February 2023 - Myanmar Special Weapons News

Myanmar military destroys more than 100 homes in Mandalay on encroachment claims Radio Free Asia 28 Feb 2023 -- As soldiers and police looked on, bulldozers destroyed more than 100 houses on two streets in Myanmar's second largest city, leaving residents - many of whom had been living there for decades - homeless overnight, sources in the country told Radio Free Asia.
Activists Concerned Over Pending UN Food Cuts for Rohingya in Bangladesh VOA 28 Feb 2023 -- Rights activists are voicing concern for the well-being of Myanmar Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh after the United Nations warned of cuts to refugees' food rations due to a shortfall in international donations.
Myanmar's junta denies ousted leaders access to legal representation Radio Free Asia 27 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's deposed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint have not been allowed to meet with their legal team since their trials ended in December of last year, Radio Free Asia has learned.
Malaysia deports 114 Muslim Myanmar nationals, including children, their lawyer says Radio Free Asia 24 Feb 2023 -- Malaysia has deported 114 Muslim Myanmar nationals who will be persecuted by the ruling military when they return, although they are not Rohingya, their lawyer said Thursday.
New EU Sanctions More Effectively Target Myanmar Junta VOA 24 Feb 2023 -- The latest round of EU sanctions imposed on the Myanmar junta were welcomed by advocacy groups monitoring human rights violations in the Southeast Asian country.
Despite danger, hundreds of displaced in Myanmar's Kachin state return to their homes Radio Free Asia 23 Feb 2023 -- Facing food shortages in overcrowded camps where they've been living for a decade, more than 1,000 people in Myanmar's northern Kachin state have returned to their villages - despite fears that fighting could flare up at any time, they told Radio Free Asia.
India is keeping close ties with Myanmar, even transferring weapons, NGOs say Radio Free Asia 22 Feb 2023 -- India, the world's largest democracy, has nurtured closer relations with Myanmar's military junta over the past two years, including providing weapons at least four times since the 2021 coup d'etat, two humanitarian and advocacy organizations in India said.
Myanmar junta's confiscation of food, medicine leaves Kayah state residents at risk Radio Free Asia 21 Feb 2023 -- Residents and internally displaced persons in Myanmar's war-torn Kayah state are facing a humanitarian emergency as junta forces confiscate food and medicine at dozens of security checkpoints along major land routes in the southeastern state as fighting there intensifies, local sources said.
Myanmar junta's switch to electronic voting won't bode well for voters, analysts say Radio Free Asia 21 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's ruling junta is considering the use of electronic voting machines in an upcoming election, a move that poses security risks for those who vote against military-backed parties and allow the regime to manipulate the votes using census data, analysts say.
Junta shelling injures 4, forces more than 1,000 to flee Kayin state town Radio Free Asia 21 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's military shelled residential areas of a town in Kayin state, injuring four civilians including a small child.
Myanmar/Burma: EU imposes sixth round of sanctions against 9 individuals and 7 entities EC/CEU 20 Feb 2023 -- Two years after the military coup staged in Myanmar/Burma on 1st February 2021, the Council adopted today restrictive measures against 9 persons and 7 entities in view of the continuing escalation of violence, grave human rights violations and threats to the peace, security and stability in Myanmar/Burma.
EU Imposes New Sanctions on Myanmar as Violence Escalates VOA 20 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar officials and entities were placed under a sixth round of European Union sanctions on Monday over the 2021 military coup that ousted the democratically elected government of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and sparked global outrage.
Myanmar junta targets Kayin state on Thai border, a rebel hotbed in a key location Radio Free Asia 17 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's junta has focused much of its military firepower on Kayin state, carrying out 57 airstrikes on two key areas in January alone, highlighting the strategic importance of the area bordering Thailand rife with armed resistance groups and political opponents in hiding.
UN to cut food aid for Rohingya refugees, blaming fund shortfall Press TV 17 Feb 2023 -- The United Nations is planning to cut its food aid to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh, blaming a funding shortfall that is expected to deepen food insecurity and malnutrition in the world's largest refugee settlement.
Lack of funds forces WFP to cut rations for Rohingya in Bangladesh WFP 17 Feb 2023 -- Nearly six years into the Rohingya refugee crisis, for the first time WFP is forced to cut back its lifesaving assistance for all Rohingya living in the camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Starting 1 March, WFP will have to reduce its General Food Assistance voucher value from US$12 to US$10 per person per month, due to a US$125 million funding shortfall.
Myanmar military kills 7 villagers in Sagaing region Radio Free Asia 16 Feb 2023 -- Residents of a Sagaing region village say they found the bodies of seven unidentified men when they returned after a junta raid.
