Summary of News
- Ministry of Justice holds meeting with judges from township courts
- KNU Reiterates NCA No Longer Valid on 8th Anniversary
- Fundraising Event for the Spring Revolution Held in New York City
- PDF-Zoland urges junta soldiers and police to join Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) promptly
- Daw Na Column initiates attacks on bridge checkpoint in Kawkareik and 19th Military Operation Command in Ye, leading to junta troop casualties
- Junta column raids villages in Tanintharyi, tortures and abducts residents, destroys village social support group’s vehicles and houses
1. Ministry of Justice holds meeting with judges from township courts
On October 14, the Ministry of Justice held its 13/2023 meeting with judges from township courts via the Zoom meeting platform.
Union Minister U Thein Oo, Director Generals and Directors from various departments under the Ministry of Justice, the office team and officials from the Interim Judicial Department, and judges from courts in the controlled territories attended the meeting.
Union Minister U Thein Oo delivered the opening remarks, and relevant departmental officials addressed to the questions of the judges who attended the meeting. Subsequently, decisions were made during the meeting, and future processes were established.
2. Deputy Minister U Maw Htun Aung Pledges to Pursue Justice in the Mung Lai Hkyet IDP Camp Incident, Advocating for Prosecution at an International Military Tribunal
Karen National Union (KNU) reiterated that the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) is no longer valid on October 15, when the military junta is celebrating the 8th anniversary of the signing of the NCA. KNU made this statement in an address by KNU Central Executive Committee Member and Spokesperson P’doh Saw Taw Nee on the KNU’s Official View on the NCA.
P’doh Saw Taw Nee stated that the military dictators had violated all ceasefire agreements, thereby destroying both the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and the ongoing political dialogue. He continued to say, “As a result, we feel that the NCA agreement is no longer valid anymore.”
He also conveyed the KNU’s stance that the military dictators’ violation of the core principle of the NCA, which is the commitment to solve political problems through political means as stated in Chapter 1, is completely unacceptable. He noted that the military had repeatedly violated various terms agreed upon in the NCA, even before the coup.
He pointed out that every time there has been a military takeover, whether it be in Myanmar’s past or elsewhere in history, the existing constitution is void, as was the case with the 1947 and 1974 constitutions, which were rendered void by the coups in 1962 and 1988.
In a joint statement released on October 13, 2023, signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), including the Karen National Union (KNU), the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF), and the Chin National Front (CNF), declared that the NCA cannot be implemented due to the absence of an official parliament following the coup. Furthermore, they asserted that the military’s assaults on civilians, which involve its Army, Air Force, and Navy and breach International Humanitarian Law, void the NCA.
3. Fundraising Event for the Spring Revolution Held in New York City
The New York City Burmese Community (NYCBC) organized its second Spring Revolution fundraising event in New York on October 14, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event witnessed the participation of members of the Myanmar ethnic community in New York, as well as Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun.
Along with the fundraiser, a prayer for the Kachin ethnic people who tragically lost their lives in a bombing attack by the military junta in Laiza, Kachin State, was held.
Moreover, the event featured various activities, including revolutionary music performances, raffles, games, and a diverse range of items for sale, including Burmese food, clothing, and jewelry.
Despite the rainfall, a significant number of people attended and showed their support for the event, resulting in a collection of $21,186 in revolutionary funds.
4. PDF-Zoland urges junta soldiers and police to join Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) promptly
Zomi Federal Union (ZFU), also known as the PDF-Zoland, has made an announcement urging junta soldiers and police in Chin State to promptly participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). They also stated that those who join the CDM along with their weapons will be recognized and rewarded. Additionally, PDF-Zoland has also extended this call to government employees from various departments working under the military junta in Chin State, urging them to engage in CDM without delay.
“We would like to urge them to participate in CDM as soon as possible. There are people, police, soldiers, and employees who couldn’t get out due to various reasons. In consideration of them, we would like to ask them to come and join before we stage city takeover battles,” a spokesperson from the PDF-Zoland said.
The PDF-Zoland issued a warning that they will no longer show leniency towards individuals who fail to join the people’s side in a timely manner once the city-capture battles begin.
5. Daw Na Column initiates attacks on bridge checkpoint in Kawkareik and 19th Military Operation Command in Ye, leading to junta troop casualties
The Daw Na Column of the People’s Defence Force (PDF) in the Southern Command, which has expanded its military operations in Mon State and Karen State, launched attacks on junta-held locations in those areas in collaboration with alliances.
On October 11, allied forces from Daw Na Column and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) launched an attack on a checkpoint located at a 5-ton bearing bridge along the Kawkareik-Myawaddy Road in Kawkareik, Karen State. Approximately 20 junta troops from Infantry Battalion No. 201, operating under the 22nd Infantry Division, were deployed at the bridge checkpoint, where they were involved in collecting extortion money. With precise identification of military targets, the attack included sniper rifles of 0.338 caliber and 40mm artillery, which resulted in the deaths of three junta troops and injuries to several others, according to a report of Daw Na Column.
Furthermore, on October 13, Daw Na Column, in collaboration with local alliances, including the Ye Guerrilla Force (YGF), initiated an attack on the headquarters of the 19th Military Operation Command (MOC-19) located in Ye, Mon State. This action was taken upon receiving information that approximately 100 troops had been newly deployed to the headquarters. The attack involved firing artillery shells into the headquarters, resulting in the injury of five junta troops.
Members of the alliance People’s Defense Forces managed to withdraw safely without any harm during both of these attacks.
6. Junta column raids villages in Tanintharyi, tortures and abducts residents, destroys village social support group’s vehicles and houses
Reportedly, junta troops conducted a raid on Kye village tract in Palaw Township, Tanintharyi, where they tortured and abducted several residents.
On the evening of October 13, 2023, an approximately 100-strong junta column arrived in Kye village, where they set fire to two vehicles belonging to the village’s social support group, which provides emergency medical services and assistance with funerals, as well as burning down some houses in the village, according to reports from local residents.
A man from Palaw Township informed People Spring that “there are people being beaten and arrested, but the exact details are not yet known. Most of the villagers have been fleeing in the past two days before they entered the village.”
Over the past two days, the junta column conducted a raid on Than Pon village in the Kye village tract, forcing residents from neighboring villages to evacuate, including 4,000 individuals from 1,000 households in Kye village.
Situated approximately 23 miles away from Palaw Town, Kye village tract shares its border with Palaw Township and Myeik Township.
#Credit : Radio NUG
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