August 2024 - Myanmar Special Weapons News

China warns Myanmar rebel army to stop fighting Radio Free Asia 30 Aug 2024 -- Chinese authorities warned an ethnic minority insurgent group on Myanmar's northeastern border to stop fighting the Myanmar military or be "responsible for the consequences," according to a spokesperson for the group.
Thailand arrests, deports 144,000 Myanmar workers for illegal entry Radio Free Asia 30 Aug 2024 -- Thailand has detained and deported more than 144,000 Myanmar citizens over the past three months, its labor ministry said, in a crackdown aimed at weeding out "job seekers" who use the turmoil in their country as an excuse to seek opportunities in Thailand, a Thai police chief said.
Myanmar insurgents attack navy base as junta recruits militias Radio Free Asia 29 Aug 2024 -- Insurgents in Myanmar's Rakhine state are closing in on an important junta naval base, a spokesman for the group said on Thursday, as military authorities in neighboring regions rounded up people into civil defense teams in preparation for rebel advances.
More than 40,000 war displaced flood across border into Myanmar's Ayeyarwady region Radio Free Asia 29 Aug 2024 -- As the fight between the military and ethnic rebels for the southernmost township in Myanmar's Rakhine state escalates, more than 40,000 civilians have streamed across the border into neighboring Ayeyarwady region, residents said Thursday.
Terror in Rohingya refugee camp as boys kidnapped to fight in Myanmar Radio Free Asia 29 Aug 2024 -- The boy in the photo looks serious, pious and so very young.
EXPLAINED: Why does Myanmar's junta want to hold elections? Radio Free Asia 28 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar's military junta, which seized power in a 2021 coup d'etat from a civilian government, has declared it intends to hold a general election in November 2025.
Myanmar junta collecting workers' data for census Radio Free Asia 28 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar junta officials have begun collecting the personal information of workers in industrial zones in preparation for a census and a general election next year, an industry management official said on Wednesday.
Myanmar rebels say victory is near after battle near Bangladesh border Radio Free Asia 27 Aug 2024 -- Ethnic minority insurgents in western Myanmar killed more than 100 junta troops and captured dozens in a three-day battle that has brought them close to victory in the region on the Bangladesh border, the force said.
Seven years of crisis for Rohingya refugees UNHCR 27 Aug 2024 -- As the world marks the seventh anniversary of the large-scale forced displacement of Rohingya refugees, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is again calling for sustained commitment from international partners to support and protect nearly one million Rohingya hosted by Bangladesh, and to help secure solutions to end their plight.
EXPLAINED: Why is a group in Myanmar seeking to try the junta in the Philippines? Radio Free Asia 27 Aug 2024 -- An ethnic Chin minority human rights group said Monday that it plans to appeal a rejection by the Department of Justice in the Philippines of its complaint alleging war crimes against civilians by Myanmar's ruling junta.
China launches military exercises on Myanmar border Radio Free Asia 27 Aug 2024 -- China's People's Liberation Army kicked off a three-day joint air and ground military exercise along its southern border with Myanmar on Tuesday as part of what its defense ministry called a bid to shore up border security and stability.
PLA Army, Air Force drill near China-Myanmar border Global Times 27 Aug 2024 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army and Air Force on Tuesday launched a joint live-fire exercise on the Chinese side of the China-Myanmar border following an armed patrol in the region.
Myanmar junta commits to staggered 2025 election Radio Free Asia 26 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar's junta has committed to holding a general election late next year, with voting to be staggered because of security concerns, said politicians who met the military's election committee on the weekend.
Myanmar: UN WFP pushes to reach flood-affected communities UN News 26 Aug 2024 -- In flood-hit Myanmar, UN humanitarians said on Monday that aid teams have begun distributing emergency relief to families affected by monsoon rains in the Ayeyarwady Delta. Some 500,000 people in the key rice-growing region could be affected.
PLA to conduct live-fire drills on Chinese side of China-Myanmar border Global Times 26 Aug 2024 -- According to its annual training plan, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is set to conduct live-fire drills on the Chinese side of the China-Myanmar border from Tuesday to Thursday, according to a notice released by the government of Yunnan Province on Monday.
