Summary of News
- Foreign Minister Daw Zin Mar Aung to speak at Munich Security Conference (MSC 2024) alongside global leaders
- Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun warns of food shortages and malnutrition among children and vulnerable groups due to the military junta’s blockade of humanitarian aid
- Karenni Interim Executive Council (IEC) initiates bus service linking Demoso, Mawchi, and Mese Towns
- Military junta imposes long prison sentences and life imprisonment on four Chin ethnic civilians
- AA captures Baw Di Kone border guard outpost in Maungdaw within 24 hours
- Attack on a military junta’s support vessel in Chaung-U claims the lives of 8 junta troops and leaves 15 injured
- Junta evacuates troops and families from Ma-ei Town, Rakhine State, via helicopter
- Junta troops initiate arson attacks on easily combustible houses in Kawlin
- PNLA announces the capture of a military Junta troop after an ambush by junta forces and affiliated Pa-O militia
1. Foreign Minister Daw Zin Mar Aung to speak at Munich Security Conference (MSC 2024) alongside global leaders
Daw Zin Mar Aung, Union Minister of Foreign Affairs for the National Unity Government (NUG), will speak at the high-level debate at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2024. This prestigious event, established in 1963, serves as the world’s leading forum for debating international security policy and will mark its 60th anniversary during the conference scheduled from February 16 to 18, 2024, at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, Germany.
Union Minister Daw Zin Mar Aung will contribute to the conversation themed “Rebels With a Cause: Voices of Civil Resistance,” which will be moderated by Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State of the United States. Other participants include the opposition leader of Belarus and an Iranian activist.
A Myanmar activist living in Germany described it as “the entry of a people’s government onto the international stage publicly,” adding that it reflects the collective efforts of individuals both within and outside the country striving towards the goal of establishing a federal democratic union.
Following the conference, on February 19, Union Minister Daw Zin Mar Aung will engage with the Myanmar community in Munich before continuing her trip to Frankfurt. On February 20, she will participate in a panel discussion at Goethe University Frankfurt and meet with the Myanmar community there as well. Afterward, she will travel to France.
2. Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun warns of food shortages and malnutrition among children and vulnerable groups due to the military junta’s blockade of humanitarian aid
Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, the Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, underscored during an open debate of the UN Security Council on February 14th that internally displaced individuals, particularly the most vulnerable, such as children, face severe health risks due to food shortages and malnutrition resulting from the military junta’s blockade of humanitarian aid.
He emphasised that Myanmar is highly susceptible to extreme climate events like cyclones, floods, and droughts, posing a continual threat to food security, especially for rural farming communities. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun noted that vulnerabilities have escalated since the 2021 coup, exacerbating the situation.
The aftermath of the coup attempt and subsequent rule of law has left approximately 19 million people in Myanmar in need of humanitarian assistance, including 6 million children who lack access to essential healthcare and education and face food insecurity and malnutrition.
Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun stressed the urgency for the international community, especially humanitarian aid providers, to ensure that assistance reaches all those in need, particularly those in conflict-affected areas, in a sustainable and predictable manner. He called for concerted, coordinated, and sustained efforts from the international community.
He urged the Security Council to take enforcement actions in response to its repeated demands to end violence and ensure unhindered humanitarian access in Myanmar. The illegal junta’s brutal actions, including displacing 2.6 million people and destroying homes and livelihoods, have significantly disrupted food production in various parts of the country.
3. Karenni Interim Executive Council (IEC) initiates bus service linking Demoso, Mawchi, and Mese Towns
The Trade, Investment, and Transportation Department of the Karenni Interim Executive Council (IEC) announced on February 16th the initiation of a bus service connecting Demoso, Mawchi, and Mese in Karenni State. This move comes after the Karenni Coalition gained control of towns in Karenni State. The Trade, Investment, and Transportation Department was established on February 12th, with L. Phaung Sho appointed as the department head and four deputy department heads.
Established in June 2023 under the political leadership and policy guidance of the Karen State Consultative Council (KSCC), the IEC is chaired by Khu Oo Reh, who also leads the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and vice-chaired by Khun Bi Htoo, who heads the Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF). The IEC plans to establish at least 12 state affairs departments to oversee governance in Karenni State.
4. Military junta imposes long prison sentences and life imprisonment on four Chin ethnic civilians
According to the Mindat Post, an independent local media outlet in Chin State, two individuals from Mindat Township, Chin State, received life sentences, while two others from Hakha Township were sentenced to seven years in prison by the military junta on February 12.
The two individuals from Mindat were convicted of life imprisonment for allegedly supporting revolutionary forces by providing them with rations, failing to report their information to the military junta, encouraging government employees to engage in criminal activities, and other charges. It is stated that detailed information about their cases is still being processed.
Meanwhile, the two individuals from Hakha Township were sentenced to seven years in prison on allegations of having connections to the revolutionary forces.
