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Category: Europe

Myanmar junta bombs Rohingya Muslim village killing 41, rescuers say

Editor05 mins

The Myanmar air force has bombed a fishing village in Rakhine state killing 41 civilians and wounding 52, most of them Rohingya Muslims, residents involved in rescue work said on Thursday, in an attack insurgents condemned as a war crime. Military planes bombed Kyauk Ni Maw village on the coast in Ramree township on Wednesday afternoon sparking huge fires that destroyed about 600 homes, residents said, sending clouds of black smoke up over the sea. The area is under the control of anti-junta Arakan Army, or AA, insurgents but a spokesman said no fighting was going on there at the time of the air raid. “The targeting of innocent people where there is no fighting is a very despicable and cowardly act … as well as a blatant war crime,” AA spokesman Khaing Thu Kha told Radio Free Asia. Villagers survey ruins in Kyauk Ni Maw village in Rakhine state after a Myanmar air force raid on Jan. 8, 2025.(Arakan Princess Media) RELATED STORIES Myanmar’s Arakan Army takes a major town, says ready for talks Myanmar’s junta answers rebel proposal for talks with week of deadly airstrikes EXPLAINED: What is Myanmar’s Arakan Army? The AA has made unprecedented gains against the military since late last year and now controls about 80% of Myanmar’s westernmost state. On Dec. 29, the AA captured the town of Gwa from the military, a major step toward its goal of taking the whole of Rakhine state, and then said it was ready for talks with the junta, which seized power in a February 2021 coup d’etat. But the junta has responded with deadly airstrikes, residents say. The military denies targeting civilians but human rights investigators and security analysts say Myanmar’s army has a long reputation of indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas as a way to undermine popular support for the various rebel forces fighting its rule. “The military is showing its fangs with its planes, that people can be killed at any time, at will,” aid worker Wai Hin Aung told RFA. Villagers watch homes burning in Kyauk Ni Maw village, in Rakhine state, after a raid by the Myanmar air force on Jan. 8, 2025.(Arakan Princess Media) The bombing of Kyauk Ni Maw is the latest bloody attack on members of the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority. About 740,000 Rohingya fled from Rakhine state to neighboring Bangladesh following a bloody crackdown by the military against members of the largely stateless community in August 2017. Over the past year, Rohingya have suffered violence at the hands of both sides in the Rakhine state’s war, U.N. rights investigators have said. The AA took a hard line with the Rohingya after the junta launched a campaign to recruit, at times forcibly, Rohingya men into militias to fight the insurgents. On Aug. 5, scores of Rohingya trying to flee from the town of Maungdaw to Bangladesh, across a border river, were killed by drones and artillery fire that survivors and rights groups said was unleashed by the AA. The AA denied responsibility. Edited by RFA Staff. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Chinese firms supporting Russia pose as Taiwanese to dodge sanctions: activist

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TAIPEI, Taiwan – Chinese firms supporting Russia are presenting themselves as if they are from Taiwan not only to avoid sanctions but also to discredit the self-ruled island, said a Ukrainian activist. Vadym Labas initially accused the Taiwanese company Taiwan Rung Cherng Suspenparts, or TRC, of modifying and producing servomechanisms for Russia’s deadly glide bombs, citing a transaction document between TRC and a Russian firm. However, Labas later clarified that further investigation revealed the TRC name in the document was actually a front for a Chinese company seeking to evade international sanctions, not the Taiwanese company. “We also discovered a double operation, which consisted not only of a new scheme to circumvent sanctions, but also an operation to discredit the Taiwanese manufacturer, which had been repeatedly carried out by the parties concerned,” Labas wrote on his Facebook on Monday. Labas added that the Chinese company KST Digital Technology Limited supplied servomotors to Russia through a network of intermediaries, including a firm called Kaifeng Zhendaqian Technology. These products were eventually rebranded as those of the Taiwanese firm TRC, whose name was used without authorization. Servomotors are crucial for glide bombs as they control the bomb’s aerodynamic surfaces, such as fins or wings, enabling precise maneuvering and guidance. “Taiwan has been unjustly implicated. The actual culprits are Chinese manufacturers exploiting TRC’s name for camouflage,” he added. Radio Free Asia was not able to contact KST Digital Technology Limited or Kaifeng Zhendaqian Technology for comment. Chen Shu-Mei, TRC’s deputy general manager, dismissed any suggestion of a business connection with Russia, saying the firm may take legal action to protect its reputation. “It was a totally unfounded claim,” said Chen, adding that the company primarily produces automotive chassis components and parts for vehicle suspension systems. RELATED STORIES Cross-strait shadows: Inside the Chinese influence campaign against Taiwan (Part I) Taipei hits back over Chinese military’s New Year propaganda video Taiwan warns internet celebrities on collusion after video uproar While not as advanced as Western precision-guided munitions, Russian glide bombs have become a key part of its air strategy in Ukraine. Military analysts estimate they contribute 20% of Russia’s operational advantage in the conflict. Ukrainian intelligence reports that Russia has greatly increased its use of such bombs. In May 2023, Russian forces were using about 25 glide bombs daily, but that number has since climbed to at least 60 per day, sometimes exceeding 100. Edited by Taejun Kang. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Year in photos: Lens of empathy captures stories of resilience across borders

