Yesterday evening in Dawei City, Tanintharyi Region, a group of young people abducted in September were escorted by junta’s forces and forced to read junta’s lies-filled scripts via loudspeakers in the crowded places, reported by many media outlets. They read out loud “My name is xxx, a National League for Democracy extremist, living in ward xxx, I killed xxx and participated in protests”. Eyewitness said that the youths were held at gunpoint as they read through the script in a car that’s accompanied by at least another four military vehicles full of junta’s troops according to Mizzima News. The kids also seemed tortured and beaten severely, added the source.
Khit Thit media pointed out that Ko Yar Zar Tun, who was proclaimed death due to extreme torture in interrogation on September 28 (we also reported so in our entry on October 2), was among those youths in Dawei reading junta’s propaganda out loud yesterday evening. We cannot confirm the news yet but if that’s the case, then junta seems to be spreading fake death news deliberately so as to ridicule the media groups who have been reporting their atrocities to the world. Regardless, we hope it is true that Ko Yar Zar Tun is alive and well. Although he may be forced to act as junta’s mouthpiece for the time being, as long as he is alive, there is always hope for survival.
One confirmed death was witnessed in Yesagyo Township, Magway Region this morning around 9am as regime’s soldiers stormed into a teashop, shooting at a group of young people. One of them was shot in the head and killed on the spot who was later identified as Ko Thuta Aung, a university student. As usual, the dead body was taken by junta’s troops who also abducted the teashop owner and five other youths. A local told Khit Thit media that those detainees were threatened to sign a statement that said, “Ko Thuta Aung was killed by an explosion, not by junta’s troops”. No further development on this news so far.
This morning was not all doom and gloom thanks to Pale’s People Defense Force (PPDC). PPDC, based in Sagaing Region, detonated 27 land mines on a major junta’s military convoy which consisted at least 80 vehicles around 8am. Its official statement said five vehicles were destroyed while many casualties were witnessed although the exact number was not specified. In the same region, local PDF reportedly carried out offensive at a Htigyaint police station and occupied it before they burned it down last night, according to Khit Thit Media. The attack took place around 9:30pm and junta’s soldiers in security duty were said to flee the scene quicker than the wind.
More explosions have been carried out lately in Hlaing Tharyar Township, Yangon. Last night around 8pm, a military convoy consisting five vehicles came to a halt due to a blast that was set up by Civil Guerrilla Force (CGF). Three explosions were planned originally, only two were blasted timely, the first one stopped the engines and another one went off as soon as the soldiers on board got off the trucks for inspection, according to a CGF member who spoke to Mizzima.
More battle news came in from Karenni State today. A clash took place between Karenni Nationalies Defense Force (KNDF) and regime’s troops this afternoon around 2pm in Loikaw Township. The 45-minute-long back and forth firings saw at least four deaths from junta and no casualty from KNDF. Following the incident, artillery shelling from both sides were heard by villages in Demoso Township until 5pm and some of the households caught on fire consequently. Two attacks on regime’s troops in Kachin State were also reported today. Kachin Independence Army (KIA) carried out two separate operations in Tanai Township along Lido Road and may have caused multiple deaths according to sources close to KIA.
Whenever they get embarrassed in level playing field, regime’s troops intensify their atrocities on unarmed civilians. Myanmar Now reported that a burned body and nine blazed houses were found when junta’s soldiers left a village in Gantgaw Township, Magway Region yesterday evening, two days after they had stationed there. The dead body was yet to be identified as many residents had fled their households to find safety in the near forests. Three villages from Khin Oo Township, Sagaing Region were also killed in cold-blood manner yesterday. The victims namely Ko Aung Phyo, Ko Aung Myint Soe and U Sein Po were stopped on their way back home and forced to lie on their chest before they were shot in the heads reported by Khit Thit Media.
Amid such continuous crimes against human rights, the ASEAN special envoy Erywan Yusof, Brunei’s second foreign affairs minister is nowhere to be seen in Myanmar just yet. Recently, State Administration Council (SAC)’s spokesperson said Mr Yusof would not be granted access to those under detention including the State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Today, a rumor is spread that ASEAN countries may consider suspending Myanmar from the bloc and junta’s foreign ministry has already received the heads up according to Mizzima. Although it could seem as a rather bold move given ASEAN’s idleness whenever a concrete action is expected, we doubt Min Aung Hlaing would give a damn as long as he has bullets and kiss-ass lackeys.
“All absurd” is how the State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi responded to her lawyer when he asked her about the accusation that the Yangon Region Prime Minister Phyo Min Thein had bribed her during the previous government term to “look after him”. Although no one ever remotely doubted her of corruption, the netizens responded enthusiastically to the lady’s remark and mocked the coup leaders most assuredly having to look up the phrase in a nearby dictionary. After all, we have learned through our own eyes that it wasn’t Daw Aung San Suu Kyi nor her offspring who exploited the natural resources of the country, vacationing in five stars hotels and driving Lamborghinis.
