A day after the tweet from Mr. Simon Adams of Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect GCR2P and many possible scenarios laid out by our witty netizens, the coup leader Min Aung Hlaing has decided that he will only attend the upcoming ASEAN summit via online instead of his initial plan to fly to Jakarta. Why did we let him know the plan damn it!
Yesterday, we failed to mention that an explosion blasted in front of KBZ Bank in Myingyan, no casualties reported as it was a holiday and as usual, the culprit was unknown. As if they had nothing to do with the explosion, the junta’s forces ‘responded’ by shooting indiscriminately at the civilians and nearby houses during last night and this morning. Three civilians were shot and one is in a critical condition. Six civilians including a 13 years old child were abducted. We saw a few reports that two terrorist soldiers also died when civilians defended soldier’s assaults.
Day 78 into the coup, the nationwide protests do not stop. We saw images of protests in various parts of the country both guerilla protests and marching protests, condemning the coup and supporting the newly formed National Unity Government (NUG). People haven’t given up, and they won’t. However, junta’s forces used crueler tactics to crackdown the protesters. In Mandalay during motorbike protests, the terrorist soldiers violently crashed into the protesters with private cars, resulting in the death of a young woman, another injured with gunshot, and at least 10 protesters were arrested. In Yangon, at least 12 protesters were arrested in Insein township, and five protesters were arrested in Tarmwe township. In Shwekyin township, Bago Region, 18 young men were accused of joining military training under one of ethnic armed organisations (EAO) and hence abducted by the terrorist army. In Monyin township, Kachin State, two protesters were arrested during the crackdown of a marching protest.
Despite the tightened security in Yangon, fires and explosions still occurred in Yangon. In Thaketa township, an administration office of Khine Shwe War ward caught fire while another explosion blasted in front of KBZ Bank in Insein township. Both incidents happened around 1 pm today. Number of police checkpoints is growing in Yangon where cars are stopped and thoroughly searched which have been going on since the beginning of Thingyan festival. They usually check photo gallery and Facebook app if there are any anti-coup related content. Since mobile internet is cut off indefinitely, junta’s forces even set up wifi routers at the check points to search people’s social media activities according to netizens. Clearly, coup leaders care deeply about maintaining public image. As a counter, some civilians now have created fake Facebook profiles or use burner phones when they go out.
On the warfront, fighting between the terrorist military and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) intensified in Hpakant township, Kachin State. Kachin News Group reported that two military outposts have been successfully occupied by the KIA. An explosion also blasted in a police outpost in Hpakant around 7pm this evening. It seems KIA is taking the advantage of junta’s troubles in the best way possible and we wish them all the best.
In other news, the NUG held its first cabinet meeting today, discussed that the People’s Defense Forces would be prioritised, and that the parallel government would further carry out relief and support plan for the people of Myanmar. With intensified barbaric activities by the junta, we sincerely hope the NUG implement the defense forces as soon as possible.
Now that Thingyan holidays are over, we will see which banks and businesses will open tomorrow. The coup leaders desperately want to show the world that business as usual, but things will never be the same.
