The frequent and prolonged blackouts are making life even more difficult in Myanmar. People rely on electricity for domestic water, for cooking. Long queues of people have been spotted in Yangon, while they were collecting water.
On top of this the military regime is pressuring Myanmar citizens to pay the electricity bills. In many villages and wards, regime authorities cut off electricity and confiscate electricity meters to those who fail to do so. Since February 2021 millions of people have been refusing to pay the bills as part of the Civil Disobedience Movement against the military coup. For many families it’s also difficult to pay, due to the economic crisis.
Blackouts are obviously damaging business as well.
Fuel prices are soaring and electricity generators are expensive/hard to find. For many this is a jump back to decades ago. The military dictatorship always kept Myanmar hostage of the ineptitude and evil of the generals. Let’s not forget that even ignoring these blackouts, millions of people in Myanmar still live without electricity completely.
On the international front, we have India, who claimed a “no-interference” policy regarding Myanmar, selling fuel to the Burmese military. ASEAN, which excluded the Burmese military from the last major meetings, invited a military delegation to at the ASEANAPOL Conference (an Interpol for ASEAN countries), and appointed Police Colonel Zaw Lin Tun of the Myanmar Police Force as Executive Director of the ASEAN Police Secretariat. The UK is pressuring the former Burmese ambassador in London, to leave, due to pressures from the junta (!). The EU Parliament condemned the military coup once again, but besides sanctions, it’s doing too little to help the democratic movement in Burma. The Japanese special envoy to Myanmar held some peace talks with regime representatives and some ethnic armed groups in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Karen National Union (KNU) was present, but many other major EAOs involved in the conflict against the military regime were absent. Most believe that peace talks with the military regime are useless.
POLITICS, ECONOMY AND OTHER NEWS
• Chiang Mai, Thailand: the Japanese special envoy for national reconciliation in Myanmar Yohei Sasakawa met with two military regime-related peace brokers, U Hla Maung Shwe and U Aung Naing Oo. The Japanese envoy also met separately with some Ethnic Armed Organizations representatives of the Karen National Union, Restoration Council of Shan State, New Mon State Party, Pa-O National Liberation Council and Karenni National Progressive Party. Other major EAOs did not attend (Source: The Irrawaddy)
• According to the Chindwin News Agency, India is sending a huge convoy transporting petroleum and fuel to the Myanmar Army
• The EU Parliament adopted a resolution on Myanmar, again condemning the military coup.
• Pro-democracy activist Ko Mya Aye received a 2-years imprisonment sentence on his 56th birthday. He is accused of incitement for a 2014 email about his work with ethnic armed groups and about federalism found on his phone.
• Journalist Than Htaik Aung (Mizzima) has been charged with incitement, after more than one year of detention.
• Former Mandalay Region Chief Minister Zaw Myint Maung charged with five counts of corruption
• Reuters reports that UK urges ex-Myanmar ambassador to leave London home citing junta ‘pressure’. The former ambassador, Kyaw Zwar Minn was locked out of his embassy last April by his own staff after calling for the release of Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
• The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) appointed Police Colonel Zaw Lin Tun of the Myanmar Police Force as Executive Director of the ASEAN Police Secretariat at the 40th ASEANAPOL Conference (Source: Mizzima)
• The Myanmar Army killed over 120 children since the 2021 military coup. 10 children were killed in the past week alone.
SAGAING
• Chaung U: Resistance fighters claim to have killed nearly 40 Pyu Saw Htee (a pro-military militia) in Kangyigone village
• Taungkone village burned by regime troops
KARENNI (KAYAH) STATE
• Demoso: a teacher who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement, a Resistance fighter and a Free Burma Ranger member have been killed during a battle against regime soldiers. The military regime launched an airstrike hitting a Catholic nunnery and civilian houses
KAREN (KAYIN) STATE
• Lay Kay Kaw: the battle between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Burmese army continues. 5 regime soldiers were killed
• Thandaunggyi: 3 soldiers killed and 7 injured in a landmine attack
MANDALAY
• Myitnge: regime’s authorities are demolishing hundreds of houses, targeting railways workers who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement.
MAGWAY
• Saw: at least 15 soldiers were killed by Resistance fighters in the last 2 days
ARAKAN (RAKHINE) STATE
• Sittwe: the military regime demolished houses near Sittwe Cemetery without notice, leaving around 800 civilians homeless
• The chair of one of Rakhine’s most prominent political forces, the Arakan National Party (ANP), has suggested some of the party’s top leaders are not fit to continue in their roles after one joined the military council and another became a negotiator for a rebel group. (Source: Myanmar Now)
BAGO
• Waw: a police officer shot dead in front of the police station
• Bago: a man named Zar Ni Lin died on 7 March during an interrogation. Zar Ni Lin was a former member of the NLD party. He was arrested on March 5th (Source: Mizzima)
AYEYARWADY
• Bogalay township: 14 local administrators forced to resign by the military regime for unknown reasons.
YANGON
• Thanlyin: 2 military informants killed on Thanlyin bridge
TANINTHARYI
• Myeik: Prime Minister Myat Ko’s convoy was attacked near Latha village. Some soldiers were injured, but the Minister left unharmed
COVID DAILY (as reported by the military-controlled Ministry of Health. Real figures are believed to be higher than officially reported)
• 942 new cases and 3 new deaths
AAPP Burma daily update (arrests and killings connected to the attempted military coup only, does not include events related to armed conflict). Since February 1st:
• 1,642 killed (+2)
• 12,600 total arrests (+12)
• 1,973 evading warrant (+0)
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