Summary of News
- The Union Prime Minister urges the international community to provide assistance to the people of Myanmar, who are suffering from various disasters
- The National Unity Government publishes the death toll and preliminary damage and loss data from Cyclone Mocha
- In Hpakant Township, the junta soldiers are invading villages and extorting gold and money from civilian houses by brandishing firearms
- The NUG, KIO, and MNDAA have contributed relief funds for the Rakhine people affected by Cyclone Mocha as well as for rescue work
- The junta soldiers dropped bombs using a drone on a civilian house in Pan Nyo village, Myaung Township
- More than 60 junta soldiers died during the seven-day battle in Kani and Yinmarbin Townships in Sagaing Division
1. The Union Prime Minister urges the international community to provide assistance to the people of Myanmar, who are suffering from various disasters
Union Prime Minister Mahn Winn Khaing Thann addressed the following at the Cabinet Meeting (19/2023) of the National Unity Government held on May 16:
“For issues related to natural disasters, even if we gather our local forces and work together to the best of our ability to deal with them, it will be difficult to effectively help and rescue if we do not receive international assistance. For this reason, on May 14, we called for international organisations to collaborate with our Emergency Operation Coordination Committee (EOCC) to provide the most effective relief assistance to the people who may be affected by the cyclone. From here, I would like to urge the international community again to provide assistance to our people, who are suffering from both man-made and natural disasters.”
According to the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States will provide an initial $200,000 to supplement ongoing relief activities in Myanmar.
2. The National Unity Government publishes the death toll and preliminary damage and loss data from Cyclone Mocha
On May 17, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management (MoHADM) of the National Unity Government (NUG) announced the death toll and preliminary damage and loss data from Cyclone Mocha.
As of May 17, according to the MoHADM, 455 people have died due to Cyclone Mocha, with the majority of the fatalities occurring in Rakhine and Magway. In 32 townships, 1,568 houses, 34 infrastructures (roads, bridges, and lampposts), and 42,517 acres of agricultural land were destroyed.
As of right now, the National Unity Government has utilised 64,057, 000 MMK of the initial fund support for Cyclone Mocha relief efforts.
3. In Hpakant Township, the junta soldiers are invading villages and extorting gold and money from civilian houses by brandishing firearms
Union Minister Dr. Tu Hkawng stated on May 18 that in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, the junta soldiers are invading villages and extorting gold and money from civilian houses by brandishing firearms.
“In Hpakant, junta soldiers have completely turned into robbers. They took all the gold and money from all the houses in every village they came across by brandishing firearms, so people are worried every night. Since quite a while ago, every night, dead bodies have been consistently found on the street. Young and middle-aged people, who were unknown as from where they [the junta soldiers] had captured them, were being tortured, beaten, and killed on the street, but no one dared venture outside to witness it,” Union Minister Dr. Tu Hkawng stated on social media.
The Union Minister also stated that the revolutionary organisations, including the KIA and the NUG, are trying to stop those incidents and that the junta members often commit crimes against civilians in villages under their control where revolutionary resistance groups do not exist.
4. The NUG, KIO, and MNDAA have contributed relief funds for the Rakhine people affected by Cyclone Mocha as well as for rescue work
According to the press releases of ULA/AA, the National Unity Government (NUG), the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), and the Myanmar National Truth and Justice Party/ Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNTJP/MNDAA) donated relief funds to the United League of Arakn/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) for the Rakhine people affected by Cyclone Mocha as well as for rescue work.
Severe cyclonic storm Mocha hit Myanmar on May 14, and Rakhine State suffered massive damage. More than 400 people are reportedly dead, and hundreds remain missing.
The National Unity Government contributed 100 million kyats to the ULA/AA for rescue works and relief assistance in the aftermath of severe cyclonic storm Mocha, while the KIO and the MNTJP/MNDAA donated 300 million kyats and 100 million kyats to the ULA/AA, respectively.
The ULA/AA has returned letters of appreciation to the NUG, KIO, and MNTJP/MNDAA that provided donations to be used for subsequent emergency relief operations.
5. The junta soldiers dropped bombs using a drone on a civilian house in Pan Nyo village, Myaung Township
The Civilian’s Defense & Security Organization of Myaung (CDSOM) stated that the junta soldiers dropped bombs using a drone on a civilian house in Pan Nyo village, Myaung Township, Sagaing Division, on the morning of May 17.
“The junta soldiers from the east bank of the Irrawaddy River dropped four Energa grenades on a civilian house in Pan Nyo village, Myaung Township, with a drone destroying the roofs, beds, and side walls of the houses. The people were not harmed because they were outside the house at the time of the attack,” it stated.
In the past, the junta troops often dropped bombs on the villages along the Irrawaddy River by using drones, causing casualties.
6. More than 60 junta soldiers died during the seven-day battle in Kani and Yinmarbin Townships in Sagaing Division
Kyauk Lone Gyi People’s Defence Force (KLG PDF) claimed on May 18 that more than 60 junta soldiers were killed during the seven-day battle in Kani and Yinmarbin Townships of Sagaing Division.
“During the seven days of the battle from May 11th to May 17th, we were able to fight so that more than 60 junta soldiers were killed and more than 30 were injured. During the battle, three comrades from our alliance forces nobly sacrificed their lives for the country,” the KLG PDF stated.
The operation was reportedly jointly carried out by nearly 20 defence forces, including the KLG PDF, the Union Liberation Front, the Dragon Brothers Force, and the People’s Defence Army-Yin Mar Bin (PDA).
#Credit : Radio NUG
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