UN experts warn of 'catastrophic consequences' if Rohingya refugee rations are cut UN News 16 Feb 2023 -- UN independent experts on Thursday warned of catastrophic consequences for Myanmar Rohingya refugee families living in camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, if life-saving food aid is slashed.
Myanmar Supreme Court rejects Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal on corruption charges Radio Free Asia 15 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal of two corruption charges, sources close to the court told Radio Free Asia.
US Worried by Myanmar Junta, Russia Expanding Nuclear Cooperation VOA 15 Feb 2023 -- The United States is concerned about the expansion of Russia's nuclear cooperation with the military-led government in Myanmar — also known as Burma — the U.S. State Department said this week.
Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with "National Unity Government" (NUG) Representative Zin Mar Aung US Dept. of State 14 Feb 2023
UN efforts in Myanmar fail in implementation: Shadow government, aid groups Radio Free Asia 14 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's shadow government and aid groups have welcomed the United Nations' efforts to assist millions amid widespread armed conflict in the country, but say they must be better implemented if they are to be effective.
Illegal gold mining expanding unchecked under junta in Myanmar's Kachin state Radio Free Asia 14 Feb 2023 -- A rapid expansion in illegal gold mining since the military coup is poisoning the water supply in Myanmar's Kachin state and destroying the livelihoods of residents who say the ethnic Kachin group that administers the region has failed to police the sector.
Myanmar's opposition opens foreign ministry office in US Radio Free Asia 14 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's opposition National Unity Government officially opened a shadow embassy in Washington on Monday, with a U.S. State Department official at the event using a speech to reject the legitimacy of elections planned by the military junta later this year.
Myanmar junta revives 1977 law allowing 'loyal' civilians to bear arms Radio Free Asia 13 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's junta has revived a 1977 law that allows civilians it deems "loyal to the state" to own firearms, a move experts worry will escalate violence by arming pro-junta groups fighting armed resistance groups opposed to military rule.
Military burns more than 55,000 houses in 2 years, Data for Myanmar says Radio Free Asia 13 Feb 2023 -- Junta troops and affiliated militias have burned down 55,484 homes across Myanmar in the two years since the military overthrew the country's democratically elected government, according to independent research group Data for Myanmar.
Ethnic Chin rebels dispute junta claim of martial law in one key township Radio Free Asia 10 Feb 2023 -- Ethnic Chin soldiers claim to have taken control of nearly all of Thantlang township in Chin state, in western Myanmar near India, despite the junta's recent declaration of martial law in the area, but residents who fled fighting say they cannot return home amid the risk of military airstrikes.
International Media Grapples With Characterizing Myanmar Opposition Government VOA 10 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's opposition National Unity Government recently raised the argument that it has been mischaracterized by the international news media.
Rights Groups Warn of More Torture, Executions in Myanmar as Martial Law Spreads VOA 10 Feb 2023 -- Rights groups are warning of a likely rise in arbitrary arrests, torture and executions by Myanmar's military regime after the junta's move last week to place swaths of the country that are home to millions of people under martial law.
Indonesian ex-general: Any military envoy to Myanmar must meet all parties Radio Free Asia 09 Feb 2023 -- If ASEAN chair Indonesia sends a general as special envoy to Myanmar, that facilitator must be allowed to meet all parties there, said an ex-Indonesian general who aided the Burmese transition to democracy from junta rule over a decade ago.
Myanmar junta opens 'nuclear information center' in Yangon with Russia's Rosatom Radio Free Asia 08 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's junta has established a "Nuclear Technology and Information Center" in cooperation with Russian energy firm Rosatom State Corp. in the country's commercial capital Yangon, as part of what observers say is the regime's long-running dream of obtaining nuclear weapons.
More than 6,000 civilians flee ahead of raids on Sagaing region villages Radio Free Asia 08 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's junta forces continue to target townships in Sagaing region, forcing another 6,000 people to flee their homes ahead of advancing troops.
INTERVIEW: 'There is light at the end of the tunnel' Radio Free Asia 07 Feb 2023 -- Radio Free Asia talked with Malaysia's former Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, who was often a strong advocate for ASEAN to take stronger action on the crisis in Myanmar.
Junta raids Sagaing region villages forcing 2,000 locals to flee Radio Free Asia 07 Feb 2023 -- More than 2,000 villagers in Myanmar's northern Sagaing region fled ahead of two days of junta raids, the Kyunhla-Kanbalu Activists Group told RFA on Tuesday
Myanmar's opposition party refuses to re-register under new junta law Radio Free Asia 06 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's ousted opposition party - once led by Aung San Suu Kyi, who is now jailed - refused to re-register under a new law imposed by the ruling military junta ahead of general elections likely to be held later this year, two National League of Democracy officials told Radio Free Asia on Monday.
