October 2021 - Myanmar Special Weapons News

The United States Condemns Reported Attacks in Chin State US Dept. of State 31 Oct 2021 -- The United States is gravely concerned by reports of gross violations of human rights that Burmese security forces have perpetuated in Chin State, including reports that forces have set fire to and destroyed more than 100 residences as well as Christian churches.
New ASEAN chair Cambodia urged to maintain bloc's firm stance on Myanmar Radio Free Asia 29 Oct 2021 -- Cambodia's unusually firm rebuke of the Myanmar military regime this week, ahead of assuming leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2022 raises pressure on Phnom Penh to maintain the firm stance the bloc has taken against the junta in recent months, analysts say.
Myanmar's junta hands down long jail term to Suu Kyi's aide Press TV 29 Oct 2021 -- A junta-appointed court in Myanmar has handed down a 20-year jail sentence to Win Htein, a close aide to the country's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Aide to Myanmar's Suu Kyi Sentenced to 20 Years for Treason VOA 29 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar media and family members said Friday a long-time colleague and fellow party member of the country's ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been found guilty of treason and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Myanmar's military torches 60 homes in Chin state since September Radio Free Asia 28 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar junta troops have laid waste to more than 60 civilian homes and a church in months of scorched-earth operations in Chin state, a western region where fighting between the junta and ethnic armed organizations has raged on since the Feb. 1 coup, RFA statistics showed.
Myanmar's military junta torturing detainees in 'systemic' way: Report Press TV 28 Oct 2021 -- A new report has revealed that Myanmar's junta has been torturing detainees in a "methodical" and "systemic" way since it ousted the civilian government and arrested de facto leader Aung Sung Suu Kyi and other political leaders following a coup in February.
Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi pleads not guilty to incitement as junta muzzles lawyers Radio Free Asia 27 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar's detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has pled not guilty to charges of public incitement, according to sources involved in the case, in a hearing that the junta has barred her legal team from discussing with the media, citing concerns that doing so could "destabilize the country."
New UN Myanmar envoy prompts hope for breakthrough Radio Free Asia 27 Oct 2021 -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Nolin Hezar as the new Special Envoy to Myanmar, and observers expressed optimism Wednesday that the Southeast Asian native's fresh perspective could lead to a breakthrough in the country's nine-month political crisis.
China-Myanmar border city adjusts travel policy, offers subsidy amid latest flare-up Global Times 27 Oct 2021 -- China-Myanmar border city Ruili responded to public concerns over the policy of leaving Ruili and the improper management at quarantine places, reporting what the local government has recently done in COVID-19 prevention and border control.
Military Crackdown Reported in Myanmar's Chin State VOA 27 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar's military, the Tatmadaw, is cracking down on militia groups in the country's western Chin state, bordering India and Bangladesh, especially Christians, according to ethnic armed groups, religious and community leaders and local residents.
Myanmar sits out summit after ASEAN bars coup leader Radio Free Asia 26 Oct 2021 -- ASEAN leaders began the Southeast Asian bloc's summit on Tuesday without Myanmar, which stayed away to protest its junta chief being barred from the meeting.
Bangladesh: Rohingya express fear after killings of leader, six others Radio Free Asia 26 Oct 2021 -- Rohingya in Bangladesh are living in fear and many don't leave their shelters after dark following the killings of a prominent leader and six others within a month in Cox's Bazar, residents told BenarNews.
ASEAN Summit Opens Without Myanmar Presence VOA 26 Oct 2021 -- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, opened a three-day regional summit without Myanmar, after the country's ruling junta refused to send a nonpolitical representative to the meeting in place of its top military leader.
ASEAN leaders hit out at Myanmar junta after summit boycott Press TV 26 Oct 2021 -- Southeast Asian leaders have decried Myanmar's junta's decision to not send a representative of the country to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, following a ban on its top general.
More than 30 journalists still held in Myanmar following prisoner release Radio Free Asia 26 Oct 2021 -- More than 30 journalists arrested in Myanmar for reporting on the Feb. 1 military coup that overthrew the country's elected civilian government are still being held in custody following prisoner amnesties that many had hoped would see them freed, sources in the country say.
Myanmar's junta-appointed election commission pushes change to voting laws Radio Free Asia 25 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar's junta-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) has announced plans to change the country's election rules from a "winner-takes-all" model to one of proportional representation (PR), drawing criticism from observers who say the military is manipulating the political system to retain power.
Bangladesh police suspect link in killing of Rohingya leader, six other refugees Radio Free Asia 25 Oct 2021 -- Police suspect that the people who killed a Rohingya leader and six refugees in separate attacks at camps in southeastern Bangladesh belong to the same group, authorities said Monday but declined to name it, although victims' relatives blamed Rohingya rebels.
Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with Burmese NUG Representatives The White House 25 Oct 2021
ASEAN set to open summit, but Burmese junta threatens to skip it Radio Free Asia 25 Oct 2021 -- ASEAN begins a summit this week amid uncertainty over Myanmar's participation after the regional bloc barred the Burmese junta chief from attending and Naypyidaw threatened to skip the meeting.
Myanmar's junta takes stand against UN rights report, calls it 'incitement to violence' Press TV 24 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar's junta has censured a recent UN human rights report on the country as an "incitement to violence," saying the United Nations exploits human rights for intervention in country's internal affairs.
'Atrocity crimes' feared as Myanmar sending troops, weapons to north: UN Press TV 23 Oct 2021 -- The United Nations (UN) warns of more "atrocity crimes" in Myanmar amid reports of the military massing thousands of troops and heavy weapons in the north of the country in a move reminiscent of the "genocidal attacks against the Rohingya Muslims" five years ago.
Myanmar Military's Release of Prisoners Only to Ease International Pressure, Experts Say VOA 23 Oct 2021 -- The Myanmar military's recent decision to release thousands of prisoners is due to international pressure, and not a real sign of change, human rights activists say.
Myanmar's shadow government to file with ICC over hundreds of junta rights abuses Radio Free Asia 22 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government (NUG) said Friday that it had documented more than 400 serious human rights abuses nationwide in the nearly nine months since the military seized power and intends to seek justice for the victims through both domestic and international courts.
Rohingya Refugees Killed in Pre-Dawn Attack at Bangladesh Camp Radio Free Asia 22 Oct 2021 -- Less than a month after the killing of an internationally known Rohingya activist, dozens of masked assailants killed six refugees at a madrassa in southeastern Bangladesh, in the deadliest armed attack at the camps in recent memory, police and witnesses said Friday.
Myanmar authorities re-arrest more than 100 political prisoners after amnesty Radio Free Asia 22 Oct 2021 -- Authorities in Myanmar have re-arrested at least 110 political prisoners freed earlier this week—some within hours of their release—suggesting that the amnesty was only a bid by the junta to appease the international community amid criticism of its rule, observers said Thursday.
UN Envoy Calls for Myanmar Junta Chief to Step Down VOA 22 Oct 2021 -- The U.N. special envoy for Myanmar called Friday for that country's military leader to step down and return power seized in a February 1 coup to the democratically elected government.
US in talks with ASEAN, Singapore to restrict Myanmar junta's access to funds Radio Free Asia 21 Oct 2021 -- Washington is talking with ASEAN member Singapore about limiting the Burmese military regime's access to money, as part of efforts to pile pressure on the junta chief who has been barred from an upcoming regional summit, a senior U.S. State Department official said Thursday.
US, Thailand discuss using Myanmar border to supply humanitarian aid Radio Free Asia 20 Oct 2021 -- Thailand and the United States are considering jointly providing humanitarian aid to the Burmese people via the Thai-Myanmar border, the Thai foreign ministry said Wednesday, while a member of an NGO working along the frontier said she did not believe Bangkok would step up to the plate.
Rohingya laud deal to allow UNHCR to operate on Bhashan Char Radio Free Asia 19 Oct 2021 -- Rohingya leaders on a remote Bangladesh island say they expect greater freedom of movement for its exclusive refugee population when a United Nations agency takes over humanitarian activities there, while the prospect has already reduced "the trend of fleeing" that led to drownings.
Myanmar frees thousands of political prisoners, then re-arrests some Press TV 19 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar's junta has freed thousands of political prisoners, including deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party spokesman, but swiftly re-arrested dozens of them, according to the local media and a rights group.
Myanmar: Three million in urgent need of life-saving assistance, protection UN News 19 Oct 2021 -- The UN Country Team in Myanmar remains "deeply concerned over the humanitarian impact" of the country's ongoing crises stemming largely from the military coup in February, the UN Spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Myanmar junta frees thousands of detainees in amnesty Radio Free Asia 18 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar's military freed thousands of people arrested for protesting its February coup under strict conditions on Monday, prompting observers to dismiss the move as a bid to appease the international community at a time when the junta is facing both global and domestic pressure to step down.
ASEAN to invite 'non-political' Myanmar rep instead of coup leader to summit Radio Free Asia 18 Oct 2021 -- ASEAN will invite a "non-political representative" from Myanmar to its summit this month, the bloc's chair said on Saturday, confirming that the Burmese military coup leader will be shut out of the high-level meeting.
Myanmar's junta bars NLD defense lawyer from speaking with media Radio Free Asia 15 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar's junta has barred a lawyer representing deposed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint from speaking to the media, the lawyer said Friday, days after he revealed that authorities attempted to force Win Myint to resign as the military seized power in a February coup.