Editor03 mins

WASHINGTON — Radio Free Asia photojournalist Gemunu Amarasinghe has had a distinguished career capturing images across Asia. His ability to access intimate moments sheds new light on the stories behind the struggle for freedom and human rights. In the special report, “In Washington, Myanmar democracy advocates push for a Breakthrough,” Amarasinghe captures the efforts of Myanmar’s National Unity Government in Washington, D.C., as Deputy Foreign Minister Moe Zaw Oo and press aide Aye Chan Mon navigate the complexities of international diplomacy. In “Nyah Mway: The boy who will forever be 13,” he delves into the tragedy of a young refugee from Myanmar who was fatally shot by police in Utica, New York. His photographs reveal the effect the incident has had on Nyah’s family and community, offering insight into broader issues of systemic violence and the experiences of displaced people in the United States. In “Five Years after a Summer of Protest, Hong Kong Exiles are Still Rebuilding Their Lives,” Amarasinghe chronicles the lives of Hong Kong activists who have resettled in the United States following the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Through his lens, Amarasinghe provides a comprehensive perspective on resilience and transition. Here are some of his photos: Aye Chan Mon, a press aide with Myanmar’s National Unity Government, works from home as her cat tries to intervene.(Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA) Buddhist monks chant at the burial of Nyah Mway, 13, in Utica, New York, July 6, 2024.(Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA) Hong Kong democracy activist Frances Hui stands outside the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington, D.C., during a protest to mark World Press Freedom Day, May 2, 2024.(Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA) Huen Lam visits the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C., March 30, 2024.(Gemunu Amarasinghe/RFA) Edited by Jim Snyder. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Vietnamese monk leaves Laos, enters Thailand

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A Vietnamese Buddhist monk who became an internet sensation earlier this year has crossed from Laos into Thailand on his way to India. Thich Minh Tue, who gained fame in Vietnam after his ascetic lifestyle attracted a following as he traveled by foot across Vietnam, began a pilgrimage to Buddhist sites in India in late November. (Amanda Weisbrod/RFA) At about 10:30 am on Tuesday, he and five other mendicant monks left the Vang Tao border crossing in Laos and passed through the Chong Mek border crossing in Thailand after spending 19 days in Laos. People knelt in front of the border crossing and scattered flowers and sprinkled water on the road as signs of respect for the monks. At the Chong Mek border crossing in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province, about 100 people, mainly small traders and tuk-tuk drivers from Thailand and Laos, gathered to welcome the monks. About 20 Vietnamese YouTubers were also there early to report the news. RELATED STORIES Vietnam’s barefoot monk expected to cross from Laos into Thailand Viral barefoot monk’s journey to India explained (VIDEO) Publisher’s partner says book about ‘barefoot monk’ hasn’t received approval Thich Minh Tue, Vietnam’s ‘barefoot monk,’ enters Laos on pilgrimage to India Accompanying the monks on the walking journey through Laos were two well-known Vietnamese YouTubers — Doan Van Bau and Le Kha Giap. They were joined by four Thai volunteers handling logistics and two police officers from Ubon Ratchathani province who were dispatched to ensure order. Live video from YouTuber Doan Van Bau, who escorted the monks from Vietnam, shows Tue and monks Minh Tang, Minh Tri, Chon Tri, An Lac and Vo Sanh left Laos and entered Thailand without any problem when volunteers took care of the immigration procedures. Vietnamese monk Thich Minh Tue, center, arrives in Chong Mek, Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand, Dec. 31, 2024, on his way to India.(RFA) Bau said one of the people accompanying the group will take care of procedural issues as they walk to Thailand’s Mae Sot province en route to Myanmar. Tue became known to many people when he walked from the south to north Vietnam in May. When arriving in the city of Hue in early June, Tue and a group of more than 70 people who followed him were suppressed and dispersed by the police during a midnight raid. They took Tue to his hometown in Gia Lai province to scan his fingerprints for citizenship identification. On Nov. 25, Tue wrote a letter expressing his desire to travel to India and visit Buddhist relics, and asked for advice on directions and procedures. Translated by Anna Vu for RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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After 2024 setbacks, junta forces now control less than half of Myanmar

