Summary of News
- Union Minister U Htin Linn Aung says that the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act of the U.S. Congress will target those related to Myanmar war criminals
- President Biden signs the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law
- Over 40,000 war refugees have fled home and crossed the border into Mizoram, India
- The KNDF records the Moso massacre as a tragic historical event for the entire Karenni nation
- Near Hpaung Kwe Village in Myaing Township, a junta column was targeted by drone drop bombs, resulting in the death of one soldier and four other injuries
- A total of more than 22,000 deforestation alerts were observed in the Sagaing Division
- Kalay District People’s Defence Force Technique and Drone (PDF Kalay T&D) Battalion’s fundraising initiative, “The 500 lakh kyats to acquire a large drone,” raises only 26% of its goal
1. Union Minister U Htin Linn Aung says that the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act of the U.S. Congress will target those related to Myanmar war criminals
On December 24, U Htin Linn Aung, Union Minister of Communications, Information and Technology, said that the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act of the U.S. Congress will target Myanmar’s war criminals and those related to them, as follows:
“Today, President Biden signed the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) into law. The implementation of the Burma Act, which is directly related to Myanmar, will begin soon. I would like to express my gratitude to the President and everyone who worked to enact this law. Similarly, today, the U.S. Congress passed a bill called the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act and submitted it to the President. Its purpose is to enable the prosecution of those involved in war crimes in the United States, regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator or the victim. The bill, which is related to the war crimes of the Russian military, will also target those related to Myanmar war criminals.”
The Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act will expand the U.S. government’s power to prosecute international war crimes suspects who are in the United States, regardless of the nationality of the victim or the perpetrator or where the crime was committed.
2. President Biden signs the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law
On December 23, U.S. President Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which will provide assistance to Myanmar’s democracy, into law.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (2023 NDAA) of the United States included the Burma Act as part of it, and it is described in the Act that the United States will provide assistance to Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs), and People’s Defence Forces (PDFs), and pro-democracy movement organizations in Myanmar. However, it is non-lethal assistance—it will not be arms assistance but can be other assistance such as communication, command and control, other operational assistance required between EAOs and PDFs, and international relief coordination assistance.
3. Over 40,000 war refugees have fled home and crossed the border into Mizoram, India
According to the report of ISP Myanmar in December, the number of war refugees who have fled home from Chin State, crossed the border, and taken shelter in Mizoram State, India, has reached over 40,000. The report described that there were at least 99,550 civil war refugees in Chin State fleeing due to conflicts. The majority of refugees were from Hakha Township, where there were at least 35,000 of them.
According to ISP Myanmar, since the military coup until the end of November this year, in all nine townships of Chin State, there have been at least 592 armed clashes between the military council and local defence forces, as well as those between the military council and the Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs).
4. The KNDF records the Moso massacre as a tragic historical event for the entire Karenni nation
On December 23, the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) expressed its sorrow on the one year anniversary of the massacre of civilians in Moso village, Karenni State, as follows:
“It has been one year today since the tragic incident of mass arson killing of civilians by the terrorist military council that happened on December 23, 2021 (Christmas Eve) in Moso Village, Hpruso Township, Karenni State. We share the grief of the bereaved families of civilians and border guards who were victims of the incident. The KNDF records the Moso incident as a tragic historical event for the entire Karenni nation.”
The KNDF also stated, “Over 40 civilians who were burned to death and 4 border guards from the 1004th Battalion of Border Guard Force who were executed after having their hands tied behind their backs by the terrorist military council were innocent Karenni people, so the KNDF will always remember this incident and continue to seek justice for them.”
The 108th Light Infantry Division (LID-108) under the 66th Brigade of the Myanmar Army, which launched an offensive near Moso village in the western part of Hpruso township in Kayah State, captured the IDPs and petroleum trucks, and burned over 40 innocent civilians, including women and children. Four members of the Karenni Border Guard Force (KBGF), who arrived on the scene and attempted to negotiate for the release of the detainees, were also said to have been shot and killed with their hands tied behind their backs.
5. Near Hpaung Kwe Village in Myaing Township, a junta column was targeted by drone drop bombs, resulting in the death of one soldier and four other injuries
On December 24, the Myaing PaKaHpa reported the military news as follows:
“The Myaing PaKaHpa, in collaboration with the Pakokku Thurain and the MRTF groups, used drones to attack a military column near Hpaung Kwe Village with grenades.”
As a result of the attack, one of the soldiers was killed and four were injured, according to the Myaing PaKaHpa.
6. A total of more than 22,000 deforestation alerts were observed in the Sagaing Division
In December, the NUG Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation published a pilot research report on monitoring deforestation alerts during the coup d’état in Myanmar.
The report states that a total of 22,607 deforestation alerts were observed in the Sagaing Division between February 1, 2021, and October 13, 2022. Most of the deforestation alerts are found in protected areas and reservation forests in the central regions of the Sagaing Division, the report said.
The technical team of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) of the National Unity Government designated the Sagaing Division as a pilot area and started observing deforestation alerts in the region by using the Global Forest Watch (GFW) platform.
7. Kalay District People’s Defence Force Technique and Drone (PDF Kalay T&D) Battalion’s fundraising initiative, “The 500 lakh kyats to acquire a large drone,” raises only 26% of its goal
On December 24, the Kalay District People’s Defence Force Technique and Drone (PDF Kalay T&D) Battalion announced the following:
“Our Kalay District Technology and Drone Battalion’s fundraising project, ‘The 500 lakh kyats to acquire a huge drone,’ only received 26% of its goal. We call on people at home and abroad to take part in and support our project because it must be successful.”
The PDF Kalay T&D is one of the revolutionary forces defending against the military dictatorship.
#Credit : Radio NUG
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