Bi-weekly Update on the Current Situation in Myanmar
(1-08-2024 to 15-08-2024)
(43) months ago, on 1 February, 2021, the military junta attempted an illegal coup, toppled the civilian government, and unlawfully detained State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, and other senior members of the civilian government, parliamentarians and activists. Since then, the military junta has ignored the will of the people of Myanmar, placed the country in turmoil, and made people suffer tremendously as a result of its inhumane and disproportionate acts.
As of 15 August 2024, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), the military has ruthlessly killed 5,515 people and arrested another 27,211 people. 20,815 people remain in detention and 167 people have been sentenced to death, including 119 post-coup death row prisoners and 44 in absentia since 1 February 2021, when the military unleashed systematic and targeted attacks and violence against innocent civilians. Four democracy activists who were sentenced to death were executed by the military junta in July 2022.
Crimes committed Across Myanmar by the Junta Troops and its affiliates
Crimes perpetrated by the junta troops and its associates, militias across Myanmar include extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and the targeting of civilians, including children. These atrocities have led to widespread displacement, destruction of civilian properties, and a climate of fear and insecurity among the civilian population. The junta's widespread and systematic tactics of brutality are aimed at suppressing dissent and maintaining its grip on power, regardless of the human cost and violations of international law.
According to the data collected by the AAPP, from August 1 to 16, 2024, (11) women and (7) men; (18) people in total whose identities have been verified, were killed by the junta in the Sagaing Region and all of them were killed by the junta’s artilleries. Among (18) deaths, there is a 14-year-old girl and (2) people who were under the age of 60.
Mass Murders, War Crimes, and Crimes against Humanity Committed by the Military Junta
Junta military’s shelling kills four civilians north of Mandalay
Four civilians have been killed in Madaya Township, Mandalay Region, as heavy artillery fire erupted in late July, Myanmar Now reported, citing local sources. The fatalities occurred during two separate shelling of junta military on 24 July and 30 July in Tha Pyay Pin Kone Village, located just over a mile east of Madaya’s urban center and approximately 20 miles north of Mandalay along the Mandalay-Myitkyina road. On 24 July, exploding shells killed 70-year-old Daw Yi and her 45-year-old daughter Lae Yi Win in Tha Pyay Pin Kone. The mother and daughter were reportedly internally displaced persons (IDPs) from nearby Singu Township, having fled their homes due to the junta’s military operations. When villagers came to inspect the damage, another artillery shell landed, killing a villager named Aung Kyaw Htun.
In a similar accident, on 30 July, a villager named Than Win was killed instantly while gathering vegetables in her garden when a shell exploded near her at around 7 a.m. The explosion was so close that it beheaded her, according to a resident of Madaya. The resident described the incident as very bad luck and noted that everyone in the village is now terrified and fleeing for safety. According to locals, hundreds of junta troops stationed about a mile away in Kan Hpyu village have been shelling the surrounding area daily using heavy artillery.
In response to the escalating violence, the Mandalay People’s Defence Forces (MDY-PDF) of the National Unity Government has been conducting public outreach to educate civilians on how to avoid or minimize the danger from artillery and aerial attacks. In the last week of July, the group’s public relations and organizing department distributed an instructional online safety video.
Junta airstrikes on border hospital near China kill Ten
Junta military airstrikes hit a hospital in a city controlled by an ethnic minority resistance group close to the China border killing 10 people, local media reported on 1 August 2024. Military junta planes carried out at least two airstrikes on Laukkai on 30 July, according to Myanmar Now and AFP.
Local media also quoted one resident as saying that 10 civilians were killed in the strike. Myanmar's northern Shan State has been rocked by fighting since late June, when the military junta broke the ceasefire. The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) has held Laukkai since January after more than 2,000 junta troops surrendered there in one of the military’s biggest defeats in decades.
MNDAA spokesman Li Jiawen told AFP a military airstrike had hit a hospital in Laukkai, but he had no information yet on casualties. The junta has bombed Laukkai several times in recent weeks after the MNDAA renewed its offensive in northern Shan State, shredding a Beijing-brokered ceasefire.
Junta air force carries out retaliatory bombing raids in northern Shan State
Airstrikes by Junta forces killed at least six civilians and partially destroyed an open air market in Kutkai Township, northern Shan State on 5 August 2024, according to the Myanmar Now.