Indonesian envoy: ASEAN bars Myanmar junta chief from upcoming summit Radio Free Asia 15 Oct 2021 -- Southeast Asian foreign ministers decided on Friday not to allow the Burmese junta chief to attend an upcoming ASEAN summit, an Indonesian diplomat said about a rare move by the regional bloc, which has been criticized for its collective dithering in response to post-coup Myanmar.
Rights group urges revision of UN-Bangladesh deal on Rohingya refugees Press TV 15 Oct 2021 -- A human rights group has urged the United Nations (UN) and Bangladesh to revise a recent deal over the relocation of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees to a remote, inhospitable island.
Joint Statement of Support for the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar US Dept. of State 15 Oct 2021 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Timor-Leste, the United Kingdom, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on behalf of the European Union, in support of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar.
ASEAN Emergency Meeting to Discuss Barring Myanmar Junta Chief From Summit Radio Free Asia 14 Oct 2021 -- Southeast Asian foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting Friday to discuss barring the Burmese junta chief from an upcoming ASEAN summit, Indonesia's ambassador to the regional bloc said Thursday.
Junta Troops Torch Church, Homes in Myanmar's Chin State Radio Free Asia 14 Oct 2021 -- Troops loyal to Myanmar's junta have torched an entire village—including a Baptist church and a dozen other buildings—in the country's embattled Chin state, residents said Thursday, prompting condemnation from a local human rights group which called the act a "war crime" under international law.
Facebook Objects to Releasing Private Posts About Myanmar's Rohingya Campaign VOA 14 Oct 2021 -- Facebook was used to spread disinformation about the Rohingya, the Muslim ethnic minority in Myanmar, and in 2018 the company began to delete posts, accounts and other content it determined were part of a campaign to incite violence.
Myanmar Military Preparing Major Offensive Against Chin State Rebel Group Radio Free Asia 13 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar's military is preparing a major offensive against the Chin National Front (CNF) in Chin state, a representative of the ethnic armed organization (EAO) said Wednesday, prompting a local rights group to warn that such an operation would have a "devastating effect" on the region.
Indian Arms Maker with US, EU Investors Supplies Myanmar Junta, Rights Group Says VOA 13 Oct 2021 -- An Indian government-controlled arms maker with high-profile U.S. and European shareholders has been supplying Myanmar, even after the country's military toppled a democratically elected government on February 1 and killed hundreds of civilians in a bid to crush any resistance, a local rights group has said.
Former Myanmar President Says Military Tried to Force His Resignation Radio Free Asia 12 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar's detained former president Win Myint testified in court Tuesday that senior military officials attempted to force him to resign, citing a false health condition on the day of the coup that saw the junta seize power, according to his lawyers.
Convoy Ambush Kills at Least 30 Junta Soldiers in Myanmar's Sagaing Region Radio Free Asia 12 Oct 2021 -- Clashes between Myanmar's military and People's Defense Force (PDF) militias in embattled Sagaing region have left at least 30 government troops dead, PDF sources said Tuesday, while reports emerged of soldiers loyal to the junta attacking civilians and looting their possessions.
Bangladesh Cracks Down on Crime at Rohingya Camps, Nets Dozens of Suspects Radio Free Asia 12 Oct 2021 -- Bangladesh police have arrested nearly 40 refugees, including many suspected of involvement with illegal weapons and drugs, since they launched a crackdown against criminality at Rohingya camps after community leader Muhib Ullah was slain last month, an official said Tuesday.
Bangladesh: UNHCR Set to Begin Humanitarian Ops for Rohingya on Remote Island Radio Free Asia 12 Oct 2021 -- After months of negotiation, the United Nations refugee agency will begin humanitarian operations on a remote island where Bangladesh has moved almost 19,000 Rohingya and plans to relocate more than 80,000 others, a senior minister told BenarNews.
UN, Bangladesh sign deal to aid Rohingya Muslims relocated to remote island Press TV 11 Oct 2021 -- The United Nations (UN) and Bangladesh's government have signed a deal to work together to aid and serve Rohingya refugees on Bhasan Char Island in the Bay of Bengal, where more than 19,000 people have been relocated from over-crowded camps near Myanmar's border.
Myanmar's Forests Under Pressure From Illegal Logging, Smuggling Radio Free Asia 11 Oct 2021 -- Logging companies and criminal gangs are destroying forests in East Asia at an unprecedented rate.
Myanmar Resistance Claims Rising Junta Casualties, Destruction of Telecom Towers Radio Free Asia 08 Oct 2021 -- The armed opposition to Myanmar's military junta has inflicted an increasing number of casualties on regime troops and knocked out more than 120 army-owned telecom towers in the past month, sources in the opposition told RFA.