According to the Mindat Post, nearly 60 residents of Mindat Township have been unjustly arrested and accused over the past three years since the attempted military coup.
5. AA captures Baw Di Kone border guard outpost in Maungdaw within 24 hours
The Arakan Army (AA) announced the successful capture of the Baw Di Kone border guard outpost in Maungdaw Township on the morning of February 16, amidst airstrikes and ground artillery shelling by the military junta. The offensive, initiated at 6:20 a.m. on February 15, resulted in the capture of 14 bodies of junta troops and various military equipment.
Additionally, on the same day, AA forces engaged in a clash with the military junta’s 263rd Infantry Force near Pan Taw Pyin village in Maungtaw Township, leading to the deaths of 12 junta troops and the confiscation of military equipment.
Furthermore, AA forces clashed with military junta troops from the 536th Infantry Battalion on the foothills near Kha Naung Gyi village in Rathedaung Township on the same day, resulting in at least 4 junta troops killed and 10 others injured. The clash prompted artillery support from the bases of the 536th, 537th, and 538th Light Infantry Battalions, according to the AA Info Desk.
6. Attack on a military junta’s support vessel in Chaung-U claims the lives of 8 junta troops and leaves 15 injured
On February 15, a coordinated operation involving Squadrons 3 and 4 of the Monywa District’s 12th Battalion and the Monywa District’s 8th Battalion of the People’s Defence Force (PDF), the Nga Moe Yeik Column of the Monywa District People’s Defence Team (Pa-Ka-Fa), as well as local defence forces such as the Chaung-U Local Defence Force (CLDF) and the Royal Tiger Force, launched an attack on a military vessel returning from transporting rations to military junta outposts in Chaung-U Township along the Chindwin River. The attack utilised RPGs, light firearms, and grenades dropped by drones, resulting in the deaths of two troops, including a vessel operator, and injuries to a captain.
Additionally, the vessel was ambushed again by the Burma National Revolutionary Army (BNRA) on its return from Kan Gyi Kone village while carrying Pyu Saw Htee militia, resulting in the deaths of seven junta troops and injuries to 15 others.
7. Junta evacuates troops and families from Ma-ei Town, Rakhine State, via helicopter
According to Western News, an independent local media outlet, on February 15, the military junta evacuated its soldiers, police personnel, and their families from Ma-ei Town, Toungup Township, Rakhine State, using helicopters. The evacuation included military weapons and ammunition. A video clip showing a military helicopter loading weapons and ammunition surfaced on social media.
Following a warning issued by the Arakan Army (AA) to military junta personnel across Rakhine State, including those stationed at the Regional Operation Command headquartered in Sittwe, troops and governmental personnel under the military junta from Sittwe, Toungup, Kyaukphyu, and Ann are reportedly fleeing.
As the AA intensified efforts to capture military bases in Ma-ei, fighting escalated, with the AA reportedly targeting a military convoy attempting to reinforce Ma-ei. Additionally, a bridge connecting Ma-ei and Pyinwun was destroyed by military junta troops using mines on the night of February 16, according to local sources.
8. Junta troops initiate arson attacks on easily combustible houses in Kawlin
In Kawlin Town, Sagaing Region, where people’s defence forces took control on November 6 last year, ongoing clashes persist between military junta troops and the people’s defence forces. Local reports indicate that military forces have begun setting fire to easily flammable houses in the town.
According to Kachinwave, a local media outlet, military personnel were heard discussing the strategy of igniting wooden houses that are prone to burning quickly. Kachinwave claimed to have obtained audio recordings of these discussions among the troops.
Furthermore, starting in the afternoon of February 16, military troops reportedly conducted marches around villages near Kawlin Town, including Yaw Myay Ni, Kwint Taung, Kyu Taw, and Ya Ma. Additionally, they targeted houses within Kawlin Town’s wards, as well as roads and bridges connecting Kawlin to other areas, as reported by the Kawlin Revolution (KR) team.
The military junta launched a massive offensive on Kawlin Town, previously captured by the people’s defence forces, resulting in intense ongoing fighting in the region. Presently, military forces are deployed all over Kawlin Town.
9. PNLA announces the capture of a military Junta troop after an ambush by junta forces and affiliated Pa-O militia
On February 17, the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA) announced the capture of a military junta soldier, along with weapons, during area clearance operations in Hsihseng in Southern Shan State. The capture followed clashes between PNLA forces and military junta troops, along with junta-affiliated Pa-O militia, who had ambushed PNLA forces conducting security measures in Hsihseng and Hopong Township.
Additionally, the PNLA reported seizing a 60-mm short-length mortar and ammunition during another clash in Hsihseng when a combined force of the military junta troops and Pa-O militia attempted to conduct military operations in Hsihseng Township.
Furthermore, the PNLA stated that the military junta forces fired over 40 rounds of artillery shells at villages in Hopong Township on the evening of February 16.
#Credit : Radio NUG
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