A woman in her 20s and five men were killed when junta warplanes dropped bombs near the market in Kutkai’s urban centre at around 3pm. Volunteer from local civil organization stated that they cremated four bodies and there were at least two bodies they were unable to identify.
The junta airstrikes destroyed around a third of the market and hit another nearby building in Ward 5. Kutkai was one of seven townships captured in late 2023 by the Brotherhood Alliance of ethnic revolutionary organisations during the first phase of Operation 1027, a coordinated anti-junta offensive launched in October 2023. Fear of further junta airstrikes prompted many residents to flee their homes in Kutkai, leaving many of the town’s streets quiet and deserted on 6 August.
The MNDAA released a statement on 5 August stated that the military junta conducted the airstrikes in retaliation for heavy losses incurred while fighting the Brotherhood Alliance within the past two months. The latest junta airstrikes occurred two days after the MNDAA captured Lashio, northern Shan State’s largest city, on 5 August after overrunning the junta’s North-eastern Regional Military Command headquarters.
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and allied forces also took full control of Kyaukme Township, northern Shan State on 5 August after overrunning two light infantry battalion bases north of town that junta ground forces had been defending with the help of air support for weeks. Junta fighter jets have carried out at least nine airstrikes in northern Shan State’s Laukkai and Hsenwi townships during July and the first week of August. On 1 August, junta airstrikes killed at least 10 civilians and hit a hospital in the border town of Laukkai, which is under MNDAA control.
Human Rights Abuses
Myanmar's Economy Crumbles Under Illegal Coup Attempt, Leaving Citizens in Daily Struggle: Myanmar Faces Third Fuel Shortage amid Economic Crisis
Myanmar is facing its third major fuel shortage since the illegal military coup, as residents in Yangon, Mandalay, and Naypyitaw struggle to find 92 and 95 octane petrol, according to reports from Myanmar Now and various local media outlets. The shortage is yet another symptom of the deepening economic crisis brought on by the junta's mismanagement and rampant corruption, which have left the country's economy in shambles and its people in dire straits.
Since 29 July 2024, gas stations across major cities have either shut down entirely or imposed strict limits on fuel purchases. In many cases, drivers are restricted to buying only 30,000 to 50,000 kyat worth of fuel per vehicle, equivalent to roughly 12 to 20 litres. In some areas, the limit is even lower.
A resident of Naypyitaw described the situation as increasingly desperate. He noted that earlier in the morning, he was only able to purchase 20,000 kyat worth of fuel, about 8 litres, after a long wait in line. Many gas stations in the capital have reportedly closed, including a military-owned station near the Naypyitaw City Development Committee Guest House, which ceased sales after just half a day.
In Yangon, the commercial hub of the country, drivers have resorted to judging their chances of obtaining fuel based on whether gas station signs are illuminated. One frustrated taxi driver mentioned that if the signs are not lit up, it indicates that the station is out of fuel, prompting him to turn back.
The situation is even more severe in Mandalay, where major distributors like Denko, Max, and Asia Energy have suspended operations at many of their petrol stations. A local resident explained that many larger stations are closed, leading to crowds at those that remain open. When these stations do sell fuel, it is often limited to about 3,000 kyat per customer.
Members of the business community, suggest that the root cause of the shortage lies in the collapse of the Myanmar kyat against the US dollar. On the fourth week of July, the dollar surged past the 5,000-kyat per a dollar mark for the first time, further destabilizing the already fragile economy. Fuel importers, who previously purchased up to 40 percent of the dollars they needed from the junta-controlled Central Bank of Myanmar at the official rate of just under 3,400 kyat per dollar, are now forced to pay the full market rate, which has soared to as high as 5,200 kyat per a dollar in recent trading.
Despite the skyrocketing dollar, fuel suppliers are not permitted to sell at prices that reflect the high cost of imports, leading many to limit their sales to avoid losses. One fuel importer noted that the dollar is skyrocketing, and it’s becoming harder to buy, but even at artificially low official rates, fuel traders can’t break even.
