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Year: 2024

Detained blogger sees mother for first time since disappearance from Thailand.

Editor06 mins

A blogger who last year went missing from Thailand and later resurfaced in Vietnamese police custody was finally allowed to meet his mother for the first time since his disappearance, his family told Radio Free Asia. Duong Van Thai, 41, was living in Thailand when he disappeared on April 13 in what many believe was an abduction.  Vietnam has neither confirmed nor denied that he was abducted and taken back to Vietnam, but shortly after his disappearance, authorities announced that they had apprehended him for trying to sneak into the country illegally. On Tuesday afternoon, Thai’s mother Duong Thi Lu, 70, received an unexpected phone call from the police, saying that she would be allowed to see her son the next day at the B14 Detention center in Hanoi’s Thanh Tri district, she told RFA Vietnamese on Friday. On Wednesday morning, she visited the detention center and talked to her son through a thick glass window – the first time she had seen him in nine months. “For about half an hour we talked about his health, the family and our village,” she said. “Police had warned me at the gate not to talk about [problematic] issues.” It’s a rarity that she was allowed to see him while the investigation was ongoing. Abduction  Thai had fled to Thailand in late 2018 or early 2019, fearing political persecution for his many posts and videos that criticized the Vietnamese government and leaders of the Communist Party on Facebook and YouTube.  He had been granted refugee status by the United Nations refugee agency’s office in Bangkok. He was interviewed to resettle in a third country right before his disappearance near his rental home in central Thailand’s Pathum Thani province.   By mid-2023, the Security Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security announced that Thai was under investigation for anti- State charges under Article 117, a vaguely written law that rights organizations say is used to silence dissent.. Health The last time Lu saw Thai in person was when she visited her son in Bangkok one year ago around the Tet holiday, Vietnam’s version of the Lunar New Year. She said that he looks different after his time in custody. ”I could not recognize him because his skin is fairer. When he was in Thailand it was dark,” But he looked very healthy and hasn’t lost a lot of weight.” Duong assured her that in the detention center he was adequately fed and well treated, she said. Regarding the investigation, she said that police did not give any details about it, but encouraged her in a general way.  ”When I was back at the gate, the detention guard said, ‘Be calm. He does not face any problems here. He will soon be at home with you From now until Feb. 20, if there is not any change, we will send you confirmation.’” Lu said that they were not allowed to freely talk, so she did not know her son’s thinking about hiring defense lawyers, and that she was also too old to know how to do anything like that. RFA attempted to contact the Security Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security to inquire about Thai’s case, but the officer in charge refused to respond. Under the Penal Code of Vietnam, the defendants in National Security cases are only allowed to see their family and lawyers when the investigation is complete. Translated by An Nguyen. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.

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Suspected Chinese spy pigeon released after 8-month detention in India

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A pigeon, suspected of being used by China for espionage, has been released after eight months in police custody in Mumbai, according to local media reports.  The falsely-accused bird was released from the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals on Tuesday, said a police officer in India’s most populous city, as cited by the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency on Wednesday. Its current whereabouts are unknown.  The pigeon was caught in May, 2023, at a port in the Chembur suburb of Mumbai with two rings tied to its legs featuring words that appeared to be Chinese, which led the police to suspect it was spying for China, PTI reported. The bird was taken to the animal hospital for custody, until it emerged in January that it was actually an open-water racing pigeon from Taiwan, which had escaped and flown to India, according to the news agency. This was not the first time a pigeon has been detained by the watchful Indian police force. In March, 2023, two suspected spy pigeons were caught in the eastern Odisha state. The first one was found on a fishing boat with devices fitted on its leg which appear to be a camera and a microchip. The two birds are believed to still be under investigation.  Back in 2020, police in Indian-controlled Kashmir captured a bird that belonged to a Pakistani fisherman, but later found that it had simply flown across the border, admittedly without permission. Before that, in 2016, another pigeon was captured after it was found with a note threatening Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Flying spies Throughout history, pigeons have been used by the militaries in many countries for delivering messages and spying. China, for instance, allegedly runs a special military pigeon unit at the Guilin Joint Logistics Support Center in Kunming, Yunnan province, according to media reports. “Today, with all kinds of ways to intercept messages sent by electronic means, terrorists or enemies of a state can use ways that cannot be tapped, such as pigeons,” said Yusuf Unjhawala, an Indian defense analyst as well as a scholar at the Takshashila Institution in Bangalore “The use of animals for military purposes is an old thing, from horses to elephants to pigeons,” said Unjhawala. “Dolphins can also be used to detect underwater mines.” A Taiwanese defense expert, Shen Ming-Shih from the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said racing pigeons have gained such popularity that raising them has become an industry in Taiwan. “Taiwan also uses racing pigeons to send intelligence or deliver messages, despite the advancement of various communication technologies,” Shen told Radio Free Asia. Edited by Taejun Kang and Elaine Chan.

