August 2021 - Myanmar Special Weapons News

Myanmar Factory Workers Forced to Choose Between Chinese Vaccines And Pink Slips Radio Free Asia 30 Aug 2021 -- Factory workers in Myanmar's largest city Yangon are being forced to decide between receiving bonuses for getting Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines or pink slips, despite concerns they have about potential side effects from the drug, labor activists said Monday.
Russia Seeks Arms Market, Foothold in SE Asia in Courting Myanmar's Isolated Junta Radio Free Asia 30 Aug 2021 -- Russia is strengthening ties with Myanmar's increasingly isolated junta in a bid to grow its global arms market and expand its influence in Southeast Asian regional affairs, political analysts said Monday, following Moscow's confirmation of plans to deliver military equipment to the nation.
More Than Three Dozen Civilians Dead Following Military Interrogation Since Coup in Myanmar Radio Free Asia 27 Aug 2021 -- More than three dozen civilians have died after being interrogated by the junta since Myanmar's military seized power in a Feb. 1 coup d'état, including an elderly man who told fellow villagers about how he was brutally tortured before succumbing to his injuries last week.
100,000 Rakhine Conflict Refugees Remain Displaced Nine Months After Truce with Myanmar Army Radio Free Asia 26 Aug 2021 -- Nine months after a ceasefire brought relative calm to Myanmar's western Rakhine state following a bitter two-year military conflict, Oo Thein Lwin and Ma Saw Yin are still trapped in a refugee camp, recalling when they grew their own food and found regular work in their village.
Fighting Seen Intensifying in Myanmar as Junta Deploys Troops to Ethnic Controlled Territories Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2021 -- Fighting between Myanmar's military and ethnic armed groups has ticked up in August and will intensify in coming days as the junta sends reinforcements to rebel-held territories in the embattled states of Kayah, Kayin, and Kachin, ethnic leaders said Wednesday.
Four Years After Massacres and Purge, Sympathy for the Rohingya Grows in Myanmar Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2021 -- Four years after the Myanmar military attacked ethnic Rohingya communities in the country's western Rakhine state, burning villages, killing residents, and driving hundreds of thousands as refugees across the border with Bangladesh, sympathy has grown for the Muslim minority, sources in the country say.
Myanmar junta considers forming militia groups in villages to fight opposition Press TV 24 Aug 2021 -- More than six months after taking over Myanmar in a coup d'etat, the military is now trying to further assert its rule by raising local militias in villages to fight opposition groups.
Thirty Youths Arrested in Yangon Raids After Myanmar Shadow Govt Warns of 'D-Day' Operation Radio Free Asia 24 Aug 2021 -- Security forces have detained more than 30 youths in Myanmar's largest city Yangon as authorities conducted a series of raids in response to the country's shadow government warning of a "D-Day" operation to oust the junta nearly seven months after it seized power through a coup.
4 Years After Fleeing Myanmar, Rohingya Still Risk Death Seeking a Better Life Radio Free Asia 24 Aug 2021 -- At least eight Rohingya children drowned in the Bay of Bengal last week – casualties of a desperate people's desire to get away from the Bangladeshi camps where they've been confined since fleeing Myanmar four years ago.
Marking the Fourth Anniversary of the Ethnic Cleansing in Rakhine State US Dept. of State 24 Aug 2021 -- Four years ago, Burma's military launched a horrific ethnic cleansing against Rohingya in northern Rakhine State. The brutality of the military's atrocities on that day shocked the conscience of the international community – but we recognize the Rohingya had already suffered decades of grave human rights abuses, and that many of those abuses continue today.
Arakan Army Eclipsing Government in Administering Myanmar's Rakhine State Amid Cease-fire Radio Free Asia 23 Aug 2021 -- The ethnic Arakan Army (AA) has been beefing up its administrative and judiciary mechanisms in western Myanmar's Rakhine state during the past nine months of a cease-fire negotiated with the army before the military coup, but the junta is now reinforcing troop levels in the region in response, according to sources in the area.
Junta Faces Difficulties on Myanmar Vaccination Program VOA 20 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's coup leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, is aiming for 50% of country's population to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of this year, but there are difficulties and obstacles on the ground to achieving that goal.
Increased Controls on Myanmar's Banking Sector Stokes Fears of Lender Defaults Radio Free Asia 20 Aug 2021 -- Nearly seven months after Myanmar's junta seized power in a coup d'état and amid a new outbreak of the coronavirus, the country's banking sector is in shambles and cash is in short supply, leaving account holders fearful about the security of their savings.