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Myanmar’s junta forces now control less than half the country after suffering major battlefield setbacks in 2024 -– including the loss of command headquarters in Shan and Rakhine states, several rebel groups said. In June, the Three Brotherhood Alliance of ethnic armies resumed offensive operations in Shan state. Within weeks, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army had captured Lashio, a city of 130,000 that is the region’s commercial and administrative hub and a gateway to China. Another member of the alliance, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, also seized the strategic Shan state townships of in Ann township on Dec. 20. Elsewhere in Rakhine, the military has been reinforcing troops in areas that it does control, residents said earlier this month. That includes Kyaukphyu, where China has plans for a port as well as energy facilities and oil and gas pipelines that run to its Yunnan province. In neighboring Chin state, ethnic rebels captured two townships last week, Chin Brotherhood Alliance spokesperson Salai Yaw Mang said. Several anti-junta groups are now in control of about 85 percent of the state, he said. Soldiers from the Karen National Liberation Army patrol in an area hit by a junta airstrike in Myawaddy, April 15, 2024.(Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters) Forced recruitment In Shan state, to the northeast, ethnic armed groups control 24 townships, with just Tangyang, Mongyai and Muse still held by the junta. The capture of the northeastern command headquarters outside of Lashio in late July was one of the most significant losses for the military in years. In total, ethnic armed groups and allied forces have seized 86 towns across the country, the Myanmar Peace Monitor of Burma News International reported on Dec. 23. In Sagaing, in central Myanmar –- viewed as a homeland for the majority ethnic Bamar people –- a major junta offensive is expected sometime next year, according to Htoo Khant Zaw, a spokesperson for the People’s Defense Comrade group based in Sagaing’s Ye-U township. “The regime is still forcibly recruiting young people, even in the cities,” he said. “They are providing training, and the offensive is expected to be launched by land and air in 2025.” Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Myanmar’s Arakan Army takes a major town, says ready for talks

Editor07 mins

Myanmar’s Arakan Army insurgents captured the west coast town of Gwa from the military, a major step toward their goal of taking the whole of Rakhine state, and then said they were ready for talks with the junta. Gwa is on the coast in the south of Myanmar’s western-most state, 185 kilometers (115 miles) northwest of the main city of Yangon, and a gateway to the rice-basket Irrawaddy River delta. The AA said their fighters took control of Gwa on Sunday afternoon as junta troops fled but the military was trying to counter-attack with the help of its air force and navy guns. “The fighting is raging in some areas near Gwa. The junta council has sent reinforcements and they’re trying to re-enter,” the AA said in a statement late on Sunday. Residents reported blazes in the town from junta artillery and airstrikes. “Heavy weapons have landed in the town and everything is on fire,” said one resident who declined to be identified for safety reasons. Early on Sunday, a barrage of small-arms fire was heard as the AA launched their push, followed by air attacks, the resident said. “The small-arms fire has gone but now they’re bombing,” he told Radio Free Asia. The AA said it believed 700 junta soldiers had been killed in weeks of battle for the town, based on bodies found, information from prisoners and documents seized. It did not give any information about casualties on its side or about civilian casualties. It was not possible to independently verify the AA’s casualty figure and a spokesman for the junta that seized power in a 2021 coup did not respond to phone calls from RFA seeking comment. All sides in Myanmar play up their victories and their enemies’ losses while minimizing their own in public statements. The AA, one of Myanmar’s most powerful insurgent groups, has been accused of killings and other serious rights violations against the mostly Muslim Rohingya community. It denies that. RELATED STORIES Over one-third of Myanmar’s population to need aid by 2025: UNOCHA Myanmar appoints new defense minister as army struggles Myanmar to organize election in fewer than half of townships ‘Political means’ The capture of Gwa is another big step in a matter of days for AA troops, who are fighting for self-determination in Rakhine state. They took a major military base in Ann town on Dec. 20 and have now captured 14 of the state’s 17 townships, pushing the military into shrinking pockets of territory. The military is reinforcing its troops in the townships it controls – Sittwe, Kyaukphyu and Munaung, residents said this month. Neighboring China has economic interests in Myanmar, among them plans for a port in Kyaukphyu, where it also has energy facilities, including oil and gas pipelines that run to its Yunnan province. China, keen to end Myanmar’s conflict, has pressed two rebel groups in Shan state in the northeast to agree to ceasefires and talks. The AA praised China’s “active leadership” in promoting border stability and said it would talk at any time. “We always remain open to resolving the current internal issues through political means rather than military solutions,” the AA said. It did not refer to a ceasefire and said it believed its offensive over the past year would contribute to the “liberation” of all of the oppressed Myanmar people. The junta chief has also called for talks as his forces grapple with setbacks. The AA said it recognized and welcomed any foreign investment that contributed to development and said it would take care of investors. The Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP-Myanmar), an independent research group, said this week that the AA controls 10 of the 11 Chinese projects in Rakhine state. The fall of the state capital of Sittwe to the AA would represent the end of military rule there, political analyst Than Soe Naing told RFA “Then the AA will have to talk about issues related to China’s interests,” he said. Edited by RFA Staff. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Almost all 181 on board killed in South Korean plane crash

