MYANMAR NEWS: 9th FEBRUARY 2022 (eng+ita)
Exactly one year ago during a protest in Naypyidaw, a policeman shot at Mya Thwe Thwe Khine’s head. She was only 19 years old. She died a few days later, becoming the first of too many innocent victims (over 1,500) of the junta.
Up until then, anti-coup protests took place in a festive mood, with funny signboards, costumes and music. Millions of people of any age took it to the streets to show their opposition to the military coup, even though everyone knew what the military was capable of. Memories of 1988 and 2007 were still fresh in the minds of many. Those from ethnic communities experienced the brutality of the Tatmadaw for all of their lives. The fear of history repeating itself was certainly there, but there was also the hope that this time the military would be different, that this last semi-democratic decade, had changed the generals and their soldiers, just like it did with civilian people. But it did not. What the coup revealed, is the deep fracture between a conservative, nationalist, bigot and inept military regime, and a more progressive, open-minded and optimist civil society.
To some extent, the policeman who shot that damn bullet, was the past trying to kill the future. Mya Thwe Thwe Khine, like all the 1,500+ victims, was the future.
One year later, today, the military killed another youth, whose only fault is peacefully protesting by raising three fingers (the protesting salute of the MilkTea Alliance inspired by the Hunger Games) in front of a military vehicle in Yangon. The victim, Ko Kaung Htet Paing, was only 27 years old.
In these 12 months the military did not stop using violence against the people. But in these 12 months the people did not stop opposing the regime either. Many continue to protest, many continue to strike and many others joined the armed resistance. In Insein Prison (Yangon), some political prisoners launched a hunger strike which is currently on its 9th day.
The day will come when the past will be swept away. The future will come, whether the generals want it or not.
May the Revolution succeed
POLITICS, ECONOMY AND OTHER NEWS
• Film director Wyne has been arrested in Yangon today. He had just returned home after one year spent hiding from the junta.
• Pro-democracy activists launched the Black TV Day on Saturday. For one day people will boycott State TV. Since the military junta banned independent TV channels, only military-controlled TV channels spreading propaganda are available.
• Military spokesperson Zaw Min Tun announced that the regime will not send any non-political representative to the ASEAN Foreign Ministries meeting in Phnom Penh (Cambodia), after ASEAN excluded representatives of the military coup.
• Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project reports that Myanmar had nearly 9,000 armed clashes and attacks on civilians in the past year, more than Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and Iraq. Myanmar is also at the top of the list of most violent countries in the world for women in politics
• Myanmar military reports over 1,000 Covid cases for the second day in a row.
SAGAING
• Yinmabin: 22 regime soldiers have been killed by Resistance fighters on Tuesday (Source: The Irrawaddy)
• Khin-U: 6 regime soldiers have been killed by Resistance fighters in Ma Daunggyi village who claim that 2 civilians, father and son, have been killed by the military.
• Pale: 2 Pyu Saw Htee members (a pro-military militia) have been killed by Resistance fighters in Inmahtee.
• Myanmar Now reports that around 17,000 civilians have been displaced by airstrikes led by the military regime last week in Ye-U and Minkin townships.
• Taze: regime soldiers set Pe Chaung village on fire
• Shwebo: regime soldiers set 3 houses on fire in Seikkhon
SHAN STATE
• Kutkai: clashes broke out again between the Kokang Army (MNDAA) and regime troops
KARENNI (KAYAH) STATE
• According to Myanmar Now, internet and phone communications in Karenni State are worsening, as the military regime is cutting off connections in conflict zones. Only military-owned MPT and Mytel connections are sporadically working.
• Loikaw: fighting between Resistance fighters and regime soldiers is intensifying
KAREN (KAYIN) STATE
• Hpa-An: the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) attacked a Border Guard Forces’ (BGF) camp
• Dooplaya: fighting between the KNLA and regime soldiers on the Kya In-Tagay Road
MANDALAY
• Patheingyi : Resistance fighters launched an attack on a military convoy
ARAKAN (RAKHINE) STATE
• Maungdaw: the Arakan Army attacked a vehicle carrying Tatmadaw soldiers, killing 2 civilians (the owner and the driver of the car) in Hpar Wat Chaung. Fighting between the Arakan Army and the Burmese military resumed last week, after more than one year of informal ceasefire, apparently after the Burmese military raided an AA camp.
BAGO
• Ut Pho Township: Resistance fighters killed 3 Pyu Saw Htee (a pro-military militia) members
YANGON
• North Dagon: Ko Kaung Htet Paing (27) has been shot and killed by military soldiers, after raising the 3 fingers salute in front of a military vehicle
MON STATE
• Bilin: the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) attacked a military convoy heading to Union Day celebrations
• Kyaikto: Resistance fighters attacked a military convoy between Ingabo and Moppalin villages, killing 3 soldiers
COVID DAILY (as reported by the military-controlled Ministry of Health. Real figures are believed to be higher than officially reported)
• 1043 new cases and 0 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:
• 1,540 killed (+11)
• 12,059 total arrests (+22)
• 1,974 evading warrant (+0)
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