197As the Silent Strike is set to take place on February 1, regime’s lackeys are already hard at work to prevent it from happening. In many townships of Yangon last night, police and ward administrators went around and announced via loudspeakers that shops and restaurants that fail to open on February 1 will be charged and punished. Residents from various areas of Myanmar such as Ye Phyu Township of Tanintharyi, Taunggyi and Lawksawk townships of Shan State, Myawaddy Township of Karen State have been warned with similar message as well. Some of those who showed courage by closing their businesses/shops on the previous Silent Strike on December 10 are reportedly still paying the price as many street food stalls of Yangon have been forced to shut down for good. Despite all junta’s effort to muddle up people’s plan as usual, we believe the Silent Strike will triumph once again, at a heavy cost for some.
Yesterday, the National Unity Government (NUG) released the list of arms dealers for Min Aung Hlaing’s regime. Those nine men are: U Aye Ko, the head of AK group; Dr Naing Htut Aung, the owner of International Gateway Company; Dr Aung Moe Myint, the owner of Dynasty Company; U Sit Taing Aung, the head of Yadanabon Aviation Support Company; Jonathan Kyaw Thoung, the owner of K T Group; U Tun Hlaing, the head of STE Global Trading Company; U Aung Hlaing Oo, the head of Myanmar Chemical & Machinery (MCM); U Zaw Win Oo, the owner of Trident Marine and the notorious Tay Za, the owner of Htoo Group according to Mizzima News. We know too well that shaming those fifty rich men for their crimes is no use. Still, if people related to or work for those men came across this news, we hope they would feel degraded, unsettled, and ashamed for their connection with junta’s cronies.
We reportedly previously that oil wells from Magway Region’s Myaing and Pauk townships had been burned down by junta’s soldiers three days ago. Follow up reports from Khit Thit Media today described a much uglier story. Since January 15, soldiers blocked the area and blackmailed the owners to give money or they would burn down the oil wells. Even when the owners agreed to pay them, the soldiers still ended up taking the money and destroying the plots. Three workers were accused of being members of people defense forces (PDF) and tortured to death before the bodies were burned to destroy evidence on December 24. The wives of two dead victims have been abducted and their whereabout is still unknown. Those responsible for such crimes against humanity are junta’s Battalion 22 from Pakokku Township according to Khit Thit.
And today in Khin-U Township of Sagaing Region, six people from Shwe Yamin Village were murdered in cold blood by State Administration Council (SAC)’s soldiers. A dalan/informer tipped them that PDF trainings had been held in the village, igniting a raid during which two villagers were burned to death and four were shot in the head. At least ten people could have been killed, according to a local source who spoke to Burma VJ. In the same region, four villagers from Ayadaw Township including a 60-year-old grandfather and a 10-year-old child were shot and killed after they were accused as PDF members today.
A rather odd news came from Chaung-U Township of Sagaing Region that two sisters of a military captain were abducted last night for supporting PDF. Junta’s soldiers raided the house by breaking down the door and violently arrested the girls who were university students. Ironically, their captain brother Kyaw Zin Thant had recently recovered from injuries caused by a grenade attack during his night duty. The family is not allowed to meet the girls yet. And in Falam Township of Chin State, seven women who participated in Civic Disobedience Movement (CDM) were abducted in their own homes last night. One of the teachers was not home so her mother was taken instead as usual.
Reporting on junta’s losses, a ward administrator and his wife were shot this morning and the wife Daw Khin Myo Oo was pronounced dead on the spot while the man was taken to the hospital. They have a son in the military and were warned multiple times before the attack, according to local sources. In Thabeikkyin Township, Ko Than Tun who was known as a dalan/informer in Kyaung Gyi Village was shot and killed instantly last night in his own home. He was notorious for distorting and blackmailing businesses in the area. Moreover, KBZ banks in Mandalay, Monywa, Pakokku and Sagaing townships have encountered warnings/small explosions within a week. The most recent one took place yesterday in Pakokku Town, at the hand of Earthquake People Defense Force-UG which said that the attack was a warning because KBZ had frozen several bank accounts of those supporting PDF and resistance movements.
Chinland Joint Defense Committee released a statement that over 180 battles had taken place in Chin State between Chin Resistance Forces and regime’s army last year. During the armed resistance that started in April 2021, 1029 soldiers from junta were killed and 58 people’s soldiers were lost while 27 innocent civilians were murdered by junta’s forces. More on battle news, a military convoy heading towards Myeik Town in Tanintharyi Region was detonated with landmines by Palaw PDF this morning, killing two soldiers. An interesting story from Myanmar Now mentioned that Arakan Army (AA)’s soldiers were provided Covid vaccine by regime in Rakhine State this week. While some people mock that Min Aung Hlaing has a habit of sucking up to those stronger than him, some speculate that SAC is only tricking AA to get the actual total headcount of its soldiers.