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Updated Dec. 29, 2024, 04:37 a.m. ET. TAIPEI, Taiwan – A plane carrying 181 people crashed in a ball of flames as it was attempting to land in South Korea on Sunday, and all but two of those on board are presumed to have been killed, authorities said. Witnesses said they heard explosions and saw flames in an engine of the Jeju Air flight as it was trying to land at about 9:07 a.m. in the city of Muan, and authorities were investigating the possibility that its landing gear failed after a bird strike, the Yonhap News Agency reported. Video footage broadcast by TV stations showed the Boeing 737-800 plane coming onto a runway without deploying its landing gear. It skidded across the ground, hit a concrete wall, and exploded in a fireball. “The plane body was almost destroyed, and the dead are difficult to identify. It is taking time to identify the location of the remains and recover them,” the Jeollanam-do Fire Department said. “It is estimated that most of the 181 passengers, with the exception of the two who were rescued, died,” it said. The official death toll climbed through the day to 176, with three missing, as bodies were recovered from a smoldering crash site where some 1,500 rescue workers sifted through the wreckage. The BBC reported that “black box” flight data recorder had been recovered. Rescue workers take part in a salvage operation at the site of a plane crash at Muan International Airport, in Muan, South Korea, Dec. 29, 2024.(Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters) Jeju Air chief Kim E-bae made a public apology and extended condolences to the family members who lost their loved ones, vowing to provide all necessary support to the victims’ families. “Regardless of the cause, I take full responsibility,” Kim said. South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok visited the crash site and told officials to make all-out efforts in their search, and expressing deep condolences to the bereaved. He promised all possible government assistance. Choi has been serving as acting president since Friday, after the National Assembly voted to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was suspended less than two weeks after assuming the role from President Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 14. “I believe no words of consolation will be enough,” Choi said. “The government will spare no effort in supporting the bereaved families,” the acting president added. Updates confirmed dead toll and adds comment from airline CEO. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Notebook found on North Korean soldier outlines tactics for countering drones