Statement to mark the 7th anniversary of regimes attack against Rohingya Australia DFAT 25 Aug 2024 -- "Today marks seven years since the Myanmar military's violent attacks caused mass displacement of Rohingya communities."
Rohingyas face 'gravest threats since 2017' as fighting rages in western Myanmar Radio Free Asia 24 Aug 2024 -- On Monday, a crowded boat carrying 40 Muslim Rohingyas fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh to escape clashes between the ethnic Arakan Army and Myanmar's junta forces in western Rakhine state capsized, killing 36 people.
Remembering the Rohingya Genocide US Dept. of State 24 Aug 2024 -- The ongoing humanitarian crisis and human rights abuses in Burma exacerbate difficulties faced by members of many of Burma's ethnic and religious minority groups, and Rohingya in particular.
Seven years after forced mass displacement of Rohingya from Myanmar, deadly attacks on children continue in Rakhine State UNICEF 24 Aug 2024 -- Seven years after hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people fled violence and persecution in Myanmar, conflict continues to intensify in Rakhine State, on the western coast of Myanmar, with a surge in casualties and displacement in Maungdaw Township and reports of increasing numbers of people seeking shelter and protection in Bangladesh.
Pro-junta ethnic army finishes training for 10,000 in southern Shan state Radio Free Asia 23 Aug 2024 -- More than 10,000 freshly-trained fighters from an ethnic army are on their way to replenish Myanmar's depleted junta forces.
Junta stops 50 young people from departing Yangon airport in single day Radio Free Asia 23 Aug 2024 -- Junta officials stopped about 50 young people from departing Yangon's international airport in one day as the military continues its efforts to control the number of citizens leaving for employment opportunities abroad.
Guterres calls for end to Myanmar violence, persecution of Rohingya UN News 23 Aug 2024 -- Seven years since the forced mass displacement of Rohingya and other communities from Myanmar's Rakhine State, the UN Secretary-General has called for an end to the violence and full protection of civilians across the country which is now engulfed in a brutal civil conflict.
Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General - on the seventh anniversary of the displacement of Rohingya people and other communities from Myanmar UN Secretary-General 23 Aug 2024
Rebels seize junta oil field in central Myanmar Radio Free Asia 22 Aug 2024 -- Insurgents in central Myanmar seized a junta oil field, rebel groups told Radio Free Asia on Thursday, the fourth such oil facility captured in recent fighting that has seen the military lose significant amounts of territory.
INTERVIEW: 'Creative solutions' needed to aid Rohingyas within embattled Myanmar Radio Free Asia 22 Aug 2024 -- The U.S. and other countries are in need of "creative solutions" to assist tens of thousands of Muslim Rohingyas displaced by conflict in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, where the ruling junta has restricted access to aid providers, according to a State Department envoy who monitors international crime.
Political instability since coup prompts foreign investment exit from Myanmar Radio Free Asia 21 Aug 2024 -- Foreign investment in Myanmar has dropped precipitously in the three and a half years since the military seized power from a democratically elected government, according to officials and observers, as companies weigh the risks of operating in a nation engulfed in civil war.
Rohingya refugees drown fleeing Myanmar's war as concerns mount Radio Free Asia 21 Aug 2024 -- Twenty-six members of Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya minority drowned when their boat capsized as they were trying to flee to Bangladesh, witnesses said, an accident likely to compound fears that the largely Muslim community is facing a new round of genocide.
Myanmar rebels capture last junta base in township on China border Radio Free Asia 20 Aug 2024 -- One of Myanmar's most powerful insurgent armies has taken full control of a strategically important township in Kachin state on the border with China, its information officer told Radio Free Asia.
Myanmar fighting blocks key trade route with China, impacting economy VOA 20 Aug 2024 -- Ethnic and resistance forces in Myanmar have completely blocked a key trade route to China, halting cross-border commerce and further damaging Myanmar's already struggling economy.
Junta dispels rumors of putsch as support for chief wanes Radio Free Asia 20 Aug 2024 -- Rumors of a putsch swirled around Myanmar last week ahead of Chinese Prime Minister Wang Yi's visit to Naypyidaw where he obliquely rebuked junta chief Senior Gen.l Min Aung Hlaing. Given the scale of recent military losses there were reasons for both.