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Hun Manet blames derelict building problem on foreign media

Editor07 mins

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet blamed bad foreign press for the abrupt end to a development boom in the coastal resort of Sihanoukville that has left hundreds of derelict buildings in its wake. “It takes a long time to build a good reputation so that people will want to come to visit Angkor Wat but [this reputation] was destroyed within only six months after a few articles from Al Jazeera,” he said, without elaborating on specifically what the Qatar-based news outlet had reported. In 2019, Al-Jazeera published a scathing piece about crime-ridden casinos in Sihanoukville, and in 2022 it produced a documentary about cyber slaves–people duped into working as scammers, usually in casinos–after they were promised high-paying jobs.  Hun Manet’s remarks came at a forum to promote investment in Sihanoukville, where according to data by the Ministry of Finance there are 362 so-called “ghost buildings” – hotels, restaurants or casinos funded by Chinese investors who pulled out before construction was completed. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet blames bad foreign press for the abrupt end to a development boom in the coastal resort of Sihanoukville. (RFA) Hun Manet unveiled a plan to deal with the problem, which would allow special visas and tax incentives for investors to purchase the buildings worth more than US$1 million on the condition that they fix and maintain them. “We will consider tax exemptions [for those who buy the ghost buildings and fix them] but we need to set conditions so that they are actually fixing them instead of sitting on them for resale,” Hun Manet said. He said the government will also make Sihanoukville more attractive by introducing duty free zones, investing in infrastructure and fostering the creation of resorts and other services for tourists. And to prevent further bad press, Sihanoukville province should do more to prevent crime. The Cambodian government seeks to promote investment in Sihanoukville, where according to data, there are 362 so-called “ghost buildings” – hotels, restaurants or casinos funded by Chinese investors who pulled out before construction was completed. (RFA) Minister of Finance Aun Pornmoniroth told the forum that Cambodia needed US$1.1 billion to take care of the ghost building problem.  “Back in 2016 investment in Sihanoukville was booming, especially in construction of restaurants, hotels and shops, but since 2019, due to the financial crisis and COVID-19 everything stopped,” he explained.  In addition to the 362 ghost buildings there are an additional 176 buildings that are complete, but are not being used, he said. Concerning incentives The new incentives might bring more casinos to Sihanoukville concerns Cheap Sotheary, the provincial coordinator for theCambodian Human Rights and Development Association.  He told RFA Khmer that the province would have to deal with more crime, drugs and human trafficking unless it seeks out other kinds of investment. “[Casinos] bring in gamblers through and sell drugs, alcohol and sex,” she said. “People don’t want to see this kind of investment.” Social and political commentator Por Makara said corruption has scared away Western investors.  New economic incentives might bring more casinos to Sihanoukville, which brings concerns about crime that may come along with gambling. (RFA) “The ghost building situation will worsen because only Chinese investors … will be willing to deal with all the corruption,” he said. “European and American investors don’t want to be involved with human rights abuses.”  Political commentator Kim Sok told RFA that the government’s incentives would not attract good businesspeople to invest in the restoration of ghost buildings in Sihanoukville. He said that the main reason why Cambodia lacks good businessmen now is because the legal system is trampled by powerful people, corruption and crime. “Hun Manet’s incentives won’t help the national or local economy but are only good for money laundering. Good investors won’t invest in those buildings,” he said. The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday said in a report that Cambodia is on a “recovery trajectory post-pandemic.” The country’s GDP grew 5.2% in 2022 and is projected to grow 5.3% in 2023, “fueled by a resurgence in tourism,” which saw gains due to the 2023 South-East Asia Games. Translated by Samean Yun. Edited by Eugene Whong.