UN Fears Imminent Attacks by Myanmar Military in Volatile Areas VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- The U.N. human rights office warns the deployment of troops and heavy weapons by the Myanmar military into Chin state, Central Sagaing and Magway regions over the past few weeks may portend an imminent attack in these areas.
Slain Rohingya Leader's Relatives in Bangladesh Say They Are Being Threatened Radio Free Asia 06 Oct 2021 -- Family members of a Rohingya refugee leader, who was gunned down in his Cox's Bazar office last week, said Wednesday they have been receiving threatening phone calls asking them to withdraw a case they filed on the killing.
Forty Junta Soldiers Are Killed in Attack on Military Convoy, Militia Group Says Radio Free Asia 06 Oct 2021 -- Anti-junta forces in central Myanmar attacked a 50-vehicle military convoy Tuesday, killing more than 40 soldiers and injuring 30 others, members of the attacking militia told RFA.
Ethnic Soldiers in Eastern Myanmar See Increase in Clashes With Junta Forces Radio Free Asia 06 Oct 2021 -- Ethnic rebels and militiamen engaged in 265 armed clashes with Myanmar junta forces in September, killing nearly 300 national soldiers in Kayin and Kayah states, officials from the groups said Wednesday, amid an intensified effort by ethnic soldiers to resist the military regime that overthrew the elected government eight months ago.
Malaysia: Will Talk With Myanmar's Shadow Government if ASEAN Efforts Fail Radio Free Asia 06 Oct 2021 -- Malaysia said Wednesday it would open talks with Myanmar's shadow government if the junta fails to cooperate with ASEAN's conflict resolution efforts – the first such declaration by a member of the regional bloc.
Interview: Junta To Impose Strict Limits on ASEAN Envoy's Access in Myanmar Radio Free Asia 05 Oct 2021 -- Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun was the spokesman for Myanmar's military before it overthrew the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1 on unproven clams of electoral fraud, and he serves is the spokesman for the junta that controls the Southeast Asian country of 54 million people. He spoke to RFA's Myanmar Service on Tuesday about an expected visit to the country by an envoy for the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and laid out strict limits on whom the emissary would be allowed to meet. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Myanmar's Suu Kyi requests less court time over 'strained' health: Lawyer Press TV 04 Oct 2021 -- Lawyer of Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi says regular court appearances have taken a toll on her client's health, requesting the sessions be held less frequently by the ruling military junta.
Bangladesh Police Arrest Suspect in Rohingya Leader's Killing Radio Free Asia 04 Oct 2021 -- Bangladesh police said Friday they had arrested a Rohingya man in connection with the killing of a prominent refugee leader this week, even as a Rohingya rebel group rejected allegations that it was behind the murder.
Internet is Cut Amid Junta Troop Surge in Myanmar's Chin State and Neighboring Regions Radio Free Asia 04 Oct 2021 -- Myanmar's ruling junta has cut internet service to the country's Chin state and neighboring Sagaing and Magway regions amid a surge in reinforcements sent to crack down on popular militias resisting military rule in the embattled areas of western Myanmar, sources in the country told RFA.
Eyewitness Gives Chilling Account of Rohingya Leader's Killing in Bangladesh Radio Free Asia 04 Oct 2021 -- A Rohingya day-laborer, who was in the room when gunmen killed prominent refugee community leader Muhib Ullah in southeastern Bangladesh, described in an interview with BenarNews how the intruders forced him and other eyewitnesses to the ground before they interrogated their target and shot him in cold blood.
Bangladesh Police Arrest Suspect in Rohingya Leader's Killing Radio Free Asia 01 Oct 2021 -- Bangladesh police said Friday they had arrested a Rohingya man in connection with the killing of a prominent refugee leader this week, even as a Rohingya rebel group rejected allegations that it was behind the murder.
UN rights chief calls for investigation into 'heartbreaking' killing of veteran Rohingya activist UN News 01 Oct 2021 -- The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday called for a prompt, thorough, and effective investigation into the killing of a veteran Rohingya activist at a refugee camp in Bangladesh.
Eight Months After Coup, Myanmar Must Fend For Itself Amid Muted Response to Junta Abuses Radio Free Asia 01 Oct 2021 -- Two-thirds of a year after the military seized power in a coup, government mismanagement has made life in Myanmar worse by nearly every metric, but the junta has shown little interest in stepping down and observers say that without a stronger global response the country could be heading for ruin.
Myanmar Violence Spikes After Opposition's Declared 'Defensive War' VOA 01 Oct 2021 -- Fighting between junta forces and local defense forces in the northwestern part of Myanmar has been intensifying since the opposition National Unity Government declared a "defensive war" against the ruling junta on September 7.

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October 2021 - Myanmar Special Weapons News