Myanmar military launches heavy airstrikes to recapture town from rebels Radio Free Asia 19 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar junta forces launched air strikes to drive pro-democracy insurgents out of a town hours after they captured it, insurgents said on Monday, while elsewhere about 20,000 people fled from another town after anti-junta fighters launched an offensive to capture it.
Bangladesh vows to continue to support Muslim Rohingya refugees Press TV 19 Aug 2024 -- Bangladesh's new leader Muhammad Yunus has vowed to continue to support the Muslim Rohingya refugees living in his country.
New junta 'security' committee would arm Myanmar's local communities Radio Free Asia 19 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar's junta has set up a committee to oversee security in the country's villages and wards by arming and training troops, according to a recently leaked document, but observers say the move is aimed at "tricking people into joining the military" and will create greater instability in local communities.
Widespread floods and uptick in fighting deepen humanitarian crisis in Myanmar UN News 19 Aug 2024 -- A surge in conflict combined with torrential rains and floods is deepening the crisis in Myanmar, leading to a surge in displacement, UN humanitarians have said.
Junta forcibly recruits dozens of Myanmar nationals deported by Thailand Radio Free Asia 16 Aug 2024 -- Junta authorities have forcibly recruited nearly six dozen Myanmar nationals repatriated by Thailand after serving time in the country's Ranong Prison, family members said Friday.
China fires into Myanmar after junta airstrike on border, group says Radio Free Asia 16 Aug 2024 -- China opened fire across the border into Myanmar apparently as a warning to Myanmar military aircraft that attacked an ethnic minority insurgent base, an insurgent force spokesman and residents told Radio Free Asia.
Rights group claims Myanmar's Rohingya being targeted in ethnic cleansing VOA 16 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar's Rohingya ethnic minority, victims of a brutal campaign of mass slaughter and persecution by the nation's military in 2016, is again being subjected to a wave of deadly ethnic cleansing, according to survivors and human rights groups.
China seeks to facilitate peace in Myanmar through balancing act, analysts say VOA 16 Aug 2024 -- China has increased high-level diplomatic engagement with Myanmar's military government over the past week as rebel groups continue to make gains in the northern part of the country, where Beijing has huge economic and geostrategic interests.
Counselor Sullivan's Meeting with Burma Pro-Democracy and Ethnic Stakeholders US Dept. of State 16 Aug 2024
PH, Singapore push for peaceful resolution of Myanmar conflict Philippine News Agency 15 Aug 2024 -- The Philippines and Singapore on Thursday pushed for the peaceful resolution of the continued unrest in their Southeast Asian neighbor Myanmar.
Attacks against Rohingyas now 'worse than in 2017' Radio Free Asia 15 Aug 2024 -- Recent alleged attacks against the Rohingya in western Myanmar are "worse than in 2017," when hundreds of thousands of the Muslim minority fled to neighboring Bangladesh, and represent a "second wave of genocide," two experts said in a press briefing Thursday.
Arakan Army seizes key town in southern Myanmar Radio Free Asia 15 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar's ethnic Arakan Army has captured a key town in Rakhine state's southernmost Gwa township after launching attacks on junta positions earlier this week, residents said Thursday.
Myanmar's rivals compete to win over young hearts and minds Radio Free Asia 15 Aug 2024 -- Both sides in Myanmar's civil war are trying to win over young people, offering opportunities in education to the third of the population who have faced disruption and disappointment since a 2021 military coup triggered bloody turmoil.
Myanmar's old army leader calls on China to help restore stability Radio Free Asia 15 Aug 2024 -- A former military leader of Myanmar, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, has called on China to help Myanmar end internal conflict and stabilize the country, according to China's foreign ministry.
Myanmar Leader Min Aung Hlaing Meets with Wang Yi PRC MofA 14 Aug 2024 -- On August 14, 2024 local time, Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing met with Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Nay Pyi Taw.
Wang Yi Holds Talks with Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister U Than Swe PRC MofA 14 Aug 2024 -- On August 14, 2024 local time, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister U Than Swe in Nay Pyi Taw.
