Burma’s banking and financial crises have worsened since the military coup, despite the military pledging that it would prop up the sectors as private banks face collapse. Zaw Min Tun, the Deputy Information Minister of the military regime, revealed at a recent press conference in Naypyidaw that the junta has provided aid to the country’s …

[Image: A woman in Karenni State who, in the absence of US sanctions, could potentially pass customers the Kool-Aid] Less than a month ago, military spokesperson Zaw Min Tun — who will go down in history as one of the world’s great, and most useless, purveyors of hate speech and disinformation — made an exceptionally rambling speech …

The New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the junta have, during Min Aung Hlaing’s “peace talks”, come to an agreement to draft a “state constitution for equality and self-determination” and a “constitution for the establishment of a federal union”, according to NMSP spokesman Naing Aung Ma Ngay. “We requested [the junta] work quickly to draft …

As everyone knows, the coup leader Min Aung Hlaing granted the release of over 1,600 prisoners nationwide on the day of the Burmese New Year, April 17. Among those released were many sentenced under the Army and Police Discipline acts, yet also those imprisoned on drug charges.  Most prisoners convicted on drug charges will bribe …

General Yawd Serk, the chairman of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS/SSA), attended the junta’s much mooted “peace talks” today, seemingly putting the full support of the EAO behind the military. The pair are said to have discussed ways to develop a “federal union”, appropriating a phrase popularised by Burma’s parallel and democratically recognised …

A KNU camp, for decades held by the military, is back in the hands of Karen resistance groups after fighting broke out between the Burma Army and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) on the night of May 17 near Thay Baw Bo village, south of Myawaddy. Fighting continued into the morning and the army …

A third legally documented batch of Burmese migrant workers arrived in Mae Sot, Thailand, on Thursday, crossing the Friendship Bridge No. 2 from Myawaddy in Karen State. The Burmese nationals were recruited under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) system, a Thai government program designed to absorb workers from neighboring countries (~80% of whom typically come …

NUG foreign minister, Zin Mar Aung, met with US Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, during her trip to Washington DC last week. “It was an honor to meet with [McConnell] to discuss the ongoing violent campaigns of the military junta in Myanmar. We exchanged notes and agreed on the importance of ongoing support from the …

A leaked document described by sources to DVB Burmese suggests that the junta has compiled a list of businesspeople, cronies, and others affiliated to the military that it has ruled are now subject to travel bans, blocking them from leaving the country and requiring them to reenter. The list includes Max Zaw Zaw and U …

Due to extremely low audience numbers, movie theater owners are shuttering locations just weeks after the military forced a nationwide restart of Burma’s film industry.  Film producers, many of whom have been blocked from leaving the country, say they are finding it difficult to screen movies despite the military recently forcing cinemas across Burma to …

Rohingya students barred from attending classes at Sittwe University for ten years are beginning to return to the institution after the Rakhine State Students’ Union advocated for the discriminatory ban to be lifted, a spokesperson for the union has told DVB. Rohingya students lost their right to attend classes at the university following riots in …

The Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS), a minority group with past affiliations to the NLD and All Burma Student’s League, has been forced to suspend operations after the party rejected the junta-controlled Union Election Commission’s (UEC) calls to investigate the party. The UEC said in a letter to the party that the junta …

The Burma Army and allied Border Guard Force (BGF) recently captured roughly 100 civilians, marching them as a human shield to the military’s Lay Kay camp in Bilin township, located in the Karen National Union’s (KNU) Brigade 1 territory, Padoh Saw Soe Myint, chairperson of KNU Brigade 1’s Thaton District, told DVB. Around 50 soldiers …

Almost 16,000 tourists visited Rakhine State over this year’s Thingyan holiday period, according to the junta’s Rakhine State Hotels and Tourism Department. The military and the Arakan Army (AA) had hosted competing Rakhine Thingyan celebrations in the state; festivals have been sparse in preceding years due to conflict, COVID-19, and the coup. Of these figures, …

In a speech published across state media today, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing invited EAO heads to meet with him in person to discuss a return to the peace process. “2022 will be the year of peace, and armed conflict will end across the country. To effectively implement this peace, I will invite the leaders …

Dr Htar Htar Lin and Dr Soe Oo, the former heads of Burma’s COVID-19 vaccine program, have been found guilty of corruption by a military-controlled court. The military had accused Dr Htar Htar Lin of mismanaging international funds related to COVID-19 vaccines and embezzling K161.2 billion (US$87,000) of state funds. Dr Soe Oo was charged …

The dead body of Daw Soe Soe, the wife of the NLD’s vice-chairman for Mandalay district, was found dumped in front of a fire station, six days after she was arrested and tortured by the military. It is believed that the woman was murdered by security forces who had captured her in an attempt to …