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A North Korean soldier’s notebook described tactics for shooting down Ukrainian drones, including diagrams and details on how a three-person team should be used to lure and destroy the unmanned devices, the Ukrainian Special Forces said on Thursday on Telegram. The notebook was found on a dead soldier named Jong Kyong Hong in Russia’s Kursk region, according to the Telegram post. Radio Free Asia was unable to independently verify the information. About 50 North Korean soldiers were killed in Ukrainian drone attacks in Kursk last week, according to South Korea’s spy agency. “North Korean troops are being ‘consumed’ for front-line assaults in an unfamiliar battlefield environment of open fields, and they lack the ability to respond to drone attacks,” said South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, as cited by lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, who was briefed by the agency on Dec. 19. The Ukrainian Special Forces posted a photograph of the notebook in its Telegram post. A diagram shows one person standing in front of the drone as the other two team members are positioned behind it, preparing to shoot. “When a drone is spotted, form a team of three,” writing in the notebook said. One person’s role is to lure in the drone from a forward position while maintaining a distance of about 7 meters (23 feet), the notes said. The other two should be ready to shoot the drone from a distance of 10 to 12 meters (32 to 40 feet), it said. “When the person luring the drone stands still, the drone will also stop, making it possible for the two to aim and shoot it down,” the writing said. ‘Human bait’ The Ukrainian Special Forces deemed the method as “living human bait.” The special forces said that it was unclear whether the tactic was unique to the North Korean military or if it was something that the Russian military had taught to them. Russian forces have complained that North Korean soldiers were a “burden” because of their “ignorance” of drone warfare, the South Korean spy agency said in its briefing last week. Initial evidence from Ukraine has shown that North Korean soldiers are ill-prepared and lack the skills for modern warfare, said Federico Borsari, a resident fellow at the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis. “They lacked counter-drone equipment, and with little cover they were easy targets for Ukrainian FPV operators,” he said, using the initials for “first-person view” –- a kind of drone that wirelessly transmits video feed. “Many were killed while trying to hide among tall, dry grass crops and leafless tree lines,” he said. “Snow –- and Ukraine’s thermal sensors -– made them easily identifiable as most of those soldiers didn’t wear white camouflage.” RELATED STORIES Ukraine reveals handwritten letter of a fallen North Korean soldier in Kursk More than 3,000 North Koreans killed, wounded in Russia’s Kursk: Zelenskyy Russians see North Koreans as a ‘burden’ over ignorance of drones: South says American, South Korean and Ukrainian authorities have said there are up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia, deployed there primarily to help Russia push Ukrainian forces out of positions they captured in Kursk in August. Earlier this week, Ukraine reported that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in Kursk. South Korea has estimated that the number of casualties among North Korean troops is at least 1,100. The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, or DIU, noted on Dec. 17 that North Korean forces appeared to have taken additional measures to mitigate the threat of drone strikes. “After serious losses, North Korean units began setting up additional observation posts to detect drones,” the DIU wrote in a post to its official Telegram channel. On Thursday, DIU said on its website that North Korea has added at least five more observation posts to improve its drone reconnaissance. It also said that Russian drone units have started providing tank and artillery support for North Korean troops during assaults. Recent footage had suggested that the North Koreans were sometimes receiving no assistance from Russian forces during combat. Translated by Jay Park and Leejin Chung. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Uyghur intellectual died while in custody of Chinese authorities

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A Uyghur intellectual and educational activist, who was arrested the night before his daughter’s wedding five years ago, died only two months later while in detention, two people familiar with the situation told Radio Free Asia. Ibrahim Dawut was a former chemistry teacher at a high school in Kashgar, in China’s far-western Xinjiang region, who advocated for classes in the Uyghur region to be taught in Uyghur. He an outspoken critic of China’s bilingual education system in which some classes were taught in Mandarin and others in Uyghur. In 2019, Chinese authorities arrested him amid a sweep of mass arrests of mostly Ugyhur men. While the specific charges were unclear, he was taken away because of “his influence on society in Kashgar,” according to a source who had just recently moved to Europe. Dawut had been tailed by police since 2016 and had been called in for interrogation four or five times, she said. “The police took him away from his family on the night of July 28th, 2019, and we did not even know what had happened and why they took him,” said the source who requested anonymity for safety reasons. Dawut was in his late 50s at that time, and his daughter was to be married the following day, she said. “We looked for him for around 5-10 days and learned that the police arrested around 500-600 men, including him,” the source said. Dead and buried On Oct. 6, authorities informed Dawut’s family that he had died, she said, but buried him without showing his body to his family, prompting enormous outrage among his relatives. The police made his family sign a document which said he died from a heart attack, and they did not allow anyone to visit his tomb, she said. “When I asked the reason for his death, no one said anything,” she said. His death was confirmed by a staff member of the No. 6 High School in Kashgar, where Dawut had worked, but the person said he didn’t know any details. “He died several years ago. As far as I know, he died. The reason for his death is unknown,” he said. “Because details of his death were not reported to the school, we will not intervene in this type of case directly.” Educational activism Dawut had advocated for Uyghur language-based education through his writings since 2000 and often expressed disdain for the government’s bilingual education policies in Xinjiang, the source said. Dawut translated Chinese school books into Uyghur for high school students in Kashgar and provided students with school materials in Uyghur. He also opened bookstores in Kashgar and elsewhere, sold textbooks written in Uyghur and launched foreign language and college entrance exam preparatory courses. Abduweli Ayup, founder of Norway-based UyghurHelp and Dawut’s former student, said Dawut played a key role in opening a Uyghur language school in Kashgar, providing both support and financial investment. In 2011, Dawut invited Ayup to teach English and Turkish at the Nurhan Education Training Center he had founded and to help establish the Uyghur Mother Tongue Kindergarten. “We opened a school together. I was responsible for teaching English, Turkish and mother tongue, and he was responsible for teaching college entrance exam preparatory courses.” Ayup said. Dawut had also been an activist for teachers, organizing them and filing a lawsuit against the local government for withholding teachers’ salaries for several months to fund a state highway project. The legal battle was successful in pointing out that the state was responsible for highways, not the local government, and the teachers received their full salaries and a public apology. Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Myanmar junta chief urges peace after troops suffer setbacks