Pumps run dry in Myanmar as forex crisis pushes up prices Radio Free Asia 14 Aug 2024 -- Many petrol stations in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, were closed on Wednesday because of a severe shortage of fuel, residents told Radio Free Asia, the latest evidence of an economy struggling with a multitude of problems since the military overthrew an elected government in 2021.
UN report accuses Myanmar military of war crimes and crimes against humanity VOA 14 Aug 2024 -- A newly released report from a group of independent human rights experts says there is "substantial evidence" that Myanmar's military junta has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, with civilians deliberately targeted in violation of international human rights law.
Wang starts visit to Myanmar, Thailand to 'promote cooperation' Global Times 14 Aug 2024 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi kicked off his four-day trip to Southeast Asian countries on Wednesday, with a visit to Myanmar and then traveling to Thailand to co-chair the ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, where he is also set to attend the Informal Discussion Between the Foreign Ministers of China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.
China top diplomat meets Myanmar leader, junta denies coup rumors Radio Free Asia 14 Aug 2024 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Myanmar ruler Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing on Wednesday and highlighted Beijing's continued support for the military regime, even as the junta had to dispel rumors of a coup.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on Wang Yi's Upcoming Visit to Myanmar PRC MofA 13 Aug 2024
Singapore power plant suspension may leave more of Myanmar in the dark Radio Free Asia 13 Aug 2024 -- Singapore's Sembcorp Industries has suspended operations at its 225 MW power plant in central Myanmar's Mandalay region because of "escalating civil unrest" after pro-democracy insurgents opened up a new front in their war against junta forces in the area.
'Incredible brutality' prevalent in battle for Myanmar UN News 13 Aug 2024 -- Conflict in Myanmar between the military junta and opposition forces is increasingly brutal, with both sides likely responsible for international crimes including summary executions, top independent rights investigators said on Tuesday.
Wang Yi to visit Myanmar, Thailand amid tensions in South China Sea Global Times 13 Aug 2024 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay a visit to Myanmar and then to Thailand to chair the Ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting from Wednesday to Saturday, during which he will also attend an Informal Discussion Between the Foreign Ministers of China, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.
Closed borders with India cause food, fuel shortages in western Myanmar Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2024 -- Residents in western Myanmar who rely on trade with India said they are experiencing food shortages due to the closure of some border crossings with India amid Myanmar's civil war.
Rebels evacuate 13,000 Rohingyas amid battle for Myanmar's Maungdaw Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2024 -- More than 13,000 Rohingya Muslims and hundreds of other inhabitants of western Myanmar's Maungdaw township have fled their homes in recent days amid intensifying conflict between the military and ethnic rebels in Rakhine state, residents said Monday.
Rebels capture 9 posts in Myanmar's Mandalay region, open new front Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2024 -- Rebel forces in central Myanmar captured nine junta army posts and opened a new offensive in three townships under junta control, they announced on Monday, in the latest setback for the ruling military after a string of battlefield losses since late last year.
Opponents of Myanmar junta skeptical on any Thai help for census, vote Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2024 -- Opponents of military rule in Myanmar have criticized the possibility that Thailand will help conduct a census in preparation for an election that the Myanmar junta has promised but which critics say will be an illegitimate sham.
Myanmar's junta loses first regional command base since 2021 coup VOA 09 Aug 2024 -- Armed groups in Myanmar fighting the country's military regime are making major, even "historic," gains in the northeast since the breakdown of a cease-fire in June, experts tell VOA, setting up a possible push toward Mandalay, the country's second-largest city.
Some 5,000 Rohingya who fled recent fighting waiting to cross to Bangladesh Radio Free Asia 09 Aug 2024 -- Approximately 5,000 minority Rohingya Muslims attempting to flee from this week's fighting in western Myanmar have been waiting for several days near the Naf River for an opportunity to cross into Bangladesh, residents said.
Myanmar junta authorities prevent young adults from leaving the country by air Radio Free Asia 09 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar authorities under the ruling junta are now preventing young adults who want to get jobs abroad from leaving the country via Yangon's international airport, people with knowledge of the situation said.