Currently, the junta’s market reference prices list a litre of octane 92 petrol at 2,487 kyat and octane 95 at 2,603 kyat, slightly lower than prices in May when the dollar was around 4,600 kyat. In mid-July, the Myanmar Petroleum Trade Association requested that the junta’s Petroleum Products Regulatory Department adjusted fuel prices based on actual dollar rates, rather than the official rate, but the request has not been addressed.
The fuel shortage is the latest in a series of economic woes under the junta’s rule, with similar crises occurring in September 2022 and December 2023. Despite the junta’s claims that it can resolve these issues by purchasing fuel from Russia, the shortages persist, exacerbating the daily struggles of Myanmar’s population as they contend with an ever-worsening economic situation.
Junta block more than 40 workers from leaving Myanmar at Yangon airport
Myanmar Now reported that more than 40 people returning to Myanmar after working abroad were prevented from departing the country again at Yangon International Airport on Thursday.
The junta’s decision to hold the workers appeared to be motivated by suspicion that they were attempting to evade the junta’s forced conscription to the military service. If this was the reason for the junta’s decision to hold them, it would mean individual travellers are now subject to enforcement that previously applied primarily to employment agencies brokering offers for work abroad.
The workers stopped at the airport had applied for jobs abroad through at least five different agencies of this kind, according to an employment agency owner with knowledge of the matter. They also all appeared to have applied for documentation through One Stop Service, an agency that collaborates with junta-controlled ministries and claims to provide a full range of services for finding employment overseas.
At the time they were stopped, the workers were in transit to various host countries including Japan, according to another employment agency owner, who said the incident prevented them from taking their prearranged connecting flights. Obtaining a junta-issued Overseas Worker Identification Card is now a requirement for workers leaving the country without going through an employment agency, a rule introduced after the illegal military coup attempt of 2021.
The cards are issued through One Stop Service at the labour office in Yangon’s Mayangon Township to applicants able to show proof of tax payment, work permits, and other required documents. Jobseekers using employment agencies’ services must go through a separate One Stop Service procedure—implemented collaboratively by the agency and the junta’s ministry of labour—allowing authorities to scrutinise and approve their stated reasons for going abroad.
The workers held at the Yangon airport on 1 August 2024 all appeared to have gone through at least one of these two procedures. According to the employment agency owner, the matter of the workers being stopped at the airport is reportedly under discussion between two junta-controlled ministries: the ministry of home affairs and the ministry of labour.
The military junta, which has faced armed resistance throughout Myanmar since coming to power in the 2021 coup, has revived a law requiring military service for men under 35 and women under 27. Since announcing the policy, the junta has struggled to recruit new soldiers and imposed various new restrictions on travelling and working abroad, especially for people in the eligible age range for military service.
Human Rights Abuses within Junta Military: Families of Junta Soldiers Forced to Directly Engage in Armed Conflict as Junta Struggles to Maintain Control
Military junta is increasingly forcing soldiers' families to provide security at frontline outposts as it loses ground to revolutionary forces, according to Myanmar Now. In northern Shan State and other major combat zones, the wives and children of soldiers are often compelled to risk their lives to maintain the military's positions.
This practice was starkly illustrated when anti-junta forces captured the North-eastern Regional Military Command headquarters in Lashio. Video footage from the aftermath of the battle showed the bodies of women and children among the dead, highlighting the military’s reliance on the families of its soldiers to hold the line.
According to Capt Zin Yaw, a defector from the junta army, the junta makes no effort to protect the dependents of soldiers stationed at army outposts, instead pressuring them into service. These family members are organized into teams led by the wives of commanding officers and second-in-commands and support duties. Many are put in positions where they must fight to the death, with no plan for their evacuation.
Since the launch of Operation 1027, a major anti-junta offensive initiated late last year, numerous reports have surfaced of entire army units surrendering to avoid mass casualties among soldiers and their families. In some cases, commanding officers have faced prosecution for choosing not to continue fighting.
The junta’s treatment of soldiers' families highlights broader human rights violations within the military, where the right to life, expression, and freedom of movement are severely restricted. Soldiers and their families are denied access to independent news, and most are unaware that their rights are being violated. The junta's control extends to every aspect of their lives, with family members being forced into hostilities as part-time soldiers under the guise of "supporting their partners' duty."
According to the principles of international law, anyone who directly engages in armed conflict can be regarded as a lawful target.
