98During this year’s Thandingyut Festival, the State Administration Council (SAC) has banned the civilians from playing firecrackers under the precaution that People Defense Forces (PDFs) might use real explosives to attack against them in guerrilla warfare tactics frequently found these days across Myanmar. However, PDFs do not pay attention to illegitimate government SAC, and continued in their revolutions against the junta. This proved to be the case in the commercial city Yangon yesterday. Last night, a video footage emerged on Khit Thit media that showed the military convoys patrolling around Tamwe township were being attacked twice. An explosion was heard on 4.50pm, and another bomb was detonated around 5.10 pm. A local in the area spoke to the media that the first explosion had damaged the Double Cab loaded with soldiers, and the second one was followed when more military trucks came to the scene.
Moreover, a local spoke to DVB news that Zin Kyite police station in Paung Township, Mon State was also detonated last night although there was no casualty from the explosion. Paung PDF announced later that they were responsible for the attack, and said it was the last warning to police officers to join civil disobedience movement (CDM). This afternoon, a senior officer U Thant Sin from Takutta village Electric Power Corporation (EPC) was shot to death. A local told that he was shot because he assisted the junta soldiers in guiding them to PDF camps, and also cut off electricity multiple times in the village.
Battles between junta’s forces and People Defense Forces (PDFs) were also observed nationwide today. In North Dagon township, Yangon, two family members of a military informant Mya Yee were shot to death. An explosion also occurred in Thingangyun Township, Yangon around 1pm, resulting in the injury of one youth. In Pwint Phyu Township, Magway, PRA-Magway and Pwingbyu PDF detonated a bomb on a military convoy, and four junta’s soldiers died in the process. Two Mytel telecommunication towers were also destroyed in Yesagyo townships, Magway. In Thaton township, Mon, Thaton PDFs shot a former ward administrator Kyaw Oo and he was killed on the spot.
In Kantbalu and Monywa townships in Sagaing, local PDFs also attack the military’s subordinates. KBU-UG planted a bomb at a military informant Ko Tun’s house in Kantbalu. In Monywa, two police stations were attacked by PDF-South Monywa and Monywa Heroes Group, resulting in the death of two police officers. Furthermore, the Monywa tax office was bombed, and the building was damaged. In Myingyan, Mandalay, a non-CDM vice principal Kyaw Myo from Htainpan village was assassinated by 7 Revolution Force. In Chin State, CDF-Kanpetelet also announced that they have killed all military informants in the region.
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) announced that the junta’s action of releasing thousands of political prisoners, re-arresting some of them under different charges are just psychological torturing tactics implemented by the military junta. So far, 110 people have been arrested again, and some more are currently fleeing from the regime’s forces. AAPP’s mental health care programme person spoke to Burma VJ that the notion of being re-arrested increased the stress level of released prisoners, and caused more harms to their mental well-being. Moreover, they feel more vulnerable in terms of their safety, and suffer from mental insecurities. Further reports reveal that all of them were tortured cruelly while they were being detained. A victim said that he was left under the scorching sun without any water while he could hear the water coming out from the tap nearby.
According to data from SAC’s allegiance Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), over 1,000 companies have been struck off from registration status within last 3 months as they failed to submit annual returns on time. Currently, some local companies are not submitting annual return online as they do not want to pay fees to the illegitimate government SAC. This has resulted in their company registration being terminated. Therefore, some companies are currently facing dilemmas whether to pay penalty fees for late submission of annual returns, or to continue their businesses without proper company registration status. DICA’s action of striking off company registration status is a similar situation where the junta forces are threatening the public to either pay the electricity bills or cutting off electricity cables at each home. Both these situations tell one thing in common to the public that the junta is running low on cashflow, and are using any possible way to force civilians to give them money.
On the international ground, Myanmar’s UN permanent representative U Kyaw Moe Tun met with Wendy Sherman, the United States Deputy Secretary of State, in Washington D.C. During the meeting, Wendy Sherman encouraged the international communities to continue speaking out for Myanmar affairs and sanctions against the SAC, urge the military regime to cease the violence, release all those unjustly detained, address abuses, and restore Burma’s path to inclusive democracy. Similarly, Derek Chollet, Counselor of the United States Department of State, who is currently in AEAN countries and Asia to discuss Myanmar affairs, met with Singapore government officials. He spoke to the media that U.S. is weighing further political and economic steps to pressure the government. On October 20, he also spoke with Singapore government officials to discuss on freezing SAC’s possessions abroad.