Approximately 100 civilians have been used as military porters to aid in the construction of a new military outpost in Naung Hee villact tract in Namsan township, the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) said on April 19. Residents of Nam Mot village say they were ordered to send one person per household to partake in …

An estimated 70 houses were burnt down during a military raid on Pati village in Pauk township on the evening of April 19, according to local sources. Soldiers are said to have entered the village mounted on 16 motorbikes before carrying out the arson attacks. A local told DVB that villagers had “no place to …

The SAC has put all of its troops under an indefinite “state of readiness”, according to sources inside the military. The news comes shortly after the National Unity Government (NUG) announced its forces will be transitioning from “defensive” to “offensive” combat operations. Despite credible source testimony, DVB highlights that it has not yet been able …

The NUG’s Defense Minister, Yee Mon, on April 18 told the fourth session of the government’s Union Hluttaw that his ministry now had the capability to provide weapons for the People’s Defense Force. According to the minister, the NUG can now meet the minimum demand of associated resistance groups for “factory produced weapons”. He said …

The Karen National Union (KNU) Central Land Committee has announced that it has legally certified five new self-administered areas in Bago Region and Kayin State.  In an announcement made in Taungoo, Bago, on April 14, the EAO said that a total of five areas, including Kawthaygu in Hpapun (Mutraw) district and four areas in Taungoo …

The producer of the now multi-international award winning documentary, Myanmar Diaries, says that a new platform to help Burma’s talented young filmmakers has been established in light of the success of the work. In February, the documentary — a tapestry of documentary footage and artistic storytelling on the topic of Burma’s Spring Revolution — won best …

FROM THE DVB NEWSROOM Today’s Headlines Thursday, April 7, 2022 CBM vice-chair shot in Yangon home. A head of the military-controlled Central Bank of Myanmar was shot at her Yangon home this morning. Than Than Swe was last reported to have been rushed to Yangon General Hospital. Read DVB’s report. BURMESE KNU to exit PPST? …

The NUG on late Thursday night announced it is to grant huge rewards of up to K10,000 lakh (~US$ 500,000) to military personnel who defected with a helicopter, jet fighter, or other aircraft.  On an itemized bounty list released on April 7 and signed by the NUG’s acting president Duwa Lashi La, large sums are …

The family of Maung Gyi Hla, a deceased man thought to be a victim of torture, say they are disappointed with an explanation for his death provided to them by the Arakan Army (AA). AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha had responded to a question posed at a press conference on Tuesday by saying: “[Maung Gyi Hla] …

The vice-chair of the military-controlled Central Bank of Myanmar, Than Than Swe, has been shot at her home in the Shwe Gone Yeik Mon housing estate, Bahan township. The news has been confirmed by the military’s information minister, Zaw Min Tun. “Shots were heard this morning around 9 a.m.,” a source in the housing complex …

The Karen National Union (KNU) has said that it is no longer possible for its group to cooperate with the Peace Process Steering Team – a body of ten EAOs formed to oversee the implementation of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) —  due to conflicting political stances.  The KNU’s elder statesman chairman, Gen. Mutu Say …

All hotels and resorts in the popular Ayeyarwady beach resorts of Chaung Tha and Ngwe Saung are fully booked for the Thingyan holidays, according to the Myanmar Hotelier’s Association. Rooms in Chaung Tha Beach had been taken off the market temporarily due to a cyclone which made land last month, but have now all been …

The military is systematically scrutinizing the work of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) operating within Burma, Min Aung Hlaing told a meeting of the SAC in Naypyidaw on Tuesday. Local civil society groups voiced their concern over the coup leader’s remarks, saying that the suppression of their work could lead to …

The military sending huge numbers of reinforcements to pacify southern Chin State due to mounting tensions with the Arakan Army (AA), an official from the Chin State Joint Defense Committee (South) CJDC has claimed.  The SAC is alleged to have dispatched between 800 to 1,000 troops in an attempt to gain control of territory encompassing …

After a two year hiatus, Burma’s military junta says it is to reopen cinemas on April 17, new year’s day in the Burmese calender.  The move comes as the coup government’s Ministry of Information looks to consolidate its control over the country’s eviscerated entertainment sector, having annihilated an arts scene that had blossomed since 2012. …

Over 700 internally displaced people from Mong Ko township in northern Shan State are facing food shortage after fleeing ongoing clashes between the military and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). An aid worker told DVB that groups were experiencing difficulties in transporting rice and other staples to refugee camps as the army had …

A monk renowned for helping those struggling with addiction was murdered by an unidentified group in his monastery in Mandalay’s Kyaukpadaung township, which lies on the border of Magway Region, on March 25. Photos show that the bodies of Sayartaw Tayzanira, aka the Yone Htaung monk, and his kappiya, or lay manciple, were burned within …