Myanmar Junta Targets Mobile Banking in Bid to Cut Off Opposition Funding Radio Free Asia 19 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's military regime is working to block the flow of funding to the country's shadow National Unity Government (NUG) and other anti-junta organizations by shutting down mobile banking accounts and forcing private lenders to submit daily reports on account activity, according to sources.
Myanmar's Elderly COVID-19 Patients Dying Alone at Home During Third Wave Outbreak Radio Free Asia 18 Aug 2021 -- Ye Thurein remembers the first time he led a rescue team to break down the doors of an elderly COVID-19 patient's home in Myanmar's largest city Yangon after a third wave of the coronavirus began to ravage the country in late May amid a shortage of hospital beds and medical supplies.
Cambodia's PM Hun Sen Acknowledges Myanmar Junta Chief Min Aung Hlaing as Head of State Radio Free Asia 18 Aug 2021 -- Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has acknowledged Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as the head of state in Myanmar in an open letter sent to the junta chief pledging to help control a deadly third wave of the coronavirus that has ravaged the country amid the political unrest of a coup d'état.
Desperate Rohingya Drown While Fleeing Remote Bangladesh Island VOA 23 Aug 2021 -- More than two dozen Rohingya are missing and feared drowned after their boat sank August 14 in the Bay of Bengal while they were fleeing a refugee settlement located on a remote Bangladeshi island.
Deadly journeys through Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea threaten 'tragic and fatal consequences' UN News 19 Aug 2021 -- Last year was the deadliest on record for Rohingya refugees journeying through the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said in a new report on Thursday, highlighting that some two-thirds of those attempting the perilous voyages were women and children – risking even further abuse by smugglers.
Myanmar's Elderly COVID-19 Patients Dying Alone at Home During Third Wave Outbreak Radio Free Asia 18 Aug 2021 -- Ye Thurein remembers the first time he led a rescue team to break down the doors of an elderly COVID-19 patient's home in Myanmar's largest city Yangon after a third wave of the coronavirus began to ravage the country in late May amid a shortage of hospital beds and medical supplies.
Karenni Army Marks Anniversary With Vow to 'Fight to The End' Against Myanmar Military Radio Free Asia 17 Aug 2021 -- The ethnic Karenni Army (KA) marked the 73rd anniversary of its founding Tuesday vowing to "fight to the end" to rid Myanmar of its military dictatorship and create a federal union with like-minded groups in the multi-ethnic country.
Scores of Myanmar Artists, Entertainers, Succumb to COVID Virus Radio Free Asia 17 Aug 2021 -- Pop stars, celebrated comedians, and beloved poets are among 130 Myanmar artists to have died in the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic since the beginning of July — deaths that loved ones blame on poor medical treatment in a country in turmoil six months after a military coup.
Myanmar's Junta Seen Moving to Dissolve NLD to Ensure Grip on Power Radio Free Asia 16 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's junta is targeting members of the deposed National League for Democracy (NLD), including its leader Aung San Suu Kyi and dozens of lawmakers, in a bid to disband the party and secure its tenuous hold on power six months after overthrowing the government, ousted lawmakers and analysts said Monday.
Hoarding of COVID Drugs in Myanmar Causes Prices to Soar Radio Free Asia 13 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's wealthy are hoarding immunosuppressive and antiviral medications to treat the coronavirus, paying thousands of dollars for them in the country's poorly regulated pharmaceutical market, while ordinary citizens struggle to buy the drugs, drug sellers and medical professionals told RFA.
More Than 1,100 Myanmar Troops Killed in Clashes With Local Militias Over Two Months Radio Free Asia 13 Aug 2021 -- At least 1,130 Myanmar soldiers were killed and 443 wounded in more than 700 clashes between junta forces and local militias across the country from June 1 to July 31, Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government (NUG) said in a report released on Aug. 9.
More Than 80 Civilians Killed by Myanmar Forces in Sagaing Township Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2021 -- More than 80 civilians have died during clashes in nearly four months of fighting between local militia members and junta forces in one strife-torn township in northwestern Myanmar's Sagaing, said the local militia in a statement that accused regime troops of killing 46 in three massacres.
Rohingya refugees receive first COVID vaccinations in Bangladesh UN News 11 Aug 2021 -- More than 4,000 Rohingyas living in Cox's Bazar refugee camps in Bangladesh have received their first COVID-19 vaccine shots, as part of a national inoculation drive to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday.
Special Envoy to Restive Myanmar Draws Mixed Reception VOA 11 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's shadow government says it welcomes the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' appointment of a special envoy to help resolve the country's post-coup crisis even as some rights groups reject the choice and regional lawmakers raise concerns.
