Summary of News
- Approximately 30 Civilians, Including Infants, Killed in Junta’s Bombing Attack on Mung Lai Hkyet IDP Camp Near Laiza, Kachin State
- Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun Describes Myanmar People’s Suffering as “Unspeakable Tragedy” at UN General Assembly Meeting
- Sagaing Forum Organizing Committee Convenes Military Meeting
- Southern Shan PDF Battalion 1008 Successfully Manufactures M79 40MM Launcher and Grenade
- Bago Experiences Unprecedented Flooding: Urgent Assistance Needed for Residents
- Anti-Military Dictatorship Protests Staged in Yangon and Sagaing
1. Approximately 30 Civilians, Including Infants, Killed in Junta’s Bombing Attack on Mung Lai Hkyet IDP Camp Near Laiza, Kachin State
At least 29 civilians, including infants, were killed and more than 50 others were wounded when the military junta bombed the Mung Lai Hkyet IDP camp, which is located near Laiza, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) headquarters, at about 11:30 p.m. on October 9, according to initial reports.
The military utilized high-explosive weapons or bombs to target the camp, resulting in the complete destruction of the IDP camp. Since the bombing occurred while everyone was asleep and the bomb directly hit the center of the camp, it led to a significant number of casualties.
“The size of the weapon was huge. Based on the scale of the explosion, it appears to have been a very large bomb or heavy weaponry. To assume it was an airstrike, we did not hear the sound of fighter jets flying overhead. So we now suspect that it was launched from a drone,” stated Colonel Naw Bu, the head of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) Information Department.
“Based on the initial findings of deceased bodies, we have confirmed a total of 29 fatalities, which include infants and women. Additionally, 56 individuals sustained injuries, and 44 of them were transported to the hospital for medical treatment,” Colonel Naw Bu explained.
All of the victims were civilians who had been displaced and reportedly there are no military targets near the Mung Lai Hkyet IDP Camp, which is located about two miles away from the headquarters of KIA.
This marked the deadliest attack on KIA territory since the junta’s bombing of a musical concert celebrating the 62nd anniversary of the KIO’s founding in A Nang Pa, Hpakant Township, Kachin State, on October 23 of the previous year. The tragic incident resulted in the loss of 63 lives, including the commander of the KIA Brigade 9, 26 KIO staff members, Kachin artists, and 17 other civilians, while many more sustained injuries.
2. Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun Describes Myanmar People’s Suffering as “Unspeakable Tragedy” at UN General Assembly Meeting
In a statement delivered during the meeting of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, held on October 9, Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the UN, voiced concerns about the ongoing situation in Myanmar. He stated:
“The military junta continues its indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas including schools and healthcare facilities. On 11 April 2023, over 160 civilians died and many more injured when the military conducted an air raid in Pazigyi village of Sagaing Region. Most recently on 27 September 2023, the military junta attacked with heavy artillery on a monastic school in WunTho in Sagaing Region, injuring 18 students, with 6 of them suffering severe wounds. As I am speaking, just learnt that the military junta was attacking with heavy artillery on Laiza in Kachin State, killing and injuring civilians including children and destroying private properties.”
The Ambassador underscored the urgent need for implementing arms embargoes and imposing sanctions on the export of jet fuel to the military junta as crucial measures to stop the junta’s brutal actions against the people of Myanmar.
The Ambassador appealed for the support of all member states, as Myanmar will present its annual resolution titled “Nuclear Disarmament,” as it has done in previous years, to this committee on disarmament and international security.
Furthermore, the Ambassador firmly declared that Myanmar strongly condemns the use of chemical weapons, and those responsible for their use must be held accountable.
The terrorist military junta is targeting schools, healthcare facilities, and residential areas. Their aerial attack on Pazigyi village in Sagaing resulted in the deaths of 160 residents, and the aerial attack on A Nang Pa in Kachin State claimed the lives of 60 people. Most recently, the attack on the Mung Lai Hkyet IDP camp near Laiza, Kachin State, resulted in the deaths of over 30 displaced individuals.
3. Sagaing Forum Organizing Committee Convenes Military Meeting
The military working group of the Sagaing Forum Organizing Committee held an online meeting on October 8 via the Zoom platform. The meeting saw the participation of officials from the military working group, advisory members of the forum, leaders from local people’s defence forces (LPDFs) and PDF battalions in Monywa District, Sagaing Division, as well as several observers.