Soldiers' wives are required to undergo military training as "reserve forces" and are deployed as camp security guards without compensation. Children living in army compounds are similarly exploited. A retired warrant officer with over 40 years of service noted that while it was not unusual in the past for military wives to bear arms, the situation has drastically changed since the coup. Now, reports of soldiers' spouses being deployed in rear guard units during combat are becoming more common, reflecting a dramatic shift in conflict dynamics.
Military families also face severe restrictions on their freedom of movement, making it difficult to escape from their camps if they wish to avoid forced service. Even visits to relatives require written promises to return, effectively placing them under house arrest. For many, the prospect of life outside an army base is daunting, as they have no other home to go to and are afraid to live outside the confines of the military compound.
Despite junta leader Min Aung Hlaing's recent praise for soldiers, police, and militia members loyal to his military, and his promises of support for the families of those who have died or been injured in active service, the military continues to struggle with personnel shortages. This has led to the use of forced conscription as a means of replenishing its ranks, further underscoring the junta's disregard for the rights and well-being of its own members.
Actions of Resistance Forces against the Junta
Ethnic armed group seizes control of another town in northern Shan State
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) said that it has seized control of the town of Mongmit (Momeik) in northern Shan State.
A spokesperson for the group told Myanmar Now that it captured the town on 30 July 2024 morning after overrunning all key military positions in the area. TNLA spokesperson Lway Yay Oo stated that all of the junta’s bases, including those of Military Operations Command 21, Light Infantry Battalion 348, and Infantry Battalions 223 and 276, have fallen on the hand of their forces.
Mongmit is part of the Palaung Self-Administered Zone, which is predominantly populated by members of the Palaung or Ta’ang ethnic group. The township has a population of more than 67,000 and is bordered by Kachin State’s Bhamo District to the north and Mandalay Region’s Pyin Oo Lwin District to the south. Last week, TNLA-led forces took over the nearby ruby-mining town of Mogok in northern Mandalay Region as part of its renewed offensive against the junta.
Junta troops, families surrender to resistance forces at army’s north-eastern command centre
Myanmar Now reported that junta troops including injured soldiers surrendered to resistance forces at a crucial military command centre in Lashio, northern Shan State, on 2 August 2024, citing to video footage and sources close to the resistance forces.
Over 200 junta soldiers and their family members surrendered after the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and its allies launched an attack on the junta army’s North-eastern Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters. The MNDAA and its allies have captured most of the city this week. Captain Zin Yaw, a former army officer who defected to the anti-junta resistance, confirmed that junta troops and their family members within the North-eastern RMC premises surrendered to the MNDAA on 2 August morning.
Following the attack on the command centre, the MNDAA forces reportedly captured the junta-operated No. 9 Military Hospital located within the command headquarters' grounds. Sources close to the MNDAA indicated that the surrendering troops, including the injured soldiers and their families, had been residing in the No. 9 Military Hospital.
Video footage shared on social media showed MNDAA fighters escorting a group of junta soldiers, dressed in plain clothes, along with their family members, to another location. The footage also depicted injured soldiers wearing green hospital gowns, as well as women and children among the group.
Resistance forces capture Lashio and detain top military junta’s senior officials as a prisoners of war
According to the various media outlets, Myanmar’s resistance forces arrested at least three top-ranking junta senior officials as prisoners of war as they completed their takeover of Lashio, northern Shan State’s largest city. The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) announced on 3 August 2024 that it had successfully captured the headquarters of the junta’s North-eastern Regional Military Command (RMC) in Lashio after a month of intense fighting.
The announcement came a day after the ethnic Kokang armed group and its allies captured the command headquarters compound, taking nearly 500 prisoners, including family members. Three senior military officials were also among the prisoners of war: Maj-Gen Soe Tint, who was replaced as North-eastern RMC commander on July 18; Brig-Gen Thant Htin Soe, the third in command; and Brig-Gen Myo Min Htwe, head of Military Operations Command 1. On 4 August 2024, terrorist military itself had to confirm their drubbing.
Two other resistance forces, the Bamar People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Liberation Army, fought alongside the MNDAA in the battle for Lashio, which delivered a major blow to the junta that seized power more than three years ago. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) has also made significant gains since late June, capturing the towns of Nawnghkio and Mongmit (Momeik) in Shan State and the ruby-mining town of Mogok in Mandalay Region.