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January sees 23 landmine injuries in Myanmar

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Landmines have killed one and injured 22 others across Myanmar’s north in January alone, locals told Radio Free Asia Thursday.  One woman is dead and most of the injured have lost limbs during the explosions in northern Shan state, social aid organizations said.  A 36-year-old man from Namtu township’s Hko Hpeik village was sent to Lashio Hospital after being hit by a landmine on Tuesday. He was struck while cutting bamboo, said neighbors and residents who transported him to the hospital.  “He went to cut bamboo in the north of the village. One of his legs was amputated and he was sent to Lashio,” he told RFA on Thursday, asking to remain anonymous to protect his identity. On Monday, a 29-year-old man had his leg amputated after stepping on a landmine. He was cutting wood in a forest of Muse township, said a Muse resident who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons. In Namhkam township, a woman was killed by a landmine on Jan.18 on her way to a farm, according to data compiled by RFA. Five women and 17 men were injured by landmines across seven townships, including Lashio, Hsipaw, Manton, and Kokang region. The highest number of people injured were from Muse, according to compiled data. The number of people injured by landmines was the highest in areas where the fighting between the military junta and the Three Brotherhood Alliance was intense, those living in northern Shan state said. However, residents could not confirm which group had planted the mines. Neither the military nor the Three Brotherhood Alliance has released any information regarding deaths and injuries from landmine blasts. Nationwide, 168 out of 330 townships are at risk of death or injury by landmines, compared to 100 in 2020, according to the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor’s report released on Dec. 28, 2023. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.

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Suu Kyi’s son receives 1st letter from her since Myanmar coup