As per the statement issued by the Sagaing Forum, the discussion covered matters related to the coordination of military strategy training for the LPDFs, assistance, and the organizational framework for LPDFs, as well as the clarification of the MOD’s strategy organizational situation to LPDFs and PDF battalions, along with other on-ground military matters.
4. Southern Shan PDF Battalion 1008 Successfully Manufactures M79 40MM Launcher and Grenade
The Southern Shan PDF Battalion 1008, operating under the command of Central Military Region No. 3 within the Ministry of Defense of the National Unity Government, known as the Southern Shan Revolution Youth (SSRN), has reported their successful development and testing of M79 40mm launchers and grenades. This achievement was made possible through financial support from donors within the country and abroad. Manufacturing a single M79 40mm launcher is a process that spans over ten days, while they are capable of manufacturing six grenades in a single day.
“It takes more than 10 days to produce a launcher. It depends on the efficiency of the lathe and the availability of raw materials. In the case of grenades, we can produce six grenades a day. This also depends on the availability of elements,” a spokesperson of the SSRN said.
He mentioned that with adequate funding and materials, it is possible to reduce the production time for one launcher to 8 days, and more than 15 bombs can be manufactured in a single day.
According to SSRN, the grenades and launchers they have manufactured closely replicate genuine ones and can be fired to a distance of 350 meters with the capacity to generate damage within a radius of 25 feet.
The production expense for a launcher amounts to 25 lakh MMK, while a single grenade costs around 1 lakh MMK.
It has been reported that the manufactured launchers and grenades have already been deployed in combat, and at present, the manufacturing process has been halted due to financial constraints.
5. Bago Experiences Unprecedented Flooding; Urgent Assistance Needed for Residents
The flooding in Bago City, Bago Division, began on the morning of October 8, and, as of October 9, the water has yet to subside. Consequently, residents find themselves stranded in their homes, requiring assistance.
According to local reports, the water level of the Bago River surged following days of continuous rainfall, leading to a sudden flooding of the city in the early hours of October 8. The flooding reached levels of up to 8 feet in low-lying areas, compelling residents to seek refuge on the rooftops of their submerged homes, locals said.
Reports indicate that residents in the southern part of Bago City are facing challenges in accessing drinking water and food supplies as they have been displaced and are currently residing in higher elevated areas.
Bago City has a history of experiencing annual flooding, but this year, the flooding has extended to higher-lying regions, making it the most severe among the four floods experienced throughout the year.
The 39-mile Yangon-Mandalay highway, which traverses Bago City, along with the city’s bypass road, are currently inaccessible to traffic as a result of the flooding.
The National Unity Government has issued a cautionary warning alerting residents to exercise precautions as heavy rains, floods, and landslides are anticipated in six states and divisions from October 2 to 8.
6. Anti-Military Dictatorship Protests Staged in Yangon and Sagaing
On October 8, the Octopus youth group took the lead in hanging a banner in Yangon with the message, “Avoid the foolish usage of Mytel” as a campaign against the military dictatorship.
On October 9, to commemorate the second anniversary of the “Flying the Flag of Victory, Shwe Yay Kyi” village strike, various strike groups in Yinmabin area united to march and protest against the military dictatorship. The Shwe Yay Kyi strike group in Sagaing Division conducted daily marches consistently for two consecutive years without any breaks.
During the second-anniversary march of the Shwe Yay Kyi strike group, Ko Lwan Thu, a member of the Yinmabin-Salingyi multi-village strike committee, delivered a congratulatory speech. Additionally, Dr. Lwan Wai (General Strike Coordination Body-GSCB), Ko Chit Win Maung (Magway Public Strike Committee), Dr. Phyo Thiha, Ma Thant Wai Kyaw, Actor Phone Sett Thwin, Dr. Tayzar San, and revolutionary artists Ko Kaung Kaung (Comrade Kyeekan), Ko Na Gyi, and Ma Paing Phyo Thu extended their congratulations online.
Likewise, the “Our Village Doesn’t Seek a Savior” village strike group in northern Yinmabin Township organized a march featuring the slogan “Our Ambassador, Our Voice” to express their support for the National Unity Government and Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun.
#Credit : Radio NUG
#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