United States Announces More than $50 million in Humanitarian Assistance for the People of Burma and $5 million in COVID-19 Assistance for Thailand US Dept. of State 10 Aug 2021 -- Today, during an official visit to Thailand, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced that the United States is providing more than $50 million in critical humanitarian assistance to the people of Burma, including those forced to flee violence and persecution.
Rights groups say Myanmar military attacking medics, hindering COVID-19 response Press TV 10 Aug 2021 -- Rights groups say Myanmar's military has killed more than two dozen medics and carried out hundreds of attacks against health workers in order to hamper the response to a resurgent outbreak of COVID-19 amid ongoing turmoil across the Southeast Asian country.
Rights Groups Press US to Declare Myanmar Committed Genocide Against Rohingya Radio Free Asia 10 Aug 2021 -- Ninety-five human rights organizations on Tuesday urged U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to declare that Burmese authorities committed genocide against the stateless Rohingya minority, as the fourth anniversary of their exodus from Myanmar into Bangladesh approaches.
US Provides $50 Million in Humanitarian Aid to Myanmar VOA 10 Aug 2021 -- The U.S. State Department announced Tuesday it was providing more than $50 million in humanitarian aid to Myanmar citizens who are coping with a humanitarian crisis sparked by a February 1 military coup.
Slim Hope for Progress Seen in Myanmar Talks With ASEAN Envoy Radio Free Asia 10 Aug 2021 -- Political opposition figures and analysts in Myanmar say they see scant hope that progress can be made toward resolving the country's crisis in expected talks between the generals who overthrew the elected government and a representative from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Myanmar military leaders attempting to legitimize power: UN Special Envoy UN News 10 Aug 2021 -- Six months after seizing power in a coup, Myanmar's military leaders now appear to be moving to consolidate their rule, the UN Special Envoy for the country said on Tuesday, in her latest briefing to journalists in New York.
Myanmar denies US allegations of involvement in plot against UN envoy Press TV 10 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's Foreign Ministry has denied US allegations of involvement in a plot against the Asian country's controversial anti-junta UN ambassador.
Myanmar Workers Stranded by COVID in Lao SEZ Protest to Return Home Radio Free Asia 09 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar migrant workers stranded at a special economic zone (SEZ) in northern Laos catering to Chinese gamblers staged a rare protest last week in a bid to return home amid an outbreak of the coronavirus, saying they haven't been paid in months and can no longer afford food or rent.
Myanmar Says Has Nothing to Do With Assassination Attempt on Country's UN Envoy Sputnik 10 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar is in no way involved in the alleged assassination attempt on the country's ambassador to the United Nations, the country's foreign ministry has said.
Interview: 'I Do Not Feel Worried at All Now,' Myanmar Envoy Says of Foiled Attack Radio Free Asia 09 Aug 2021 -- The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York announced on Aug. 6 the arrest of two Myanmar citizens residing in the city who had "plotted to seriously injure or kill Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations." The court filing states that Phyo Hein Htut, 28, and Ye Hein Zaw, 20, were involved in plans to attack Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun by tampering with the tires on his car to cause a crash while he was inside.
Myanmar's Military Blocks Supply Routes to 50,000 Refugees in Chin State Amid Renewed Fighting Radio Free Asia 09 Aug 2021 -- The military junta has cut all supply routes to a hilly town in western Myanmar's Chin state, putting as many as 50,000 refugees from months of fighting under siege with only two weeks supply of food, sources in the embattled region told RFA.
ASEAN Envoy to Myanmar Pledges to Involve All Parties in Negotiations Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2021 -- ASEAN's newly appointed special envoy to Myanmar will insist on meeting with jailed politicians and members of the opposition, he told reporters Saturday in his first public remarks about the role.
Myanmar: COVID-19 third wave has hit like a 'tsunami', warns WFP UN News 06 Aug 2021 -- The World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday that it is facing a 70 per cent funding shortfall in Myanmar, where millions face growing food insecurity.
Two Men From Myanmar Arrested in Plot to 'Injure or Kill' the Country's UN Envoy, a Junta Foe Radio Free Asia 06 Aug 2021 -- Two Burmese men have been arrested for allegedly plotting to kill or injure Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations near New York, U.S. officials announced Friday.
Myanmar Citizens Reject Junta's Immunization Plans and Chinese COVID-19 Vaccines Radio Free Asia 05 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's military junta has begun a nationwide vaccination campaign as the country struggles under a third COVID-19 wave, but many people are avoiding the jab as they mistrust not only the junta, but also vaccines of Chinese origin, sources in the country told RFA.