Editor013 mins

In mid-January, Kim Aris received a letter from his mother, Aung San Suu Kyi, the former de facto leader of Myanmar and Nobel laureate who is serving a 27-year prison sentence.  It was the first public communication from her since late 2022, when the junta barred her legal team from visiting her in prison, and the first time he had heard from her since before the Feb. 1, 2021, coup d’etat that removed the democratically elected government from power. After the coup, the ruling junta sentenced Suu Kyi to 33 years in prison on 19 charges, including corruption. In August, her sentence was reduced to 27 years after she was pardoned for five cases. Suu Kyi, 78, is suffering from medical and dental problems, including gingivitis, sources have told Radio Free Asia, but the junta has denied her outside medical treatment. On Jan. 21, Myanmar’s Supreme Court ordered the auction of her family lakeside villa in Yangon, where she spent more than 15 years under house arrest. The starting price is US$90 million. There is a decades-long ownership dispute between Suu Kyi and her estranged older brother, Aung San Oo, who says the house is his. Last year, Aris, 47, who is based in the United Kingdom, began a new campaign to free her by trying to draw worldwide attention to her incarceration. In an exclusive interview, RFA Burmese reporter Soe San Aung spoke with Aris. The content has been edited for length and clarity. RFA: What is your reaction to the junta’s plans to auction off your mother’s house at 54 University Avenue Road in Yangon?  Aris: I was sorry to hear that. This auction is going to go ahead. I know my mother was wanting to use that property for her charities in the future, but at the moment she has no say in what’s happening since she’s locked up, and she’s not even allowed to see her lawyers. So, I know that in the past, she has contested my uncle’s claim on the property, and I know that she would still do so if she had freedom. RFA: How was Suu Kyi planning to use the property for charities? Aris: I don’t know exactly what she was going to use it for, but she set up the charity in her mother’s name, the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation. I knew it was going to be used for that, but I believe the military has stripped her of all the assets that she has built up for those various charities. So, I don’t know what’s going to happen there. Aung San Suu Kyi and her son Kim Aris, left, at the airport in Bagan before flying back to Yangon on July 8, 2011. (Soe Than Win/AFP) RFA: Can you recall any memories you have of the house? Aris: I have many memories of that house going back to before my grandmother died. And then, obviously, I was there when my grandmother was dying and for her funeral. When [my mother] was first put under house arrest, I was there as well. And I’ve been back since she was freed from house arrest. So, I have good memories of that house.  Even though some of those memories may not sound that good, they’re good memories for me. For instance, being with her when she was put under house arrest. It may not sound like a particularly good time, and it wasn’t a good time, but it’s still a good memory for me. Aung San Suu Kyi’s family home is seen on the banks of Inya Lake in Yangon, Nov. 12, 2010. (Reuters) RFA: Have you heard anything about the care package that you sent to your mother last year? Aris: I sent a care package last year when we heard that she was not well, and I was given the go-ahead to send a care package. She finally received that at the end of last year, and I received a letter back from her this month. This is the first I have heard from her since before the coup. RFA: What did the letter say? Aris: It’s just to do with family and to say that the care package arrived safely. There’s really very little to say. It’s just sending love to the rest of the family and saying that she’s in good spirits. Her spirit is strong, even if her health is not as good as it was in the past. RFA: Has the junta contacted you about your request to meet with your mother? Aris: No, they haven’t contacted me at all. I’m still trying to have contact with her regularly, hopefully. But, so far we have only managed to have this one communication. Aung San Suu Kyi holds the hand of her younger son Kim Aris after his arrival at Yangon airport on Nov. 23, 2010. (Soe Than Win/AFP) RFA: Is she in good health? Aris: I believe she is in reasonable health. I think she has ongoing issues with her teeth and with problems with her neck as well. So, I know she has some of the ongoing health concerns. RFA: How did you get the letter? Aris: Through the British Foreign Office. RFA: When did you receive it? The date when I got the letter was about two weeks ago, so in mid-January. RFA: What was written in Aung San Suu Kyi’s handwriting? Aris: Yes, it was photocopied, and they emailed me the photocopy. I now have the hard copy in my hands as well. RFA: It’s almost been three years since the military coup d’état and the subsequent fighting between junta and resistance forces and ethnic armies. Where’s this heading? Aris: Well, I hope that the fighting will stop. It’s been going on for far too long as it is. I know that my mother would be desperately sad to see the situation the country is in at the moment. It’s very hard to say from the outside. It’s very hard to see…

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Myanmar arrests alleged Chinese scammers, former MP

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Police in northern Myanmar have arrested 10 phone and internet fraud suspects and sent them to China, the Chinese embassy in Yangon announced.  Six of those arrested on Tuesday night are accused of being ringleaders of the scam operation, the embassy’s statement said.  They include Bai Suocheng, a former chairman of Myanmar’s Kokang region, his son Bai Yingcang, Wai Huairen, Liu Zhengxiang, Liu Zhengmauk and Xu Laofa. They have since been handed over to China, the embassy said.  Bai Suocheng and his son were among 10 people named in arrest warrants issued on Dec. 10 by China’s Ministry of Public Security. Bai Suocheng is a former member of parliament for the junta’s Union Solidarity and Development Party and a close friend of regime leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, according to political analyst Than Soe Naing, who added that Suocheng was trusted by the junta. “Bai Suocheng was mainly working on scamming businesses in Kokang’s economy and China demanded his arrest when this scamming increased. The junta had to carry it out,” he told Radio Free Asia.  “When China issued a warrant, the military junta immediately brought him back to Naypyidaw and gave him security. However, China intervened to stop the fighting in the northern Shan state, so the junta could not deny them and gave China what they wanted.” The Chinese embassy statement called the operation “another significant success in law enforcement cooperation between China and Myanmar.” On Jan. 23, more than 1,000 Chinese nationals were arrested in Shan state’s Namhsan for alleged connection to scam centers. About 44,000 people suspected of committing crimes have been handed over to China as a result of joint police action against online fraud in northern Myanmar, the statement continued. This number includes investors and gang leaders. As of Wednesday, the military had not released any information on the joint operation. RFA contacted regime spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, but he did not respond by the time of publication. Translated by RFA  Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.

