The military regime really cares about legitimacy, and the exclusion from the next ASEAN summit really hit Min Aung Hlaing hard, it seems. So hard, that the general seem to want to attend the meeting “by force”. ASEAN leaders (at least the few legitimate ones), should avoid associating with such a psychopath.
I would like to highlight what is happening in Hlaing Thar Yar. In the past week, the regime made it clear that it wants to remove “squatters” from the township. There are over 500,000 people living in slums in Yangon. Many migrated to the city from rural areas in search for a job, especially after cyclone Nargis. But a combination of very low salaries, debts and rents that have skyrocketed, forced thousands of families to find home in these areas in very poor conditions. Many residents pay to buy or rent the land they occupy, but they constantly live in fear of being evicted without any compensation.
Poor family are often forced to move to “clear” the area for new projects. Hlaing Thar Yar is one of the largest industrial zones in the country, and it hosts many garment industries, and many informal settlements. Through the years Hlaing Thar Yar built a “bad reputation” which is probably undeserved. While criminality is certainly present in this township, we should not forget that this is a highly populated area and that (pre-coup) Yangon in general tends to be safer than most big metropolises.
Back in march, anti-coup protests have been very strong here and regime forces carried out violent crackdowns on protesters, killing dozens of them with live ammunition. Martial Law was declared right after 18 protesters had been killed by soldiers on the same day.
Let’s not forget about these brave people.
POLITICS, ECONOMY AND OTHER NEWS
• The military regime claims that according to the ASEAN charter, General Min Aung Hlaing has the right to attend the next summit. ASEAN members agreed to exclude the Burmese coup leader, after his failure to implement the 5 points consensus agreed in April in Jakarta.
• Derek Chollet, counselor of the US Department of State and Singapore officials discussed on ways to use Singapore’s financial leverage against the Burmese generals. “Singapore has significant financial leverage over the [Burmese] regime and we discussed how we can partner effectively to wield that”, he said. Singapore is the most important foreign investor in Myanmar, and many generals and cronies own bank accounts in the island
YANGON
• Botahtaung: a KBZ bank robbed of 300 million Kyats (150,000 USD) by an unidentified group.
• An Air KBZ engineer, Min Min Soe, 34, died under custody in Insein Prison. He was arrested on September 11th for allegedly planning to sabotage planes. He was interrogated for 24 days in Aung Tha Pyay interrogation center. According to the military, he died from kidney and heart conditions.
• Numerous explosion in electricity offices, including in Hlaning Thar Yar, Kamayut, Pyay Road,, South Dagon. Resistance fighters claimed the attack.
• Shanchaung, Hlaing Thar Yar: the military regime is implementing its plan to remove “squatter” settlements. It has ordered residents to leave before October 25th.
• A taxi driver who was allegedly a military informant, has been killed while he was sleeping in his car
MANDALAY
• Ywabo Village, Sint Kaing: bomb attack by local Resistance fighters. The Kyaukse People’s Defence Force (KPDF) claims it has killed at least 10 regime soldiers
SAGAING
• Resistance fighters warn civilians not to travel the Monywa-Ayadaw road
• Latpan Village: landmine attacks killed at least 5 regime soldiers
• Ayadaw and Khin U: regime forces raided the villages killing at least 5 civilians. 2 Resistance fighters bases have been destroyed
• Kani: regime soldiers raided the town shooting indiscriminately and looting civilian properties. A 30 year old civilian was allegedly hit in both legs.
• Kan Daung village, Pale: DVB reports that 2 people have been kidnapped and released by the military after the parents paid a 800 USD ransom
KAREN (KAYIN) STATE
• Thanbyuzayat: 8 bodies in black plastic bags found at the cemetery. They belong to regime soldiers killed during a battle between KNLA and regime forces.
KACHIN STATE
• Momauk: clashes between Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and regime troops
• Momauk: a police seargent and his brother have been abducted by an unidentified group
CHIN STATE
• Resistance fighters blew up a bridge between Hakha and Thantlang, to block regime troops advancing to Thantlang.
KARENNI (KAYAH) STATE
• Pekon: Resistance fighters killed 5 regime soldiers of the 336 LIB, seizing their weapons
• Bawlakhe and Hpruso: clashes between Resistance fighters of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) + Karenni Army (KA) and regime forces. Landmine attacks killed several regime soldiers
• Loikaw: Yesterday’s explosion in front of the University killed 2 regime soldiers
MAGWAY
• Pauk: bomb attack at a Union Solidarity and Development Party office. USDP it’s a pro-military political party, mostly formed by former army officers.
BAGO
• Taungoo: Wai Phyo Thu, has been killed by regime soldiers during an interrogation
TANINTHARYI
• Longlon, Dawei: according to DVB 3 masked gunmen killed 1 man (2 men, according to other sources), and injured 2 at a tea shop.
BANGLADESH
• Growing tensions in Rohingya refugee camps. Seven people have been killed in an attack at an Islamic seminary.
COVID DAILY (real numbers are believed to be much higher than officially reported)
• 925 new cases and 26 new deaths
AAPP Burma update (does not include victims of armed conflicts)
• 1183 (+0) civilians killed since February 1st
• 7036 (+5) still under detention
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