Fresh Clashes in Myanmar's Remote Ethnic Regions Lead to Casualties, Displacement Radio Free Asia 05 Aug 2021 -- Clashes between the military and rebel groups in Myanmar's remote ethnic regions have left several government troops dead and injured in recent days, according to sources, while vulnerable refugees in camps along the country's northwestern borders are in desperate need of supplies, aid workers said.
Bangladesh Sees Rise in Rohingya Fleeing Cox's Bazar Camps Radio Free Asia 05 Aug 2021 -- Rohingya refugees are increasingly slipping through barbed wire-topped fences that surround their camps in southeastern Bangladesh in search of work, domestically or abroad, officials said Thursday.
Myanmar's UN envoy reveals purported massacre by the junta Press TV 05 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Kyaw Moe Tun, who has refused to leave his post despite being fired after a coup in February, has revealed a purported massacre by the military regime.
Myanmar's UN Representative Alleges Massacres by Military VOA 05 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations has sent a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres alleging a series of massacres by the military last month in the northwestern part of the country.
Security on Myanmar's UN Envoy Tightened After Threat Radio Free Asia 05 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations, a critic of the country's six-month-old military regime, has been put under heightened security following a threat made against him by an unknown organization, RFA has learned.
Brunei Diplomat Appointed ASEAN's Special Envoy to Myanmar VOA 05 Aug 2021 -- Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asan Nations have appointed Brunei diplomat Erywan Yusof as its special envoy to military-ruled Myanmar.
Funeral Service Volunteers Lay Lives on The Line as Myanmar COVID Deaths Surge Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2021 -- As the death toll mounts from an outbreak of COVID-19 infections that Myanmar's junta has done little to control, volunteers in the country's largest city Yangon have stepped into the breach to provide funeral services to the poor and are putting their lives at risk to do so.
ASEAN urged to address Myanmar's post-coup turmoil Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- The FORUM-ASIA and Progressive Voice rights groups have called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to address the "dire" humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.
102 Days Later, ASEAN Finally Appoints Envoy to Myanmar Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2021 -- ASEAN on Wednesday appointed Brunei's top diplomat as its special envoy to Myanmar more than 100 days after the Southeast Asian bloc's members agreed to send an emissary to help resolve the post-coup crisis there.
Deputy Secretary Sherman's Call with Zin Mar Aung US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2021
Two New Deaths in Custody Bring Total to 32 Since Myanmar Coup Radio Free Asia 03 Aug 2021 -- Two more people have died under suspicious circumstances while undergoing interrogation by security forces in Myanmar, bringing to 32 the total number of such deaths since the military seized power in a coup d'état six months ago.
US: ASEAN Needs to Act Now on Myanmar Radio Free Asia 03 Aug 2021 -- The United States has said it is imperative for ASEAN to speed up its plan for initiating dialogue and reducing violence in Myanmar, now that the Burmese junta leader has appointed himself prime minister and announced that elections will not take place until 2023.
Humanitarian Groups: Myanmar Has Urgent COVID-Related Needs VOA 02 Aug 2021 -- A group of 16 humanitarian aid organizations has issued a joint statement warning about the "spiraling humanitarian catastrophe in Myanmar triggered by skyrocketing COVID-19 cases and widespread violence."
Myanmar's shadow government slams junta ruler for taking PM position Press TV 02 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's shadow government set up by pro-democracy activists and anti-coup people has denounced the junta ruler for taking on the role of prime minister in a caretaker administration.
Myanmar's Junta Releases Jailed Anti-Coup Activists And Government Employees Radio Free Asia 02 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's junta on Monday released jailed political activists and government employees who took part in anti-coup protests, a day after announcing that it would extend its hold on power, in what observers say was a move meant to appease international critics of its rule.
Myanmar Junta Forms Caretaker Government; Min Aung Hlaing is Prime Minister VOA 02 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's ruling State Administrative Council said Sunday it has become a caretaker government and its leader, Min Aung Hlaing, is to be prime minister.
Myanmar Junta Chief Takes on 'Caretaker' Government PM Role, Raising Constitutional Questions Radio Free Asia 01 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's junta chief Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing on Sunday declared himself prime minister in a newly formed "caretaker government" and extended military rule through 2023, state media reported on Sunday, six months after he led a coup that ousted the civilian government.
Myanmar's junta chief extends coup with promise of 2023 election Press TV 01 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's military ruler Min Aung Hlaing has promised to hold elections in two years' time, extending the state of emergency that was imposed after the civilian government was overthrown in a military coup six months ago.
Myanmar Announces Interim Government With State Council Chief at Helm, Reports Say Sputnik 01 Aug 2021 -- The State Administrative Council in Myanmar, consisting of the military that took power in winter, has announced an interim government, the Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

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August 2021 - Myanmar Special Weapons News