109Last night, the death body of 21-year-old Sai Phone Min Thant was discovered by Karenni PDF after 40 days of his death. According to Mizzima News, Karenni PDF could not retrieve the death body earlier due to the ongoing clashes with the junta forces. Sai Phone Min Thant was a prominent anti-coup protest leader who later joined Karenni armed forces after witnessing the military’s atrocious crimes against its own citizens. He was killed during a battle against the junta forces in which the military used heavy artillery. His mother posted on her social media that she was grateful to Karenni PDF for responsibly finding the death body of his son despite battles are still happening around that area. Her message showed us PDFs value their comrades even after their deaths unlike the junta soldiers who usually leave their comrades’ death bodies anywhere, or dump death bodies in plastic bags.
According to DVB News, the funds transferred by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for COVID-19 vaccination has gone missing under the control of State Administration Council (SAC). IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice spoke in the media conference that IMF had transferred the money before the coup, and IMF had no clue on whether the money was spent for COVID vaccination and helping refugees. He further stated that SAC has no transparency on budget expenditures like Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD) government, and he has initially made an agreement with NLD government to be transparent with IMF’s budget that exceeds 100 million Myanmar Kyats. The last accounting report IMF has received was from NLD government on January 29. However, the regime failed to perform similar transparent reporting to IMF, and thus, IMF has stopped providing the funds to them.
Today, Min Aung Hlaing visited Mandalay, and his visit is welcomed by a bomb explosion in Kyauk Wine area. It took place early this morning, the bomb was detonated in Jewelry Sales Center in Mahar Aung Myay Township, Mandalay, in which one police was killed and one was injured. Later, Burma Phoenix Organization (BPO) PDF announced that they were responsible for the attack, and they launched this attack as a response for SAC’s statement to re-open Jewelry Sales Center. After the attack, the junta forces have tightened the security forces, and thoroughly checked the motorbikes and cars in downtown area and on 78th street.
This morning, a military informant was killed in Yay city, Mon. In Monywa, Sagaing Region, Daw Kay Thwe Khine, a military supporter, was also shot to death in the afternoon around 1pm, and PDF-South Monywa announced that they are responsible for this murder. Later around 2.30pm, two military informants U Myint Win and his wife, natives of Myit Chay City, Pakokku Township, also shared the same fate as they were killed on the Pakokku-Seikphyu road. Pakokku PDF spoke to DVB that U Myint Win was responsible for the numerous arrests of protesters and some PDFs from villages were also arrested as he informed to the regime’s soldiers, and some were even killed during the interrogation by the police. This afternoon, he and his wife were shot to death by Pakokku PDF.
Today’s trending news took place in Yangon. A military owned Mytel Chief Financial Officer aka a former military personnel Thein Aung was assassinated during this morning’s attack in which his wife was also shot by unknown party. He passed away on the spot whereas his wife was severely injured. According to Myanmar Now, it is likely the crime was committed by someone close to him. A local residing near the crime scene said that soldiers usually block the crime area when military informants are killed, but they have not come to check until the afternoon. Moreover, CDM-engineer from Mytel said that U Thein Aung lived in the elite area, and the killer knew his exact address and his morning routine, that means it could be someone close to him. On the other hand, Mizzima News reported that Yangon Guerrilla Warfare PDF spoke to them that they were responsible for U Thein Aung’s death.
We have previously reported that SAC arrested Frontier Myanmar’s Managing Director Danny Fenster on May 24 when he was planning to go back to the US in Yangon International Airport, and he has not been released yet. Alongside Sean Turnell, the Australian economist and former economic policy advisor to Aung San Suu Kyi, Danny Fenster is one of the two prominent foreigners arrested by SAC. Yesterday, the appeal for US-journalist’s bail was rejected and he has been further charged with Immigration Act by the court. According to the current Myanmar law, if the court found him guilty, he could be sentenced six-month to five-year prison terms. His family has also been advocating strongly to release their son, but SAC has not paid any attention to their request.
