Summary of News
- Acting President Duwa Lashi La urges cabinet members to prioritise the provision of sufficient firearms and ammunition for the PDF forces
- Union Minister Dr. Zaw Wai Soe and the NUG representative to Australia will meet with Myanmar families in Perth
- Catholic church destroyed in a deliberate aerial attack by a junta in Kayah State
- In June 2023, 439 clashes occurred in Sagaing, Magway, Mandalay Divisions, and Northern Shan State, resulting in the elimination of 400 enemy troops
- Political prisoners who had their death sentences commuted to life sentences in prison were sentenced to death with additional charges
1. Acting President Duwa Lashi La urges cabinet members to prioritise the provision of sufficient firearms and ammunition for the PDF forces
Acting President Duwa Lashi La said in his speech at the 27th cabinet meeting of the National Unity Government organised on August 15:
“What I would like to say is that it is very important for the people’s defence forces to have a high capacity in the context of the resistance war. It is also necessary to improve the individual military capabilities of each member of the PDF forces responsible for public defence. On the other hand, our government needs to pay special attention to getting sufficient firearms and ammunition for them. The more the people’s defence forces increase their capacity, the more they will be able to reduce the suffering of the populace and protect them.”
According to information released by the Ministry of Defence, US$10.93 million has been raised for defence expenditures during the 17 months since the establishment of the People’s Revolution Support Family (PRF), the ministry’s only programme for raising funds, from December 21, 2021, until April 30, 2023.
It has been revealed that 82.6% (9.03 US$ million) of the raised US$10.93 million funds was used to support defence expenses for People’s Defence Force (PDF) battalions and columns. The remaining 17.3% of the funds were sent by the PRF to the people’s defence organisations (PDOs/Pa-Ka-Fa), which are set up within the geographical administration areas and serve as people militias, the local people’s defence forces (LDFs), and military weapon productions.
2. Union Minister Dr. Zaw Wai Soe and the NUG representative to Australia will meet with Myanmar families in Perth
Dr. Zaw Wai Soe, Union Minister for Health and Education of the National Unity Government (NUG) and Dr. Tun Aung Shwe, the NUG representative to Australia, will meet with Myanmar families in Perth, Australia, on August 27.
The meeting organising group has invited the Myanmar people in Perth to be able to join the community meeting which will be held on the morning of August 27. The Burmese coconut noodle recipe and Burmese desserts will be served to meeting participants.
3. Catholic church destroyed in a deliberate aerial attack by a junta in Kayah State
The military junta deployed a jet fighter to bomb a church in Htee Thaw Ku village, Hpruso Township, Kayah (Karenni) State around 8:00 p.m. on August 12, according to the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF), which published images of the wrecked church.
After a skirmish between a military junta column advancing near Htee Thaw Ku village and the Karenni allied forces stopped, the military junta bombed “Mary Mother of Mercy,” a Catholic church from Htee Thaw Ku village, Kayah State, which was unrelated to the skirmish.
As a result of the bombing, the church building as well as other buildings in the church compound, fences, and walls were destroyed.
The KNDF also reported that since August 2 until August 14, fierce clashes broke out between the infantry battalions under the military junta’s 55th Infantry Division that marched near villages along the Demose-Hpruso Highway, including Htee Thaw Ku village.
4. In June 2023, 439 clashes occurred in Sagaing, Magway, Mandalay Divisions, and Northern Shan State, resulting in the elimination of 400 enemy troops
According to a press release issued on August 18 by the No. 1 Military Region of the Ministry of Defence, the National Unity Government, in June 2023, a total of 439 clashes occurred in Sagaing Division, Magway Division, Mandalay Division, and Northern Shan State of the No. 1 Military Region, resulting in the deaths of 400 enemy troops and injuries to 574 others.
26 members of defence alliance forces fell in the clashes, while 59 others received injuries. 26 weapons of various types and ammunition were seized.
It has been reported that the People’s Defence Force (PDF) battalions, the people’s defence organisations in the regions (Pa-Ka-Fa), and the ERO alliance forces collectively took part in the clashes.
5. Political prisoners who had their death sentences commuted to life sentences in prison were sentenced to death with additional charges
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), two political prisoners among 19 who had their death sentences commuted to life sentences on August 1, 2023, were sentenced to death with additional charges on August 16, 2023. This brings the total number of persons who received death sentences after the military coup to 141 as of August 17, 2023, including 98 who were under detention and 43 who received death sentences in absentia.
#Credit : Radio NUG
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