1. More than 490 children under the age of 18 were killed and 119 schools were damaged due to the coup military junta’s violence
The National Unity Government has announced that the number of children under the age of 18 who have died due to terrorist acts committed since the seizure of power by the Min Aung Hlaing-led military group has reached 491, and 119 schools have been damaged.
The NUG has issued a statement regarding the explosion of heavy weapon shells in the village-based education public school campus next to Khandi Wuntha Yama monastery.
The statement is as follows:
“One teacher and 21 children, a total of 22 individuals in a public school next to the monastery got injured due to the sudden launch of artillery shrapnel on Khandi Wuntha Yama monastery in Buta Quarter, Jo Taung Ywama Village, Wuntho Township, Kawlin District, Sagaing Division at 12:30p.m., on September 27, 2023, from the Light Infantry Battalion 120 under Division 33 of the military council, stationed in Wuntho Township, in the absence of ongoing conflict.
Based on reliable sources of information of the National Unity Government (NUG), from the day of the unlawful military coup in 2021, (491) children under eighteen years of age have been killed and (119) schools were destroyed due to the acts of terrorism perpetrated by the military council. The military council has carried out (2,351) acts of terrorism, including aerial strikes and the use of powerful heavy weapons.
The military council has been engaging in egregious violations of international laws, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, with continued disregard of the 5 Points Consensus and UN Security Council Resolution 2669. These violations include murders and infliction of injuries of children, and the deliberate targeting and destruction of schools, contravening various International and Regional Human Rights Treaties, Conventions on the Rights of the Children, Geneva Convention and Rome Statue.
The National Unity Government (NUG) vows to apprehend and to hold accountable for those, both who actually committed the attack and who supported or gave orders for such attacks, through the domestic justice system, and the NUG also calls the United Nations Member States that the time has now come to take concerted efforts against the military council as a follow up to UN Security Council Resolution 2669, to impose stronger economic sanctions and to reach to a new resolution which will enable to stop the import of jet fuels and weapons for the military.
Furthermore, we request that efforts be made to prosecute the military council using universal jurisdiction mechanism by individual member states or through international and regional legal systems.”
2. CRPH and MWPN discussed about promoting the participation of women and youth in the political sector and the construction of a federal democracy
The Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw-CRPH’s Women, Youths and Children Affairs Committee and Myanmar Women Parliamentarians Network (MWPN) held a meeting via video conference.
In that meeting held on October 3, they discussed the processes that can be cooperatively implemented to promote the participation of women and youth in the political sector and the construction of a future federal democratic country.
The meeting was attended by the chairman, secretary and members of the Women, Youths and Children’s Affairs Committee, and members of the Myanmar Women Parliamentarians Network.
In the meeting, the committee explained the assistance activities provided to war refugees, young people and children, pregnant and lactating mothers, and political prisoners in need of assistance in connection with the ministries of the National Unity Government, the affairs committees of the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, external organizations, and domestic and foreign donors. Moreover, discussions on relevant laws, regulations, and policies and the process ahead were also explained.
Next, the Myanmar Women Parliamentarians Network explained the 7 processes that have been completed and the 4 processes that are set to be carried out in the future. The participants of the meeting discussed the federal awareness training for women and youth, the possibility of opening courses and dialogues, and the processes with which they want to cooperate in the future.
3. MOWYCA donates chicken rice porridge to students and teachers in Saw Township
It is reported that the Ministry of Women, Youths and Children Affairs (MOWYCA) donated chicken rice porridge to students and teachers in charge of schools in Saw Township, Magway Division, under the Ministry of Education of the National Unity Government.
According to MOWYCA, the nutrition donation event held on October 2, 2023, was provided by the in-charges of Saw Township Humanitarian Affairs, Women, Youths and Children Affairs, and Ward Officer.
4. Karen social organizations support 126 people whose lives have been impacted by the military’s terrorist acts
In the Kawthoolei Administrative Area of the Karen National Union, the KNU headquarters announced that the Karen social organizations provided aid to 126 local people whose social lives were affected by the military’s barbaric acts.
In September of this year, Karen Women’s Association (KWO) and Karen Emergency Relief Organizations helped those whose lives were affected in Nyaunglebin, Shwegyin, Muu and Kyaukkyi townships in Kawthoolei Administrative Area.
Support was given to the families of those who were killed as a result of the terrorist army’s heavy weapons fire, airstrikes, and arrests, as well as the elderly and the disabled.
The KNU headquarters announced that the elderly, disabled people and those in need of emergency assistance were provided with 100,000 kyats each, and 200,000 kyats were provided for women who lost their husbands at the hands of the terrorist military.
Villages in Nyaunglebin, Shwegyin, Muu and Kyaukkyi townships in Kawthoolei Administrative Area are frequently fired with heavy weapons by the terrorist army, causing residents to live in anxiety.
