Current Events Related to Myanmar

Conflict

Battle erupts on northern Myanmar university campus

A battle erupted on a university campus in northern Mynamar’s Sagaing region earlier this week as ethnic Kachin and Chin fighters attacked junta troops based on the property, prompting the rebels to detain and eventually evacuate more than 130 civilians trapped in the crossfire, residents and fighters told Radio Free Asia. Fighters from the Kachin Independence Army, the Chin National Front and local People’s Defense Force fighters attacked a junta camp on the Kale University campus on Monday.

Myanmar junta claims yet another victim: jailed reporter's body found buried and riddled with bullets

Myanmar junta claims yet another victim: jailed reporter's body found buried and riddled with bullets Reporters sans frontières

Myanmar army soldiers killed as fighting continues near Shan State capital

Myanmar army soldiers killed as fighting continues near Shan State capital myanmar-now

Myanmar Junta Suffers Disaster in Battle for Rakhine Township: AA

Some 80 reinforcements airlifted to Ramree island killed in three-day battle, says ethnic army.

Arakan Army Seizes Myanmar Junta Police Station Near Rakhine Capital

The rebel group continues to encircle the state capital with fighting reported in Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships.

Junta Gathering Battalions and Tanks for Offensive to Recapture PNLA Resistance Held-Town in Shan State

A military source reported on February 20th that the coup Military Council is amassing forces, alongside preparing tanks and armoured vehicles, in a bid to seize Hsihseng town in southern Shan State. In order to recapture Hsihseng, currently under the control of the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA), the Military Council has mobilized the 49th […]

The post Junta Gathering Battalions and Tanks for Offensive to Recapture PNLA Resistance Held-Town in Shan State appeared first on Shan Herald Agency for News.

34 Houses in Nyaunglebin Reduced to Ashes by Junta Shelling

The 307th Light Infantry Battalion and 264th Infantry Battalion were responsible for the shelling, according to the KNU who stated that dozens of residential houses suffered damage from the firing of over 100 artillery shells spanning a 4-day period. According to the KNU’s statement, on February 21st, arbitrary shelling by the 264th Infantry Battalion stationed …

The post 34 Houses in Nyaunglebin Reduced to Ashes by Junta Shelling appeared first on Karen News.

Crime & Narcotics

Crypto Heist Alert: Myanmar Company Under Probe For Over $100 Million Theft - Report

Crypto Heist Alert: Myanmar Company Under Probe For Over $100 Million Theft - Report Bitcoinist

Myanmar navy seizes 1.5 tonnes of narcotics destined for Malaysia

Myanmar navy seizes 1.5 tonnes of narcotics destined for Malaysia The Star Online

Investigators trace $100 million in crypto payments to Myanmar scam syndicate

Investigators trace $100 million in crypto payments to Myanmar scam syndicate The Record from Recorded Future News

Mind the gap: Organized crime on the rise in Myanmar as resilience wanes - Myanmar

Mind the gap: Organized crime on the rise in Myanmar as resilience wanes - Myanmar ReliefWeb

Over 100 scam gang suspects arrested in Myanmar

Junta troops arrested over 100 people while raiding a casino on the Thai-Myanmar border, locals said on Friday. Junta soldiers and police arrested Myanmar, Thai and Chinese nationals, locals said.

Economy

Ownership of ATOM Myanmar shrouded in mystery after sanctions against its parent company

Ownership of ATOM Myanmar shrouded in mystery after sanctions against its parent company myanmar-now

Ethnic Issues

Ethnic Militias Enjoy Continued Success in Fight Against Burma’s Military Dictatorship

Ethnic Militias Enjoy Continued Success in Fight Against Burma’s Military Dictatorship International Christian Concern

Shan state leader denies nuclear trafficking links

The leader of Myanmar’s ethnic Shan rebel group has denied any connections to the Japanese yakuza leader who was charged in New York with attempting to traffick weapons-grade nuclear materials. According to a post by Tai Freedom, a mouthpiece for the rebel group, Shan state leader Yawd Serk said a “foreigner” had once approached him looking to buy uranium “heard to be available in Shan state.”

Foreign Affairs

Could Myanmar become Beijing’s quagmire?

Could Myanmar become Beijing’s quagmire? The Interpreter

Now is the time to help Myanmar win its battle for democracy

Now is the time to help Myanmar win its battle for democracy The Hill

General News

Passengers Bound for Rakhine State Arrested by Junta at Yangon Airport

Passengers Bound for Rakhine State Arrested by Junta at Yangon Airport Burma News International

‘They have lists of everyone’s names’: Myanmar conscription law unleashes wave of fear

‘They have lists of everyone’s names’: Myanmar conscription law unleashes wave of fear The Guardian

Flag Saluting, Anthem Singing Now Mandatory at International Schools in Myanmar

Junta boss tells nationalist group that the patriotic mandate is intended to counter subversion by young people, says race and religion must be protected.

Two-month travel ban extended in western Myanmar

The Arakan Army launched attacks on Kyaukpyu’s junta naval base on Jan. 8 and 21, leading locals to suggest China should discuss its many upcoming development projects in the area with the ethnic armed group to ensure their continued protection. The ban prevents Rakhine state residents from traveling by water, fishing, and gathering on the township’s shores until Apr. 19.

Fleeing conscription, over 160 Myanmar nationals in custody at Thai borders

Thai officials have arrested 167 people fleeing Myanmar since the country enacted its conscription laws, a migrant assistance organization told Radio Free Asia. From Feb. 12-20, dozens of Myanmar nationals have been arrested in Thailand on its southern and western borders, said Moe Kyo, who runs the Joint Action Committee on Burmese Affairs based in the Thai border town of Mae Sot.

Report: 1,500 arrested in Myanmar since 2022 in social media crackdown

Another social media-related arrest was that of Mandalay resident Khin Maung Chin, who was detained in December 2022 for sharing news articles and critiques of the military written by other Facebook users, a friend of his told RFA. Myanmar junta authorities have arrested and jailed nearly 1,500 people they say posted anti-junta messages on Facebook, TikTok and Telegram over the last two years, research group Data for Myanmar has found.

Military

Myanmar: Mandatory Conscription Signals Junta's Desperation – OpEd

Myanmar: Mandatory Conscription Signals Junta's Desperation – OpEd Eurasia Review

Conscription Graft: Myanmar Military Arrests Scores of ‘Recruits’ in Mandalay

Sources say it is all about money as some youths are released after families give cash to junta soldiers.

Junta troops beat Myanmar man unconscious during interrogation

The youths, from three villages in Ayeyarwady region, were accused of involvement in political activities, residents from Kyonpyaw township said, citing sources close to the police station. Junta troops have arrested at least 10 young people from Myanmar’s delta region, beating one unconscious during questioning, locals told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday.

Rohingya Men in Myanmar Are Being Forcibly Recruited by The Junta’s Military

First group grabbed from IDP camps and villages for two weeks of basic military training. Each Rohingya man gets a sack of rice, a citizenship card and US$ 47 a month to fight the Arakan Army.

‘We will turn the gun on the military’: hiding out against conscription in Myanmar

One potential conscript describes how fear has gripped Yangon as people try to flee ahead of a law imposed by a hated junta The interviewee, 27, lives with his wife and 15-month-old son in an industrial area of Yangon. Until last month he was working in a garment factory. He is among the millions of people who could be conscripted under a law due to be enforced in mid-April by the military junta. He, like many across the country, is desperately searching for a way to escape. The military, which is fighting against anti-coup groups, is widely opposed by the public and has been accused of war crimes against its own people. Two-thirds of the country is gripped by conflict. Continue reading...