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Chinese activists transiting at Taipei airport say they’re seeking asylum

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Three Chinese nationals who fled to Thailand in November and arrived at Taipei’s airport on Tuesday told Radio Free Asia they fear arrest if they return to Beijing and are planning to seek assistance from the Taiwanese government to move to a third country. Tian Yongde, Wei Yani and Huang Xingxing all obtained United Nations temporary refugee cards in Bangkok after traveling there in November. All three arrived in Taiwan on a flight from Kuala Lumpur and had tickets to board another flight to Beijing.  But in an interview with RFA late Tuesday, Tian Yongde said the three were instead preparing to pass through a security checkpoint at Taoyuan Airport in order to stay in Taiwan. “I hope the Taiwan government will give me some time and let me wait here,” he said. “Taiwan is recognized for its high quality, and it is safe and secure to wait for a U.S. visa in Taiwan.” Tian, 52, said authorities began keeping tabs on him in 2005 when he visited the home of Zhao Ziyang, China’s former prime minister who was removed from power in the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre and kept under house arrest for 16 years. After that, Tian was unable to work and was summoned by police many times for writing articles or participating in “group incidents.”  RFA was not immediately able to verify the account of Tian and his traveling companions, but they forwarded images of the identification cards provided to them by the U.N. refugee agency. “I was arrested twice for ‘subversion of state power’ in 2009 and 2011,” Tian said. “The first time, I gave materials to petitioners, and I was said to be illegally holding state secrets.” The other two people – 53-year-old Wei Yani and 17-year-old Huang Xingxing – are mother and son. They are unrelated to Tian, and only met him once they arrived in late November in Thailand. They eventually made plans to travel together. ‘Unsafe in Thailand’ Wei said she was imprisoned four times in China for a total of 10 years for petitioning for basic rights for herself and for friends. Authorities accused her of “picking quarrels and provoking troubles” and “subverting state power,” she told RFA. She said she had trouble finding work after she was released from prison in June, and also had one more criminal trial pending. “So I borrowed money from others to apply for a refugee certificate with my son,” she told RFA. “I just want to be able to move on from here [Taiwan] through media appeals.” Tian recorded a video at Taoyuan Airport in which he said he feels more safe in Taiwan than in Thailand, where authorities have recently sent a number of prominent activists and dissidents back to China. “Hello everyone, I am Tian Yongde,” he said in the video. “Because I feel unsafe in Thailand, when I came to Taiwan, which feels relatively safe, my purpose is to go to the United States.” Wei said she and her son will seek asylum in the United States or the Netherlands if they are allowed to stay in Taiwan. In the future, she would like to help Chinese people petition for complaints. “I still have more things to do,” Wei said, referring to her previous work with writing and gathering petitions.  The Taiwan Immigration Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by RFA on the three Chinese nationals. Edited by Chen Meihua, He Ping and Matt Reed.

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Karen army claims 5 dead after junta helicopter crash

Editor04 mins

The Karen National Liberation Army shot down a junta aircraft, killing soldiers onboard, a member of the ethnic force told Radio Free Asia. The group shot a helicopter down in Kayin state while it was enroute to a battalion based in Myawaddy, near the Thai border, he said, asking to remain nameless for fear of reprisals.  “Two helicopters flew in at around 2:30 p.m. today,” the Karen National Liberation Army member told RFA on Monday. “They were targeted and shot with heavy weapons, missiles, drones, and cannons at the same time while they were landing.” The Karen National Liberation Army and other allied forces killed five junta officers on board.  The aircraft were a Eurocopter-356 flying alongside an Mi-35 attack helicopter, he said, adding that the Eurocopter was destroyed during the attack.The Mi-35 went back to the Mawlamyine-based Southeast Military Regional Command headquarters. “It was fired at with a 0.5 [heavy machine gun] from Asia Road. We still don’t know if it was hit or not,” he said. The five killed included three majors, a captain, and Brig. Gen. Aye Min Naung, the Karen National Union announced on Monday night, adding that another onboard the helicopter was also injured.  Karen National Liberation Army joint forces are seen in an undated photo. (Karen National Liberation Army) RFA contacted Karen National Union spokesperson Padoh Saw Taw Nee by phone for information on injured persons, but calls went unanswered.  As of Tuesday afternoon, the military junta had yet to issue a statement confirming the attack.  Apart from Aye Min Naung the commander of the 44th Light Infantry, Col. Soe Tun Lwin, acting commander of Light Infantry Battalion 9, and pilot Col. Toe Oo were among the dead, according to military sources quoted by The Irrawaddy website. Kayin state junta spokesperson Saw Khin Maung Myint told RFA he was not aware of the incident.  A downed jet from the battle of Nam Hpat Kar in a picture released on Jan. 25, 2024. (Citizen Journalist) On Jan. 3, the Kachin Independence Army reported they shot down a military helicopter that was delivering rations to Nar Hpawt military camp in Waingmaw township, Kachin state. The group said the attack destroyed the helicopter and killed the regime soldiers on board. The Kachin Independence Army also claimed to have shot down a junta fighter jet on Jan. 16 near Nam Hpat Kar village in Kutkai township in northern Shan state. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.