5. In Shwebo District, the People’s Defense Force provided health care to more than 400 civilians, including childbirth and minor surgeries
The Shwebo District Battalion 8 announced that they provided health care to 436 war refugees and local residents in Shwebo District of Sagaing Division, including childbirth and minor surgery.
The Public Relations Department, Health Department of People’s Defense Force – Shwebo District Battalion 8, which is operating in Military Region No. 1, issued a statement regarding the health care services in September.
“In providing such health care, 423 local residents and 423 fire victims were provided general health care, as well as 10 minor surgery patients, 1 malaria patient and 2 newborns.
The Shwebo District Battalion 8 also informed that it is fighting against any military dictator with any weapon available, and is doing its best to build the federal democratic union and public services.
Therefore, we encouraged the people to actively participate in the military activities and public welfare activities being carried out by Shwebo District Battalion 8,” it stated.
6. Myanmar becomes the second worst country of abusing internet freedom, stated in a report by the Freedom House
Freedom House, an organization based in the U.S., stated in its report on October 4 that Myanmar becomes the second worst country of abusing internet freedom after China.
China remains the world’s worst abuser of internet freedom for the ninth year running and Myanmar came close to dislodging China as the world’s worst environment for internet freedom, according to the Freedom House report ‘Freedom on the Net Report 2023’..
Before the military coup, the index for internet freedom in Myanmar was at a level of 31.
In addition to blocking the Internet in order to suppress their opponents and civil disobedience activities, the military council has taken steps to control telecommunications companies, and the coup military has also used coercion to obtain the personal information of Internet users and conducted intercept detection.
Due to pressure on telecommunications companies, international telecommunications companies such as Telenor and Ooredoo were forced to sell their operations to companies close to the military and leave Myanmar, according to Freedom House.
In addition to controlling the Internet, the military council also imposed long-term prison terms on those who campaigned against the military coup on the Internet and those who criticized it, Freedom House added in the report.
7. Due to the artillery firing by the terrorist military based in Kawkareik, 3 civilian houses were destroyed and a woman was injured
The Karen National Union – KNU (Headquarters) announced that due to the reckless, unprovoked firing of the IB-97 of the terrorist military council based in Kawkareik, 3 civilian houses in KNU Brigade 6 were damaged and a woman was injured.
On October 3 at 8:15 p.m., the IB-97 fired heavy artillery 3 times, causing an explosion in Anhpagyi Village. The shelling hit the house of a 56-year-old woman in Anhpagyi Village and she got injured in the abdomen by the shrapnel. In addition, the houses of a 55-year-old man and a 60-year-old man were also damaged by heavy artillery.
On October 2, at around 10:30 p.m., the IB-32 based in Kyainseikgyi fired heavy artillery recklessly, damaging 2 houses in Aung Tayza Road, Ward No. 1 in Kyainseikgyi.
The KNU – Dooplaya District News and Information also informed that the terrorist military council troops operating in the area of KNU Brigade 6 are committing human rights violations and war crimes on a daily basis, such as arresting and torturing innocent civilians, raiding and rampaging public homes fleeing the war, looting civilian belongings, and purposefully firing at villages where people live.
8. Villages at the border of Yinmarbin and Salingyi Townships were fired upon by helicopters after the military council convoy was attacked
It is reported that the military attacked the villages from the air after a military council convoy was attacked near Bike Thayek Village on the border between Yinmarbin and Salingyi Townships in Sagaing Division.
At around 8:00 a.m. on October 4, the local defense forces attacked a military council convoy containing 15 vehicles.
The military council, which suffered a lot of damage in the ground battle, fired on nearby villages with Mi35 helicopters for almost an hour at around 10:00 a.m., and the damages are still unknown, according to a local resident.
Recently, thousands of local residents from the villages of Ma Taung Ta, Tae Su, Lel Ngout, Shwe Thamin and Bike Thayek on the border of Ima Pin and Sal Lingyi have been fleeing due to the military’s helicopter gunfire and fighting.
- More than 490 children under the age of 18 were killed and 119 schools were damaged due to the coup military junta’s violence
- CRPH and MWPN discussed about promoting the participation of women and youth in the political sector and the construction of a federal democracy
- MOWYCA donates chicken rice porridge to students and teachers in Saw Township
- Karen social organizations support 126 people whose lives have been impacted by the military’s terrorist acts
- In Shwebo District, the People’s Defense Force provided health care to more than 400 civilians, including childbirth and minor surgeries
- Myanmar becomes the second worst country of abusing internet freedom, stated in a report by the Freedom House
- Due to the artillery firing by the terrorist military based in Kawkareik, 3 civilian houses were destroyed and a woman was injured
- Villages at the border of Yinmarbin and Salingyi Townships were fired upon by helicopters after the military council convoy was attacked