Weekly Updates on Current Situation in Myanmar
(11-6-2023)
More than twenty-eight months ago on 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military 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 elected civilian government, parliamentarians and activists. Since then, the Myanmar military has ignored the will of the people of Myanmar, placed the country in turmoil, and made people suffer with inhumane and disproportionate actions.
As of 9 June 2023, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), the military ruthlessly killed 3,649 people, arrested 23,299 people, and 18,968 people remain in detention, whereas 157 people have been sentenced to death, including 115 post-coup death row prisoners and 42 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.
Serious crimes committed by the Military
Capturing Civilians and executing the hostages in Kawlin Township
According to the credible sources, a military column captured the villagers to use hostages on 30 May 2023, while the military forces conducted raids in the east of Kawlin Township of the upper Sagaing Region between 26 May and 4 June 2023. The Irrawaddy reported that of those captured, at least nine villagers were killed by the military.
Myanmar Now News reported that of those executed, the bodies of the seven victims were discovered on a hill, one mile from Moke Wa Village in Kawlin Township on 5 June 2023, after the military forces left their base in Koe Taung Boet Village in Kanbalu Township. The source said that five bodies were found together and two others were found nearby.
According to the Irrawaddy, six of the victims were reportedly civilians from Moke Wa Village, while the other was from Hpan Khar Kone Village.
Capturing Civilians to use as human shields in Salingyi Township
According to AAPP, a junta military column entered Salingyi Township of Sagaing Region, and then stationed in Wunpawng Company in the township on 6 June 2023. It was reported that within the township, the junta troops captured 15 locals from Moe Kyoe Pyin Village and around 30 locals from Yar Za Kyaw Village, to use them as human shields.
Attacking and Killing Civilians in Monywa Township
According to Myanmar Now News, the junta forces raided a base of the People’s Defence Force (PDF) located within Monywa Township of Sagaing Region on 7 June 2023. The junta troops fired heavy artillery at the camp of the second squadron of the Monywa District PDF’s Battalion 27 near Ye Kan Su village, located some nine miles northeast of Monywa.
The commander of Battalion 27 of the PDF said that around 80 junta soldiers carried out the attack, and they shot and killed four members of the resistance group, as well as two civilians. It was reported that after the civilians have been killed, their bodies were burned by the military.
Killing Civilians
Mizzima News reported that during the first week of June 2023, the junta forces fired heavy artillery in Min Htein Village in Pu Law Township of Tanintharyi Region. Due to the explosion of the artillery, three civilians were killed and over 10 civilians were injured.
On 7 June 2023, the junta forces raided and attacked Yay Kan Su Village in Monywa Township of Sagaing Region. It was reported that the military forces shot and killed the four PDF members and then set the bodies on fire. The source said that two local villagers were shot and killed.
On 7 June 2023, the junta forces fired two 120 mm artillery shells at Ywar Tan Shay Village in Kawkareik Township of Kayin State, in which the explosion killed a 12-year-old local named Saw Kyaw Than Aung, as well as injured his mother and 4-year-old sister.
In the evening of 7 June 2023, the junta forces fired artillery shells at Min Htein Village in Palaw Township of Tanintharyi Region, which exploded and seriously injured the local residents. It was reported that one of the two injured died at the hospital.
In the morning of 8 June 2023, the junta forces fired artillery shells at Nit Ka Yin Village in Ye Township of Mon State, and an artillery shell exploded on a house in the village, resulting in injuring a migrant worker named Tin Gyi. It was reported that she died while she was being transported to the hospital.
Raiding and killing civilians in Moebye Town
Local sources reported that junta troops raided Moebye Town located in southern Shan State, and during the two days of raids, at least five civilians were killed by the junta troops. According to the local rescue team, two brothers were shot dead by the junta troops in Moebye Town on 8 June 2023, and their father and two women were killed on 9 June 2023.
It was also reported that the two female victims were raped by the junta forces before they were killed. During the military’s raids, around 13 people were detained by the junta forces.
Firing Heavy Artillery and destroying the houses in Kayin State
According to the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), the junta forces fired heavy artillery in War Pin Su Village in Leldo Township of Kayin State on 9 June 2023, killing four civilians. Due to the explosion of the heavy artillery, the two houses were destroyed and the military forces further torched the other two houses in the village.
Arresting Civilians
The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reported that on 5 June 2023, the junta forces arrested a CDM teacher in Inn Taw Township of Sagaing Region. Furthermore, the junta forces also arrested the parents of the CDM teacher.