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Myanmar junta sentences nearly 400 women in 3 years since coup

Editor08 mins

Nearly 400 women in Myanmar have been sentenced to prison, some for more than 20 years – or even death – for political offenses in the three years since the coup, a report by the Burmese Women’s Union said. The report included high-profile women including ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and documentary filmmaker Shin Daewe among the 398 women sentenced by the junta, which took control of the country on Feb. 1, 2021. The most recent high profile sentencing occurred on Jan. 10, when journalist and film director Shin Daewe, 50, got life in prison for ordering a drone online. When she went to pick up the drone on Oct. 15, junta soldiers arrested her on terrorism charges. “She is a filmmaker, and she makes films. She bought the things she needed. I can’t understand how it was connected to terrorism,” Myint Thu, told RFA Burmese.  Being shut up in prison will keep her from family and from making more films. “It will be a loss for her, the family and the community,” he said. “I just want my sister to come back home.”   Most of the women were convicted under two laws: Section 50 (j), a counter-terrorism law, and Section 505 (a), a Burmese Woman’s Union, or BWU, official told RFA. The latter law was added to the penal code to the junta after the coup, and it can be used to punish comments or implications that the coup or the military is illegitimate, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch. Nearly 400 women, including documentary filmmaker Shin Daewe, have been sentenced to prison or death during three years of the military coup, according to Burmese Women’s Union. Here is Shin Daewe speaking at the Wathan Film Festival in 2014. (Courtesy of Wathann Film Festival) “Some were sentenced to 40 years in prison for contacting and donating to the resistance forces,” the official said, asking not to to be identified for fear of reprisal. The junta also used Section 121 on high treason, the most popular legal provision being used to charge politicians; and section 124 on incitement to riot to charge the 398 women. The junta also outlawed bail after taking charge and has arrested more than 20,000 people, including more than 5,000 women since, mostly for political offenses.  According to the records compiled by the BWU, of those arrested women, 39 were sentenced to life in prison and 16 face the death penalty.   Additionally, two received sentences between 45 to 65 years, seven between 30 and 45 years, 27 between 20 and 30 years, 105 between 10 and 20 years, 205 between five to 10 years, 315 between one and five years, and two under one year.  Martial law The junta has imposed a number of martial law areas throughout the country, and most of those arrested were tried and sentenced in military courts.  According to martial law, political offenses can be given the death penalty, indefinite imprisonment with hard labor, or maximum punishment under the respective charges.  An official from the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, or AAPP, commented that the military council has purposely cracked down on women who had been participating in anti-regime peaceful protests that have been ongoing since  just after the coup. “Why are political prisoners sentenced to long-term prison terms? The main reason is hatred,” the official said. “It’s quite clear about the junta. To be frank, they want to kill the people who are against them.”  Though many of the people arrested and unfairly sentenced are men, women are participating in anti-junta movements at a very high rate, he said. “We see women side-by-side with men and against the regime in all ways. The regime hates it very much,” the official said. “They crack down on women unjustly because they hate them so much. It seems like they are taking revenge.” He added that the junta filed charges as they pleased, and when imposing sentences, the judges themselves were only making orders according to the instructions from the junta. But the junta’s spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun told RFA in 2022 that only those who are guilty are punished in accordance with law. However, he also said that a person who just donated a single kyat to any anti-junta cause could face imprisonment of at least 10 years or even the death penalty under the counter-terrorism laws. According to Aung Myo Min, the human rights minister for the shadow National Unity Government, made up of former lawmakers ousted by the coup, the military courts deprive people of their right to defend themselves. “Does a person get his or her legal rights during this kind of legal process, court hearings and passing judgements? I’m sure they won’t get it,” he said. “The military courts have no independence. You don’t have the right to call witnesses or the right to defend. If you look at it, if a person is unjustly arrested, his or her legal rights are denied.” Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.  

