Tomorrow is a big day for Myanmar as both the State Administrative Council (SAC) and the National Unity Government (NUG) will be competing for their ambassadors’ credentials to be accepted at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Around 358 civil society organizations and rights groups from both Myanmar and international organizations have sent an open letter to the members of the UNGA, especially to the Credential Committee consisting of nine members including China, Russia and the United States. Myanmar diasporas have marched to the parliament buildings and foreign affairs offices in countries such as Austria, Japan, Ireland, Canada and at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York to demand the recognition of the National Unity Government (NUG) and to continue accepting the credentials of the NUG-appointed Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun as a representative of Myanmar.
Similar protests were held in the country. People have sent their home strikes calling for the UN to recognize the NUG and respect the people’s voices to the media. Protests calling for the same demand were observed on the streets inside the country from the North to the South. Sagaing region, as usual, was the most active where villagers and farmers went to the streets and held a farming strike for the UN to accept the credentials of Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun and to recognize the NUG, respecting the people’s will. People were seen holding banners and photos of U Kyaw Moe Tun together with the UN logo. Shan, Karen, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Mandalay had all seen these protests on their streets.
Perfectly timed, the NUG issued a press statement today that called for the international community to recognize NUG as the legitimate government of the people of Myanmar. The statement pointed out the failure of some countries which still invited the military generals to international meetings and signed business deals with them. This evil military institution can only be dismantled through collective willpower and leadership of the people of the country for freedom and justice. Thus, the NUG declared a defensive war against the junta since September 7, and published Code of Conduct for People’s Defense Forces (PDF), which was overwhelmingly welcomed by the people. Myanmar people, feeling ignored by the international community, have realized the power is in our hands, and that it is time we take our matters into our own hands.
Assassinations of the junta’s lackeys and allies continue. A ward administrator, Naing Lin, was shot dead by unknown gunmen around 2pm today in Yangon’s Dagon township. Similarly, in Mandalay’s Sint Ku township, a hundred-household village administrator Tin Soe was shot dead while on a motorbike. Tin Soe was notorious for calling the soldiers to threaten other villagers with gunshots when they were hitting pots and pans in the early days. Again in Mandalay, a bomb bursted at the military checkpoint near the Mandalay Palace which claimed the lives of at least four from the junta side. At 10am in Mandalay, another bomb blast was reported at the military checkpoint near 19th street and circular train in Aung Myay Thar Zan township. In Bago Region, Taungoo township, many bomb blasts were reported that slightly injured six soldiers.
Near the border to North India, it was Lungler village of Thantlang, Hakha district, which found itself targeted by the junta forces due to the Chin National Force (CNF) and Chinland Defense Force (CDF)’s coordinated attacks on the Lungler police station on September 11 which claimed the death of 12 soldiers. The victory of the attacks led the junta to launch air attacks onto the civilians. Many civilians have now fled into the Mizoram, India border town, for safety. More than 1400 villagers from 11 villages are on the run that includes 266 children under five and 32 persons with disabilities. They are facing food shortages as they run. Again a similar case was reported in Sagaing Region’s Myaung township last night, where Kyauntyit village saw the same fate as the whole village was burnt down by the soldiers after killing at least seven villagers. This retaliation was due to the local People Defense Forces (PDF) raging battles with the junta forces since September 8. All the people are now reported to be on the run.
In Magway Region Gantgaw township where a massacre occurred a few days ago, soldiers have not stopped their atrocities in these small villages yet. In Nhan Khar village, junta soldiers this morning burnt down 14 civilians’ homes, a rice mill, and two temporary huts for people to run and hide. They had earlier burnt down 36 homes in the same village on September 10. This week alone, it is reported that more than 100 houses of the villagers were burnt down from Myin Thar, Kone Ywar, Thar Lin, Nhan Khar, Htal Hlaw (Bin) villages. More than 20 villagers were killed, including a 80-year-old, many young children under 18 and other innocent civilians from these villages of northern Gant Gaw township. Today, Yaw PDF and Mindat PDF launched a coordinated attack on the Minywa police station that killed five police including those 30 who had come to their rescue. A total of 35 junta’s allies were dead.
Today, some military boats carrying weapons, speed boar, and tanks on the ship were spotted on Chindwin River. A total of five military ships were seen traveling on the river up north. They finally arrived at Kani township, Sagaing, where some clashes have been raging on for months, on and off. A military aircraft was also spotted along the Chindwin River. Some shots were fired from those ships to Shwe Sayay village, east of the river, at around 2pm today. Netizens reported two villagers were arrested from the village. Their whereabouts is unknown. In Yangon, some youth hanged the poster that read “Leave the murderer-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing. Join the people’s side, join CDM!”, asking soldiers to leave their monstrous master and join the struggle of the people for freedom.
Power is in our hands, and together we will end this fascist regime. Freedom and justice will prevail in this country. It must.