Displacement in South-East of Myanmar
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) released a displacement overview on 8 June 2023, stating that in the South-East of Myanmar, the number of internally displaced persons increased from 441,600 in the last week of May to 446,800 in the first week of June.
The overview highlighted the displacement situations as of 5 June 2023, particularly in Bago Region (East), Kayin State, Mon State and Tanintharyi Region.
In Bago Region (East), 4,200 people from five villages in Kyaukkyi Township were displaced within the township due to shelling on 30 May 2023. In Kayin State, 10 IDPs were verified in Hlaingbwe Township that they were displaced because of security concerns in the area. In Mon State, 500 people were displaced within the township because of armed conflict in the region on 17 May. In Tanintharyi Region, 610 people from at least five villages in Dawei Township were displaced within the township due to fighting near the villages on 28 May, and among them, 90 IDPs were displaced secondarily.
Activities of the National Unity Government
On 5 June 2023, Mr. Moe Zaw Oo, Deputy Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the National Unity Government of Myanmar, and Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations met with Mr. Joe Neguse, Congressman of the United States, and discussed and exchanged views on the issues of Myanmar.
At the Plenary of the High-Level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 held on 6 June 2023, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations delivered a statement. He expressed appreciation to the UN entities in Myanmar for their committed response and for their cooperation with the EOCC and relevant ministries of NUG, to all international donors for their support, and to ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Center (AHA Center) for its efforts. He welcomed the OCHA’s press release of Cyclone Mocha Flash Appeal on 23 May, its call for access to people in need and for an urgent injection of $333 million in humanitarian funds to facilitate a full-scale response to the cyclone and to sustain under-funded life-saving programmes. The Permanent Representative stressed that despite efforts from all corners, the illegal military, with its “four cuts” strategy, will attempt to hinder delivery of humanitarian assistance to all people in need especially those in conflict affected areas. The Permanent Representative requested the international community for more immediate help and assistance, the UN agencies and aid organizations to provide relief assistances fairly and equally to the most vulnerable community including IDPs all over the country, the international actors to collaborate with EOCC for providing relief assistances to the vulnerable community in Myanmar, and the international community to explore all possible ways to make sure that no one left behind in delivery of humanitarian aid and all people in need must receive much needed assistance in Myanmar.
H.E. Dr. Win Myat Aye, the Union Minister of the Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management Ministry and members met with Mrs Mathilde Teruya, Director of Southeast Asia Division of Foreign Ministry of France and other members in Paris on 9 June 2023. During the meeting, rehabilitation support of France regarding Mocha Cyclone in Myanmar was initially confirmed, and then the members exchanged views on humanitarian assistances for cyclone-affected people in Myanmar.
Actions and Remarks by the International Community in response to the Military Coup d’état
On 8 June 2023, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews said that Bangladesh must immediately suspend a pilot repatriation project for Rohingya to return to Myanmar, where they face serious risks to their lives and liberty. He said, “Conditions in Myanmar are anything but conducive for the safe, dignified, sustainable, and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees.”
Human Rights Watch released a report on 8 June 2023 that the military in Myanmar has threatened and harassed lawyers trying to defend the rights of protesters and others arbitrarily detained since the military coup. It was said that after the Human Rights Watch interviewed 19 defense lawyers and 7 legal advisers to international nongovernmental organizations working inside the Myanmar military’s special courts system, all 19 lawyers said they had experienced intimidation and surveillance by junta authorities. It was stressed that the military authorities appear to have targeted lawyers in reprisal for representing activists charged with sedition, incitement, or terrorism. A Myanmar researcher at Human Rights Watch said, “The military authorities should immediately release all those arbitrarily detained and stop harassing lawyers.”
At the United Nations daily press briefing on 9 June 2023, the Spokesperson for Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric stressed the deterioration of humanitarian access in cyclone-hit Rakhine State in Myanmar. It was said that the existing travel authorizations were temporarily suspended yesterday, pending centralized decisions in Nay Pyi Taw. He added that the initial approval for humanitarian distribution and transportation plans for cyclone-affected townships in Rakhine have also been rescinded, and some of the replenishment of relief supplies from outside the country are also pending. The Spokesperson mentioned that the suspension of access will impact hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in Rakhine, and since the cyclone, more than 110,000 people have received shelter and essential relief items in Rakhine and the north-west.
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Date: 11 June 2023
Permanent Mission of Myanmar to the United Nations, New York