detainees being sexually harassed, or seeing pictures of the results of hours of torture, is heartbreaking. Thousands of innocent civilians have been detained for months with no reason given. Many spent months in jail with no charge, no right to have a lawyer, no contact with their families. The Australian Sean Turnell, has been denied the right to have a translator at his trial. A young student has been tortured to death (more than 120 prisoners died this way according to UN sources) and his family was notified only 18 days later. Think about that for a second.
Many have been tortured and deprived of their dignity and human rights. To them, the regime offered no compensation, no apology.
We can’t let this be normal. The regime can’t get away like this again.
POLITICS, ECONOMY AND OTHER NEWS
• Ko Lin Paing Soe, a student-activist, leader of protests in Naypyitaw and Mandalay, was tortured and killed during an interrogation on September 30th, but the family was notified of his death only yesterday. Ko Lin Paing Soe was a Buddhist Gurkha, and a friend says he was tortured because of his ethnicity.
• Some of prisoners released yesterday, were arrested again few hours after walking out of the prison and charged under the terrorism law. 11 of the 38 political prisoners released in Meiktila were rearrested, including NLD members and MP U Lwin Maung Maung (and 4 of them were released a second time according to rumors). 31 prisoners were rearrested in Myingyan, Mandalay
• Interesting article by Anthony Davis. According to the author the Tatmadaw is preparing a massive counterinsurgency operation called Operation Anawrahta (in honor of the Bagan king who united Burma). The Tatmadaw already sent reinforces to key areas where the Resistance has been strong, Chin State, Sagaing, Magway, and would launch the operation once the dry season starts in few days/weeks. Davis draws two scenarios, one in which the regime launches “clearance operations”, similarly to the strategy adopted in Arakan (Rakhine) State in 2017 against the Rohingya. In the second scenario, the regime would adopt the infamous “4 cuts strategy” to isolate the armed Resistance from its key inputs: funding, food, intelligence, and recruits, similarly to what the Tatmadaw did in Karen State. In both cases, the civilian population would pay the highest price. https://asiatimes.com/2021/10/myanmar-military-prepares-an-onslaught-for-the-ages/
• Short interview to Aung Kyaw, a DVB journalist who has been recently released after 8 months of detention. He was a political prisoner during the Than Shwe regime as well and it’s in interesting to read his testimony on the differences between the two eras. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10159733348366108&id=123222101107
• Reuters interviewed the regime’s Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Minister Aung Naing Oo. According to the minister the current crisis has been caused by Covid and the sabotage by the regime’s opposition backed by foreign countries. He also added the the regime’s government requested executives from the Norwegian telecom company Telenor not to leave the country, admitting what Reuters reported in July: the Junta is barring foreign executives of telecom companies from physically leaving the country. Aung Naing Oo said that the Junta wants to have discuss in person with the managers.
• The Central Bank of Myanmar sold 50 million USD at a 1,820 MMK/1 USD rate.
• Frontier Myanmar will suspend its website updates and magazine. Its newsletter will still be active. The current situation in Myanmar is extremely difficult for free and independent media.
YANGON
• Hlaing Thar Yar: explosion at a local administration office. Hlaingtharyar CGF claimed the attack
MANDALAY
• 4 tax offices and the city’s development office have been attacked with bombs.
• Myingyan: 31 released prisoners have been rearrested
SAGAING
• Htigyaing: Resistance fighters attacked a military convoy with landmines, killing 3 soldiers including a major. One week ago 4 Resistance fighters were killed by regime forces during a raid.
• Kawlin: regime soldiers killed in landmine explosions.
• Nabatgyi, Taze: a police station has been burnt down. One soldier killed by a landmine
KAREN (KAYIN) STATE
• KNU reports that 7 regime soldiers have been killed. The military regime have been sending reinforces in Karen State in the past weeks
KACHIN STATE
• Myitkina: regime soldiers are forcing farmers to relocate within 15 days. They destroyed their fields and offered no compensation. Land grabbing is a major problem in Myanmar, especially in ethnic regions.
CHIN STATE
• Ramhtalo village: regime forces fired artillery on the village
KARENNI (KAYAH) STATE
• Demoso: battle between regime forces and KNDF.
SHAN STATE
• Pansai: clashes between MNDAA and regime soldiers
MAGWAY
• Hnan Khar village, Gangaw: thousands of civilians displaced by regime soldiers’ raids, had to flee their temporary shelters due to floods.
• A Deputy Sergeant from an Air Force training base was tortured to death over two days by five colleagues after being found drunk (Source: DVB). His body was dumped in the Ayeyarwady river
• Pauk and Gangaw: risk of floods as heavy rains in Chin State are inundating the rivers
BAGO
• U Yin Su village, Yay Tar Shay: a woman and her husband have been killed by resistance fighters. She was accused of being a military informant
AYEYARWADY
• According to DVB, more than 100 youths, unrelated to Resistance groups, have been arrested in the past week
COVID DAILY (real numbers are believed to be much higher than officially reported)
• 1,133 new cases and 28 new deaths
AAPP Burma update (does not include victims of armed conflicts)
• 1181 (+0) civilians killed since February 1st
• 7190 (-165) still under detention
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