Four more killed in sweeping crackdown in Myanmar's Sagaing Radio Free Asia 09 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar junta forces shelled a village in the Sagaing region killing four people, residents said, in the latest attack in an anti-insurgent campaign in which hundreds of homes have been torched and thousands of villagers have been displaced, residents said on Friday.
Residents flee ahead of expected fight for Myanmar military academy town Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2024 -- The relatives of civil servants and military soldiers have been packing up and leaving a scenic hill town in central Myanmar that's home to the junta's top military service academy ahead of an anticipated battle, residents said.
Myanmar junta bombs sleeping village killing seven, rebels say Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2024 -- The Myanmar junta's air force bombed a village in a strife-torn central region killing seven people as they slept, an insurgent group said on Thursday, the latest deaths in what opponents of the junta say is a deliberate campaign to target civilians in areas under rebel control.
Myanmar junta orders its workers to pay it part of their Thai wages Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2024 -- Hundreds of thousands of Myanmar workers in Thailand have to hand over part of their wages to the junta ruling their country or risk losing their jobs under a new rule introduced by the military aimed at collecting foreign exchange and perpetuating army rule.
Experts: As Myanmar's junta loses control, China's influence grows VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar's ruling generals are facing unprecedented challenges as armed resistance groups gain more control in the north and the economy stalls. Experts say the rapidly shifting situation is giving China more leverage over the nation's ruling military junta.
Violence against the Rohingya explained Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2024 -- On Monday, scores of Rohingya were killed by a missile as they tried to flee Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh, witnesses told Radio Free Asia. The victims were just the latest civilian casualties as fighting between the junta and several factions has worsened across Rakhine state in recent months. But amid a mounting death toll, no groups have suffered quite as much as the Rohingya, whose vulnerable position within Myanmar has placed them in particular danger.
Weapons fire kills many Rohingya as they attempt to reach Bangladesh Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2024 -- Minority Rohingya Muslims were targeted by heavy weapons as they waited on a Myanmar riverbank for motorboats to carry them to Bangladesh, several survivors of the attack told Radio Free Asia. The witnesses said that dozens of people were killed.
Myanmar junta jets bomb town under rebel control, six killed Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar junta jets bombed a northeastern town under rebel control, killing six people and severely damaging a market, residents told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday, the latest civilian casualties inflicted by the army as it loses territory to insurgents battling to end military rule.
Myanmar rebels claim capture of town on road to China Radio Free Asia 06 Aug 2024 -- An insurgent group fighting the Myanmar military has captured a northern town on a main road to China, seizing the area's last junta military bases after weeks of fighting, a senior official of the rebel group said on Tuesday.
Resistance forces take control of two Chinese-backed joint ventures in Myanmar Radio Free Asia 05 Aug 2024 -- An anti-junta militia seized two Chinese-invested joint ventures in two regions of Myanmar amid fighting between junta soldiers and resistance forces, throwing the future of the operations into uncertainty.
Top Myanmar army officers seized by insurgents in Shan state, junta says Radio Free Asia 05 Aug 2024 -- A Myanmar insurgent group has captured senior army officers after seizing their regional headquarters, a military spokesperson announced on Monday, in a stunning setback for the embattled junta that seized power in a 2021 coup.
Thailand should end Myanmar junta's control over migrants: NUG Radio Free Asia 05 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar's shadow government has called on Thailand to exclude Myanmar junta from involvement in administering the affairs of migrant workers in Thailand, saying the regime is unfairly taxing them in order to prolong its grip on power.
Myanmar opponents of military warn scores of junta staff to quit Radio Free Asia 01 Aug 2024 -- Nearly 90 junta administrators in western Myanmar abandoned their posts after opponents of military rule warned them not to support the regime, pro-democracy representatives said on Wednesday.
Bangladesh internet shutdown hits Rohingya camps hard Radio Free Asia 01 Aug 2024 -- When the Bangladesh government announced it was shutting down the internet on July 18 in response to student-led protests in many parts of the country, refugees living in Cox's Bazar braced themselves for yet another catastrophe.

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August 2024 - Myanmar Special Weapons News