Summary of News
- NUG Health and Education Minister meets with leaders of Japanese labor unions
- NUG Ministry of Human Rights alerts public to fake statement on social media
- Completion ceremony held for TLEC teachers’ capacity-building training in Mong Ngaw
- Final farewell to Comedian Wine Kyaw of Har Ngar Kaung troupe held in Mae Sot
- Military junta bombs AA-held Mrauk-U District Administration Office, killing six
- Attack on military junta forces in Kyee Pa Don village in Montwa township results in the deaths of 17
- KIA commemorates fallen heroes with a prayer ceremony at Southern HQ
- Military junta forces flee in disorder after landmine attack in Yesagyo; five rifles seized
- 326 officers trained in Arakan Army’s first military officer training course in Rakhine State
1. NUG Health and Education Minister meets with leaders of Japanese labor unions
According to a press release from the National Unity Government (NUG)’s Representative Office in Japan, Dr. Zaw Wai Soe, Union Minister of Education and Health, visited the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO) and the Japanese Association of Metal, Machinery, and Manufacturing Workers (JAM) during his visit to Japan.
The Union Minister expressed gratitude to the Japanese trade unions for their ongoing support of Myanmar’s democratic transition and discussed continued collaboration with the NUG government on labor issues. He also addressed the protection and rights of Burmese workers in Japan.
2. NUG Ministry of Human Rights alerts public to fake statement on social media
On May 23, the National Unity Government (NUG) Ministry of Human Rights announced that a fake statement dated May 23, pretending to be issued by the ministry, has surfaced on social media. The fake statement contains texts inciting ethnic and religious conflicts in Rakhine State.
The official NUG statement on the situation in Rakhine State, issued on May 21, is reiterated here:
“The National Unity Government is alarmed by grave reports on the situation in Buthidaung township in northern Rakhine State. The terrorist military council is purportedly making inter-communal conflict by creating chaos and the large-scale destruction, bombing and aerial attacks on the villages. Rakhine, Rohingya and Hindu civilians are being forced to move and their houses are being burnt.
Some distressing reports also allege that an unconfirmed number of civilians have been killed and wounded. We are deeply concerned that violations in northern Rakhine State may be ongoing.
The National Unity Government joins others in calling for the cessation of all attacks on civilians and civilian property; for the protection of all civilians, property, and objects, particularly those persons most vulnerable; and for the immediate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to all persons in need, including cross border.
The National Unity Government is fully committed to its international humanitarian and human rights law obligations, including through our military Code of Conduct. We hold ourselves to this standard and expect the same of all actors and forces in Myanmar.
The National Unity Government has repeatedly acknowledged that shameful past actions and failures in Myanmar allowed horrendous atrocities to be committed against minority communities, including the Rohingya, Rakhine, and others in Rakhine State. We are committed to ensuring that these crimes are never repeated. All attempts to foment divisions between ethnic communities must end.
We remain committed to the shared vision of structural change for all our people to live in peace, not only for regime change. We must continue to build trust, mutual respect, understanding and tolerance.
We will also work with UN bodies and international mechanisms to support justice, and with UN entities in Myanmar to help implement the Rosenthal report’s recommendations.”
3. Completion ceremony held for TLEC teachers’ capacity-building training in Mong Ngaw
On May 22, a ceremony marked the completion of capacity-building training for Ta’ang Land Education Council (TLEC) teachers in Mong Ngaw. A total of 132 teachers attended the month-long training held at Mong Ngaw High School, under Brigade 2 of the Palaung State Liberation Front/Ta’ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA).
These newly trained teachers will now take up roles in basic education schools within Mong Ngaw township. The PSLF/TNLA News and Information release highlighted the opening of these schools as a significant opportunity for both students and teachers in the area.
At the ceremony, the teachers who completed the training received honorable awards, with outstanding teachers in each subject receiving special recognition. Donors who supported the training financially were also given certificates of appreciation. The event was attended by members of TLEC, the township administration committee, officials from various departments, ward administrators, local residents, and teachers
4. Final farewell to Comedian Wine Kyaw of Har Ngar Kaung troupe held in Mae Sot
Comedian Wine Kyaw (also known as Wai Lin Tun) from the famous Har Ngar Kaung troupe in Myanmar passed away on the morning of May 22 in Mae Sot, where he was receiving treatment for kidney disease at Mae Sot Hospital. His funeral took place that afternoon at Kyaung Kyi Monastery, and he was laid to rest in a cemetery near Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot.