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Karenni resistance group claims victory in Myanmar’s northeast

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The Karenni Nationalities Defense Force captured a mineral-rich city in northeast Myanmar, the group announced, saying most junta troops fled from checkpoints and camps on Friday, two days before the ethnic army moved in.  Karenni troops captured Mawchee city in Kayah state on Sunday with no subsequent battle, a spokesperson told Radio Free Asia. The city in Hpasawng township is home to one of the world’s largest tin ore and tungsten mines. “The entire city of Mawchee has been captured and controlled by the Karenni revolutionary forces,” he said. “The military junta camps in Mawchee are in a state of retreat. We learned that junta troops retreated around the night of Jan. 26.” Because there was no battle, residents did not have to flee, he added. Banyar, the director of the Karenni Human Rights Group, said residents had been warned that if the junta abandoned camps in towns and villages, it often bombarded them with aerial and artillery attacks. “The junta army always does two things when they abandon these towns and villages. One is to burn the villages and the other is to shoot and destroy them with heavy weapons and airstrikes,” he told RFA on Sunday. “We are worried about that. People are well aware of this situation and they are making the necessary arrangements.” RFA has not been able to contact residents of Mawchee because phone and internet access have been cut off. RFA called Kayah state’s junta spokesperson Myint Kyi to learn more about the situation, but calls went unanswered on Sunday. Karenni joint forces have been carrying out Operation 1111 since Nov. 11, 2023. As part of the operation, the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force formed alliances with the Karenni Army, Urban Guerrilla Forces, and People’s Defense Forces from Loikaw, Moebye, and Demoso in Kayah and southern Shan state. Together, the joint forces have been carrying out attacks on junta camps. Since Nov. 11, the forces have captured 20 camps in Loikaw, Demoso, and Moebye, according to a Karenni Nationalities Defense Forces statement on Jan. 28. Battles to occupy cities are likely to continue this year, according to political analyst Than Soe Naing. “People are worried about the ceasefire in northern Shan state [breaking down]. Although it seems like the [military] movement in other areas across Myanmar will be calm, the Kachin Independence Army has captured Mabein city [in Shan state],” he said. “As for Rakhine state, Pauktaw has been completely seized. So the developments of the spring revolution and its momentum continue.” The Three Brotherhood Alliance and junta signed a ceasefire on Jan. 11 under Chinese pressure during a meeting in Kunming to end clashes over territory in northern Shan state. However, other ethnic armed groups have continued fighting elsewhere in the country, forcing junta troops to abandon five cities nationwide. Junta tanks seized by the Arakan Army at junta camps in Paletwa township on Jan. 18, 2024. (Arakan Army Military Desk) Shan state’s Mabein, Chin state’s Paletwa, Rakhine state’s Pauktaw, and Kayah state’s Ywar Thit and Mawchee have all been captured since the ceasefire was announced. According to data compiled by RFA, ethnic armed groups and People’s Defense Forces have attacked and seized 36 cities across the country from the military junta since October 2023. Junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said Friday that groups should not take up arms and ignore the law in demanding self-determination, self-governance, and the establishment of self-administered regions. He told a meeting of the junta’s stability, law, and order committee these rights can only be given with the approval of parliament. It has been nearly three years since the junta seized power from a democratically elected government in a Feb. 1, 2021 coup. The junta has repeatedly delayed plans to call national elections. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.

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Investigative Journalism Reportika © March 2022 by Ij-Reportika is licensed under CC BY 4.0