On the other hand, the Mandalay People’s Defence Force (MDY-PDF), which operates under the command of the National Unity Government, have also made major advances.
Ta’ang fighters, allies take full control of northern Shan State’s Kyaukme Township from military junta
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and its allies overran the last remaining junta outposts in Kyaukme Township on 5 August 2024 evening, gaining full control of the township after more than a month of fighting, Myanmar Now reported.
Forces led by the TNLA captured an artillery battalion base and most of Kyaukme Township’s urban areas last month.
The TNLA has held control of Kyaukme’s urban areas since then, successfully fending off an advance by over 300 junta reinforcements from southern Shan State in the third week of July, but was unable to capture the military’s infantry battalion bases north of town, in part due to the junta forces’ ability to call in air support.
However, according to the TNLA-connected source at the frontline, weeks of forceful assaults by the group’s fighters and allies finally forced all junta personnel and their families out of the Military Operations Command 1 (MOC-1) headquarters, the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 501 base, and the LIB 502 base by 5 August night.
Due to the need to secure the area and prevent retaliation by junta forces, clearing operations in the area were ongoing, the source added. Junta forces have increasingly relied on air power to fend off anti-junta forces’ attacks and to replenish its battalions’ supplies, weapons, and ammunition at its northern Shan State bases, according to sources involved in the battles. Of more than 300 junta troops and soldiers’ family members in Kyaukme, at least 100 are believed to have fled the junta bases.
The TNLA has set up an administrative apparatus in Kyaukme’s urban wards, allowing morning markets to function as usual, but phone and electricity services are currently out of order in the town and locals are reportedly having difficulty accessing drinking water, Myanmar Now stated.
Kyaukme, the 11th township taken over by TNLA-led forces during Operation 1027, is located on the Mandalay-Muse highway, a vital route for border trade between China and Myanmar.
With the capture of Kyaukme, all townships along this highway in northern Shan State are now under the control of the Brotherhood Alliance except Hsipaw Township, between Kyaukme and Lashio.
Resistance Forces Liberate Tagaung from Junta Control
The town of Tagaung in Thabeikkyin Township, Pyin Oo Lwin District, Mandalay Region, has been liberated from military junta control, announced the NUG’s Ministry of Defence. Revolutionary forces launched an attack on junta forces on the morning of 11 August and successfully took control by the evening of 12 August 2024. The operation’s success was due to the coordinated efforts of troops under the command of Military Region (1)’s Mandalay Regional Office, including Special Operations Battalion-3, No. (511) Battalion, Mandalay District Battalion-4, Mandalay Division Drone Force, and Thabeikkyin Township/Tagaung People’s Defense Teams (PDT). On 11 August, revolutionary forces seized key locations in Tagaung, including the general administration office, hospital, and police station, where several junta officers were stationed. The Lemyethna Pagoda was successfully captured on 12 August. During the battle, 64 junta soldiers were killed, and 20 were captured, including one lieutenant colonel and two majors. Among them were Lt-Col Ye Khaung, Major Moe Thwin, head of Military Advanced Training Depot-13, Major Mo Win, head of Basic Military Training Depot-2, Police Superintendent Aung Ko Win, and Deputy Township Head Zaw Linn Naung. In the aftermath, revolutionary forces confiscated 83 different weapons, more than 14,000 rounds of various ammunition, and 130 types of bombs. However, two People’s Revolution soldiers lost their lives during the operation.
Resistance forces take control of a nickel mine in northern Myanmar
Resistance forces under the Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) have taken control of a significant nickel-mining project in the country's north, according to a report from Myanmar Now. The Tagaung Taung mine, located approximately 150 miles north of Mandalay near the border between Mandalay Region’s Thabeikkyin Township and Sagaing Region’s Tigyaing Township, is Myanmar’s largest nickel production site.
Forces from the People’s Defence Force (PDF) seized the mine after junta troops stationed there agreed to withdraw without resistance. The NUG’s Presidential Office confirmed that they coordinated the peaceful surrender, ensuring the security of the departing military personnel.