Canada, the UK, and the US have imposed new sanctions on individuals and groups related to or alleged to be arming the Burma Air Force, which has upped its indiscriminate massacre of civilians in bombing campaigns since the start of 2022.  Newly sanctioned in the UK:  Gen. Htun Aung, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Air Force …

The military-installed mayor of Yangon, Bo Htay, and Yangon Region commerce minister, Aung Than Oo, were arrested yesterday afternoon and accused by the junta of illegally granting land permits for development projects in Yangon. The pair’s detention came one day after arch-crony Khin Shwe and son Zay Thiha were sent to Insein Prison on charges …

Infants and young refugee children displaced by recent fighting are dying in camps on the border between Shan and Kayah states due to a lack of basic health care and medical treatment, aid workers say. Local aid groups say over 100,000 people have been displaced by military raids on Kayah State, Burma’s smallest region. Intense …

The fallout surrounding the arrest of arch-crony Khin Shwe and son Zay Thiha continued today after the pair were yesterday sent to Yangon’s Insein Prison. Security forces are believed to have seized properties in Yangon and Kyaiktiyo, Mon State, with a number of others under investigation, sources close to Khin Shwe’s Zaykabar company told the Ayeyarwaddy …

Couriers from Foodpanda continued striking yesterday after the German on-demand delivery service slashed pay rates by more than half. Those participating in the protests — held in major cities across Burma — said they would return to work when previous pay levels were reinstated.  Riders complained they now stand to receive K200-300 (US 10-15 cents) …

IMAGE: Former monk and leader of Yinmarbin PDF, Bo Thanmani Bo Thanmani, leader of the Yinmarbin township PDF in Sagaing, has admitted to DVB that his militia killed four civilians and six rival PDF members in attacks last year. Calls for the group to be investigated were elevated last week after the Union Defense and …

The NUG’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management announced on February 14 that it had provided K361.1 million (US$203,000) in humanitarian assistance nationwide over the month of January. In contrast, a number of leading INGOs have repeatedly expressed an inability to provide aid to areas most hard hit by Burma’s growing humanitarian crisis. The …

Image: TotalEnergies The future of Burma’s controversial Yadana gas field remains unclear, two months after French and US energy giants TotalEnergies and Chevron both announced that they were to exit the venture. Total and Chevron, integral to the Yadana project since its development in the 90s, held pre-coup stakes in the fields, located in the …

Villagers are speaking out after three companies applied to establish shrimping operations in mangrove located near to Sun Nge Bar Laing village, Kawthaung, Tanintharyi Region.  Forty two residents of five local villages signed petitions vocalizing concerns over the developments on Jan. 20. They are now being threatened by the military due to their advocacy.  “The …

S. SHAN —The cremation of Ta’ang Party regional chairman, Mai Nom Han, was held near Mongkaung township’s Pang Pwe village yesterday. The ceremony was attended by over 1,000 people, and came just days after the TNP chief of Mongkaung and family were found to have been brutally murdered after disappearing in January. Local people say …

EXCLUSIVE: Norway’s state-owned telecom, Telenor, has come under fire from rights groups and Burmese citizens for the proposed sale of its interests in the country to Lebanese outfit M1 Group and Shwe Byain Phyu, a crony conglomerate with close links to military business. Critics of the deal say that historic user data will be passed …

(Header image: Burma Campaign UK) Pressure group Burma Campaign UK (BCUK) has published the latest iteration of its ‘Dirty List’, adding 28 new companies said to be linked to the Burmese military and, as such, to human rights violations and the environmental destruction of Burma. The additions to the list — which now targets 116 …

The incinerated bodies of 11 civilians, four of whom were young children, have been discovered after troops massacred residents of Letpadaw village in Yinmarbin, Sagaing Region. Violence in Sagaing’s townships have recently reached unprecedented levels. After an internet blackout was imposed on the region on March 3, troops are reported to have launched numerous indiscriminate …

Mya Aye, a leader of the 88 Generation Students Group currently who has been held in Yangon’s Insein prison since the day of the 2021 coup, today received two years in prison. The activist, who was reportedly one of the first people to be arrested by troops on the day of the coup, was being …

The eviction of thousands of long-term settlers living on the fringes of Mandalay’s railway network are to be followed with an even larger dispossession of homeowners and businesses in the region, as military land grabs continue apace. The junta has, since the coup, established what it calls “Township Encroachment Committees” in Mandalay with the intent …

As electricity shortages become ever more frequent and fuel prices soar, factory owners in Burma say their businesses are struggling to survive from one day to the next. Over recent weeks, many areas of Yangon have faced severe power outages, with some residents claiming that for every four hours of electricity received six hours are …