Letters to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate, on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in and in Relation to Burma The White House 06 Feb 2023
Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in and in Relation to Burma The White House 06 Feb 2023
Myanmar migrants face being exploited under Thai deportation system Radio Free Asia 05 Feb 2023 -- Burmese political activists Cherry and Min Thura were walking to a cafe in the Thai border city of Mae Sot when they were stopped by the police.
Myanmar's Diplomats Divided Over Representing Military Government VOA 04 Feb 2023 -- Since the military coup in Myanmar two years ago, more than 100 of the nation's diplomats have chosen to draw international attention to their opposition to the military government by refusing to represent it.
Myanmar junta declares martial law in 37 townships across the country Radio Free Asia 03 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's military junta has declared martial law in 37 townships across the country and authorized military tribunals to hand down life sentences and the death penalty for a wide range of offenses, a move that political and military analysts say will lead to more bloodshed, displacement and terror.
Junta burns nearly 5,000 homes in a month, Myanmar's shadow government says Radio Free Asia 03 Feb 2023 -- A series of brutal arson attacks across Myanmar destroyed 4,807 homes and burned 23 people to death, according to the shadow National Unity Government.
Myanmar junta pursues five-pronged strategy as conflict enters 3rd year Radio Free Asia 02 Feb 2023 -- Feb. 1 marked the second anniversary of the coup d'etat that ousted the democratically elected National League for Democracy government in Myanmar. Since then the country has descended into a multi-front civil war and lost over a decade's worth of sustained economic growth. Over half of the population is living in poverty, driving people back into opium production, which saw 88 percent growth in 2022.
Skepticism greets Indonesian plan to send general to persuade Myanmar junta Radio Free Asia 02 Feb 2023 -- Indonesia once helped Myanmar transition to democracy, using its own transformation out of military dictatorship as an example for change.
Bloody toll: At least 363 women killed in Myanmar by junta troops since coup Radio Free Asia 02 Feb 2023 -- By the time they heard the soldiers enter their village, it was too late to flee.
In Bangladesh's border with Myanmar, 2 Rohingya militant groups fight for dominance Radio Free Asia 02 Feb 2023 -- A 12-hour gunbattle and the torching of a refugee settlement along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border thrust the Rohingya Solidarity Organization, an old armed insurgent group, back into the spotlight.
Myanmar navy arrests 36 Rohingya in Rakhine state Radio Free Asia 02 Feb 2023 -- Myanmar's junta navy has stopped 36 Rohingya as they boarded a boat in Rakhine state, planning to sail to Malaysia, locals told RFA.
UN expert calls on international community to protect Rohingya population Press TV 02 Feb 2023 -- The UN's special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar has called on the international community to stand firm against Myanmar's military junta and to "do a lot more" to protect the vulnerable Rohingya population in the country's Rakhine State.
Myanmar's Exiled Opposition Leader Says Military Junta Stalls Progress to Maintain Control VOA 01 Feb 2023
Suu Kyi Portraits, Flags and Chants as Bangkok Hosts Myanmar Anti-Coup Protest VOA 01 Feb 2023 -- Several hundred Myanmar pro-democracy protesters gathered outside their country's embassy in Bangkok Wednesday, two years after a coup by a junta that has killed thousands of civilians in airstrikes and military massacres, and now wants to hold elections across a broken nation.
Myanmar Marks Second Anniversary of Military-Led Overthrow of Civilian Government VOA 01 Feb 2023 -- Supporters of Myanmar's pro-democracy movement are engaging in a nationwide boycott of all economic activity Wednesday to mark the two-year anniversary of the military's overthrow of the civilian government.
Myanmar activists call for civil disobedience Press TV 01 Feb 2023 -- Democracy activists in Myanmar have called on businesses across the country to go on strike to mark the anniversary of a military coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically-elected government and put the junta at the helm in 2021.
Under the gun in Myanmar Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2023 -- Two years ago, the Myanmar junta ousted a democratically elected government in a coup, claiming election irregularities that military regime leaders have failed to prove. In the months since, the military's efforts to consolidate power has created a calamity that has left thousands dead and forced more than 1.2 million citizens from their homes.
Targeted sanctions in response to human rights violations in Myanmar and Iran Australia MFA 01 Feb 2023 -- The Australian Government is imposing targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on individuals responsible for egregious human rights abuses in Myanmar, as well as sanctions on entities enabling the repression of its people.

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February 2023 - Myanmar Special Weapons News