It has been just another day full of junta’s atrocities.
Residents of Thanlyin Township of Yangon heard numerous gunfires last night around 9pm. Initial reports came up that junta’s forces were attacked by people in cars that led to an exchange of firing. However, verified news later described that a car carrying two civilians hit the barriers on the road and drove away in fear. Regime’s soldiers followed the car in various vehicles, firing at least 50 bullets and arresting those on board. Both passengers turned out to be unarmed civilians who were merely trying to get their ways out of trouble. A picture of the victims being shirtless and in bruises circulated online and they are still in custody according to Khit Thit media.
On the same night around 10pm, six students from Dagon University were abducted by junta’s forces in downtown Yangon. All detainees such as Ma Wut Yi Aung, Ma Thinzar Zaw, Mg Sithu Aung Tin, Mg Ye Lin Oo, Mg Myint Thein Naing and Mg Nay Htet Lin are only 20 years of age and sharing an apartment in Kyauktada Township where they were snatched during guest registration inspection. The victims are not even in the warrant list and the families still do not know why they were arrested according to Dagon University Students’ Union. At first, the students were placed in Kyauktada Police Station and now taken to an interrogation center.
A member of National League for Democracy (NLD) called U Than Aye was abducted by junta’s forces in Waw Township, Bago Region on September 13 and passed away during interrogation on the same day. The dead body of 60-year-old victim was cremated the next morning without informing family members. According to the local sources, U Than Aye was beaten in a local ward administration office and his dead body was sent to the mortuary by 8pm. Ko Naing Lin, 45-year-old NLD member, was also killed by junta’s forces in Salin Township of Magway Region yesterday afternoon. He was shot at least 20 times in his own home for no disclosed reasons. Ko Naing Lin is survived by a 5-year-old son, an 8-year-old daughter and his wife.
News of junta’s forces accusing and abducting civilians for being People Defense Force (PDF) members are quite frequently reported these days. Yesterday, five staff including two women from a fish farm in Zalon Township, Ayawaddy Region were abducted with the same suspicion. Locals denied the news and said it was a made-up charge. However, whereabouts of detainees are still unknown to the families. Similarly, Ko Thet Lwin, a villager from Twante Township, Yangon was accused of being a PDF member and he was shot and killed by regime’s soldiers last night. According to the sources on ground, Ko Thet Lwin was just a civilian and he was not on good term with the ward administrator Chit Win so the man lied to the junta’s forces to get rid of his enemy.
A bookkeeper of Pauk People Defense Force from Magway Region was murdered by regime’s soldiers last night. The 42-year-old Daw Sandar Win was abducted at midnight by 10 people in plain clothes from her home along with funds around 18,000,000 MMK (approx. USD 10,000). A gunshot was heard about an hour later and locals found her dead body in the morning with a gunshot in the head. Daw Sandar Win was known as a prominent protest member and fundraiser for the local PDF and she is survived by two sons around 10 years of age and her husband.
On top of an overwhelmingly negative day for reporting, we learn today that U Hla Myo Htut, the first policeman joining the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in Kalay Township of Sagaing Region had passed away in one of the battles in Mingin, Sagaing Region. Details of his death are still unknown but PDF (Kalay) confirmed the news and said the man had been a member of Mingin PDF since joining CDM. For a policeman joining the people’s side, he could have chosen to be anywhere else but sacrificed himself in fighting for the collective freedom of the country. May he rest in peace.
More battle news reported in Chin State where junta’s forces and Kanpatlat Chin Defense Force (CDF) clashed yesterday. Today, they have resumed the battle near Kanpatlat Township and Saw Township since 7:30am this morning. So far, at least ten of regime’s soldiers have been reportedly killed. Artillery shelling was fired but CDF have not suffered any casualties. Another battle news came from Kachin State where junta’s forces warned Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and PDF not to attack or else, they would burn down the villages three days ago. Today, KIA detonated the army convoy carrying 200 soldiers near Tayon Village and that led to back-and-forth firing.
Since the notice for the sale of its business in Myanmar, Telenor has released another announcement today that they did consider staying in the market; however, another conclusion has been reached and they have no choice but to leave; the main reason being junta’s directive to activate intercept equipment for its advantages which is against fundamental human rights and international laws. Telenor also added “They have until now not activated the equipment and will not do so without voluntarily”. While it is sad to see Telenor go, we cannot say we did not see that coming, both Telenor leaving and junta tapping our phones. It’s the least of what the coup leaders are capable of, after all.