Wine Kyaw, who was 38 at the time of his passing, actively participated in anti-military dictatorship activities and helped raise funds for the revolution after arriving in a liberated area following the military coup attempt in February 2021. His loss has been deeply mourned by the revolutionary community as well as people, who expressed their sorrow and wished him peace.
The military junta troops, along with their associated Pyu Saw Htww militia, have been known for engaging in extortion, arrests, and forcibly seizing food from civilian travellers at security checkpoints.
The revolutionary forces have warned these military junta members that if they persist in harassing civilians, they will face more advanced military equipment.
Military News
5. Military junta bombs AA-held Mrauk-U District Administration Office, killing six
On May 24, the military junta bombed the District Administrative Office in Mrauk-U, Rakhine State, which had been captured by the Arakan Army (AA), using a fighter jet, resulting in the deaths of at least six AA members.
Local media and residents reported that the airstrike occurred around 9:40 a.m., completely destroying the district office near the police station in Lay Myo Sar ward. Many were also injured in the attack. According to sources, the strike was based on intelligence about AA troops’ presence at the location.
The incident has heightened local concerns as the junta continues to bombard towns and villages where civilians live.
6. Attack on military junta forces in Kyee Pa Don village in Montwa township results in the deaths of 17
The Budalin Township People’s Defense Team reported that joint revolutionary forces launched an attack on military junta forces stationed in Kyee Pa Don village, Monywa township, Sagaing Region. The attack, conducted on May 21 at around 2:00 p.m., involved artillery and firearms.
During the engagement, the military junta troops retaliated with RPGs and firearms, with additional support from the Kyaut Sit Pon Artillery Battalion. Subsequently, the revolutionary forces retreated. The operation was carried out by the Budalin Township People’s Defense Team, Wa Lone village defense team, other local defense forces, and Sar Ka Lay village defense team.
7. KIA commemorates fallen heroes with a prayer ceremony at Southern HQ
On May 23, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) Southern Regional Command Headquarters hosted a prayer ceremony to honor martyrs from the Kachin People’s Defense Force (KPDF) and KIA Brigades 4, 6, and 10. These individuals sacrificed their lives in battles against the military dictatorship in northern Shan State during 2023 and 2024.
The ceremony took place at Pandang Hall, with prayers for the fallen heroes. A military salute was also held at Dima, where the martyrs are buried, followed by a memorial prayer at Pandang Hall.
Attendees included KIA Southern Military Command officials, KIA officers, soldiers, families of the martyrs, and over 600 local residents and defense comrades.
8. Military junta forces flee in disorder after landmine attack in Yesagyo; five rifles seized
The Daung Thway Ni Guerrilla Force-YSO reported a successful landmine attack on military junta forces advancing toward Zee Taw village in Yesagyo township, Magway Region. The attack resulted in potential casualties among the junta troops and the seizure of five rifles and ammunition.
The military junta forces, divided into two columns, invaded the villages of Kyauk Htet, Thae Taw, and Zee Taw at around 5:15 a.m. on May 17 by firing indiscriminate artillery and gunfire. Revolutionary forces launched artillery and gunfire from the hills, using landmines and cluster mines, causing the junta soldiers to retreat in disarray.
In retaliation, the junta forces torched Zee Taw and Kyauk Htet villages and killed seven local residents. As a result, over 100 houses were reportedly burned down. On May 21, during a clearance operation following the junta forces’ withdrawal from Zee Taw village, the revolutionary forces recovered three MA-1 rifles, two MA-3 rifles, nine box magazines, 168 rounds of 5.56 ammo, and two sets of bulletproof equipment.
Daung Thway Ni Guerrilla Force-YSO has called for support from donors at home and abroad to help purchase additional ammunition for the seized rifles.
9. 326 officers trained in Arakan Army’s first military officer training course in Rakhine State
The Arakan Army (AA) announced that 326 officers have completed their training in the first military officer course held in Rakhine State. The graduation ceremony for the third batch of this course took place on May 20. The course, which began on November 1, 2022, included 326 trainees who were recognized as cadets on June 19, 2023, and graduated on May 20, 2024.
Previously, the Arakan Army’s Officer Training School was established in Kachin State, where Batch-1 and Batch-2 training courses were conducted. The AA plans to open Batch-4 of the officer training course and additional basic military training courses in the future. They encourage youth from Rakhine State interested in serving with the Arakan Army to contact local command offices for participation in the region’s development, defense, and stability efforts.
#Credit : Radio NUG
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