The NUG has officially informed the Chinese side that it will take full responsibility for safeguarding its investment in the project. A spokesperson for the Presidential Office stated that after discussions with Chinese contacts, the NUG has assumed responsibility for security in the area surrounding the mine. He emphasized the NUG’s commitment to respecting foreign investments, including those from China, and assured that the safety of the factory, Chinese nationals, and their families will be protected.
According to the Myanmar Now, the Tagaung Taung Nickel Mine has been operational since 2008 under a 20-year production-sharing agreement between the Chinese state-owned China Nonferrous Metal Mining and Construction Company and Myanmar’s Ministry of Mines No. 3 Mining Enterprise. The project was developed with an investment of $855 million and an annual production target of 85,000 tonnes of nickel.
Myanmar resistance forces seize gold mine owned by junta crony
Myanmar Now reported that gold mine partly owned by Maung Ko, the former junta-appointed chief minister of Mandalay Region, was captured by the Mandalay People’s Defence Force (MDY-PDF) on 6 August 2024, citing a statement from the group.
The Phayaung Taung mine, located about 14 miles northeast of Mandalay in Patheingyi Township, is a joint venture between Maung Ko’s Myanmar Golden Point Family Co., Ltd. and the military-controlled Mining Enterprise No. 2. The mine site, which covers an area of 5,400 acres, is less than two miles from the Alpha Cement Factory, which was captured by the MDY-PDF in mid-July. A resident of the area told Myanmar Now that MDY-PDF troops took control of the mine after using drones to drop bombs on a nearby army outpost manned by around 30 soldiers.
Mining Enterprise No. 2 operated the Phayaung Taung mine from 1996 to 1998. It later signed a contract with Myanmar Golden Point Family allowing the company to run the mine for 25 years. Last year, the contract was extended by another five years.
An estimated 120 tons of ore are excavated daily from the open-pit mine, producing at least 1.5kg of gold each month, according to a report submitted by the junta-controlled Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation in early 2023. The ministry receives a third of the mine’s total output, making it a significant source of revenue for the junta. Gold prices have risen sharply in Myanmar since the coup in February 2021.
After the coup, Maung Ko was appointed Chairman of the Mandalay Region State Administration Council. The junta later made him Chief Minister of the region, a position he held until February 2023. He was then appointed to the State Administration Council. Maung Ko has been a target of US government’s targeted sanctions since December 2021, when he and three other junta-appointed chief ministers were named “Specially Designated Nationals” by the US Treasury Department.
In addition to heading Myanmar Golden Point Family Co., Ltd., Maung Ko is also chair of the Htar Wara group of companies, which operates in the gold industry and other business sectors, and is a shareholder in the Glory Farmer Development Bank, or G Bank.
Revolutionary Forces Seize MOGE Outposts in Magway Region
The National Unity Government’s Ministry of Defence announced that revolutionary forces had seized the Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE)’s Yay Nan Mhaw outpost (well-1 production camp) and Yay Nan Kyin outpost in Kyaww Sub-Township, Gangaw Township, Gangaw District, Magway Region on 15 August 2024. The operation was carried out with the coordinated efforts of the No. 1, 7, 11, 12, 14, and 19 battalions in Gangaw District, the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF), No. 4, 5, and 6 KKG battalions, the Hyper UAV Force (a drone unit in Gangaw District), and the People Defense Teams of Kyaw Sub-Township, under the command of the Gangaw District Command Office.
Activities of the National Unity Government
Myanmar’s Acting President Highlights Spring Revolution’s Successes
In a speech on 10 August 2024, Acting President of Myanmar’s National Unity Government, Duwa Lashi La, declared that the Spring Revolution, the nationwide movement against military rule, has garnered international attention and support due to its successes. In his remarks, Duwa Lashi La highlighted the achievements of the Revolution. He pointed to the capture of 75 cities across Myanmar, including the strategic military headquarters in Lashio on 3 August, as evidence of the revolution’s progress. “Those who began with nothing are now celebrating their victories,” he said. The acting president also asserted that the ruling Military Council is collapsing, citing a loss of morale and diminishing capacity to fight. He attributed the revolution’s achievements to the unity among Myanmar’s diverse ethnic groups, framing the movement as a collective effort that has been crucial in challenging the military’s grip on power.