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Myanmar’s junta chief has reiterated a call for insurgents battling to end military rule to make peace, saying his government was strengthening democracy, his latest offer of talks as his forces suffer a string of setbacks. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who overthrew an elected civilian government in a 2021 coup and has tried to crush opposition to the takeover, made his latest plea at a Christmas dinner on Sunday at St. Mary’s Cathedral in the main city of Yangon. “The government is implementing the roadmap, national and political visions to strengthen the multi-party democratic system that the people desire and to return to the correct democratic path,” the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper quoted Min Aung Hlaing as saying. “The government is committed to resolving issues encountered within the society through peaceful co-existence, specifically through dialogue to achieve success,” he said, adding that issues had to be resolved “through political methods but not handled in armed struggle.” Neighboring China is keen to see an end to Myanmar’s instability and has been pressing all sides to talk and has promised to support a general election expected next year. Min Aung Hlaing did not refer to his military’s setbacks in his Sunday address. Despite his calls for talks and Chinese pressure on the armed opposition, the military has been losing ground in several regions. On Friday, a regional army headquarters fell to the Arakan Army, or AA, ethnic minority insurgent group in Rakhine state, after months of fighting. The AA, which draws its support from the ethnic Rakhine Buddhist population, now controls about 80% of the state with the military boxed into small areas, including the Kyaukphyu economic zone on the coast where China has oil and gas pipelines and wants to build a port. In Chin state to the northwest, insurgents said they had made more advances against the military in recent days and they now controlled 85% of the state, which is largely Christian. RELATED STORIES EXPLAINED: What is Myanmar’s Arakan Army? Junta forces are mobilizing in central Myanmar amid Shan state ceasefire, rebel say Over one-third of Myanmar’s population to need aid by 2025: UNOCHA ‘Respect Rohingya rights’ Min Aung Hlaing’s calls for talks have been rejected by insurgent groups and a parallel civilian government in exile, the National Unity Government, who say they have no faith in the words of a military that has for decades stifled all dissent and locked up or killed its enemies. “The number one thing is that the revolutionary forces do not trust the military council,” said an official from one of the many pro-democracy guerrilla groups known as People’s Defense Forces, or PDFs, that have sprung up since the 2021 coup. “The other thing is that the junta is losing on the ground militarily so it’s impossible for us to hold talks with them now,‘’ said the official from a PDF in the central Monywa district. With the AA making sustained advances in Rakhine state, members of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority, many of whom are based in northern parts of the state on the border with Bangladesh, issued a plea for the AA to respect their rights. “We urge the Arakan Army and its political wing … to uphold and respect the rights of the Rohingya and all ethnic and religious minorities,” the Rohingya groups said in a joint statement. “Undoubtedly, the Burmese military is our common enemy,” the groups said, while accusing the AA of human rights violations against Rohingya, including widespread arson and killings. The AA denies rights abuses but rights investigators say the AA has committed serious violations, particularly since the junta launched a campaign this year to recruit Rohingya men into militias to fight the AA. The Rohingya organizations, many based abroad, said they strongly rejected the groups that cooperated with the military and called on the AA to recognize the Rohingya as “an integral part of the (the state’s) diverse communities.” The groups also called for an emergency aid corridor to be opened up from Bangladesh to prevent famine. The United Nations says up to 2 million people face “the dire prospect of famine” in Rakhine state amid economic collapse and a worsening humanitarian crisis triggered by the 2021 coup. Edited by RFA Staff. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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