NUG Announces Virtual Meeting with U.S. Officials to Discuss Humanitarian Aid and Support
The National Unity Government (NUG) announced on 16 August 2024 that Acting President Duwa Lashi La, along with key resistance organizations, held a virtual meeting with U.S. Department of State Counsellor Tom Sullivan and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Assistant Administrator Michael Schiffer. The meeting included representatives from the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), the Karen National Union (KNU), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and the Chin National Front (CNF). During the meeting, Acting President Duwa Lashi La expressed gratitude to the United States for its commitment to helping the people of Myanmar and emphasized the importance of more humanitarian aid and increasing direct support and assistance.
NUG Pledges Continued Cooperation with Kachin Forces on 49th Kachin Martyrs’ Day
On 10 August 2024, the National Unity Government (NUG) marked the 49th anniversary of Kachin Martyrs’ Day by reaffirming its commitment to its revolutionary Kachin allies in the struggle to liberate all of Myanmar, including Kachin State, from the control of the terrorist Military and to establish a nation grounded in federal democratic principles. In its message, the NUG expressed condolences to the Kachin people and honored their significant sacrifices in the struggle for freedom, equality, and self-determination. The government emphasized its deep respect for the lives, blood, and sweat that Kachin nationals have poured into military revolution battles, including the ongoing Spring Revolution. The NUG also expressed admiration for the Kachin Independence Organization/Kachin Independence Army (KIO/KIA) and Kachin national leaders for their unwavering dedication. It expressed pride in the Kachin revolution’s enduring strength and unity, noting that the KIO/KIA has continued to lead and inspire revolutionary efforts over the past 49 years.
Response of the International Community
Remarks on Myanmar at Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
On August 12, 2024, during the daily press briefing, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq condemned in the strongest terms the recent escalation of violence, which has resulted in heavy civilian casualties in the country. Civilians have been killed in the towns of Maungdaw, Rakhine State, and Lashio, Shan State. These incidents are part of a deeply concerning trend in the intensifying conflict, where civilians are bearing the brunt, and millions of lives have been upended. Haq reminded all parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian property, and emphasized the need for safe access to humanitarian aid for all communities. Amid the worsening situation, 18.6 million people require humanitarian assistance, including six million children. The 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan remains underfunded, with only 21% ($214 million) of the required $994 million received eight months into the year, and more resources are urgently needed to assist 5.3 million people in need across the country.
ASEAN Ministerial Meeting Shows Deepening Internal Rift over Myanmar and South China Sea
The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada noted that the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) in Laos on July 25 highlighted the bloc's ongoing divisions regarding responses to the two significant threats to regional peace and stability: the escalating crisis in Myanmar and rising tensions in the South China Sea. This lack of unity may further undermine ASEAN's ability to promote its centrality in addressing regional issues and engaging with external powers. ASEAN's approach to Myanmar remains ineffective as the crisis worsens. The disagreement within ASEAN on how to engage with Myanmar's evolving conflict has weakened the bloc's negotiating power and its ability to pressure the junta.
The international community has imposed a total of 61 targeted sanctions against junta military, yet experts say they have had little impact
Since the 2021 illegal military coup attempt, sanctions have been imposed against the military junta, but experts say they have had little impact. Min Min Thaw, a senior lecturer in economics, suggests that targeting the banking system, particularly the Central Bank, would be more effective in leading to the military's downfall.
The lack of comprehensive US sanctions against the Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), believed to be the junta's largest source of foreign revenue, has weakened the overall impact of sanctions. Canada, the UK, and Australia have yet to impose sanctions against MOGE.
The Blood Money Campaign is advocating for more targeted sanctions against the junta, while the US has imposed 21 sanctions on 93 individuals and 49 organizations, including MOGE. The EU, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have also imposed various sanctions.
Despite this, the junta has downplayed the impact of sanctions, with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing calling for increased agricultural production and livestock in response. The junta has sought to increase economic ties with China, India, and other countries that have not sanctioned junta and has taken steps to limit dependence on the US dollar.
Experts argue that individual boycotts have little impact and that more targeted sanctions are needed to support the revolution in Myanmar.
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Date: 15 August 2024
Permanent Mission of Myanmar to the United Nations, New York
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