Residents of North Dagon heard explosive sounds last night around 11pm. One of the sounds came from North Dagon Police Station which was attacked with a bomb that killed a policeman. Another explosion took place near Pinlon Hall in the same township and no casualties were reported so far. Following the incidents, junta’s forces carried out indiscriminate shootings in the neighboring townships such as South Dagon, Thingangyun, North Oakkalapa just about midnight. In Insein Township, an incident took place where a car was shot by junta’s forces as it did not stop at their signal for inspection last night around 8pm. At least five gunfires were heard by nearby residents.
Similarly, two people on a motorbike were shot and killed last night in Monywa because they refused to stop for inspection. The victims were identified as Ko Than Naing Soe and Ko Lamin who were rushed to the hospital by a local humanitarian help but sadly they did not make it. Three high school students from the town of Pyay were abducted and beaten by junta’s forces at yesterday midnight. Victims are identified as Mg Chan Myae, Mg Htoo Wai Yan and Mg Htet Myat, all of whom were only 16 years old. They were accused of being related to PDF; however, according to the locals, the kids were merely joining occasional protests in the town.
One day long battle between junta’s forces and people defense force (PDF) took place in the town of Kalay yesterday. A group of 50 junta’s soldiers raided Inngyun Village in the early morning and they were ambushed by PDF on their exit. Many casualties were reported from junta’s side although the exact number is not verified yet. Two PDF soldiers also suffered injuries due to artillery shelling from the opponents during the battle that lasted until 7pm. As angered by mass casualties, junta’s soldiers ransacked the neighboring village called Yayshin later in the night.
Early this morning around 4am, U Kan Tun from Tanze Township, Sagaing Region was shot and killed by junta’s soldiers near Falangyaine village. The 50-year-old man was traveling to another village when he was murdered. Three bullet holes were found on his body in addition to a sword wound on his neck. Locals said that a group of 30 soldiers went the same direction just before the victim left home this morning and hence, he was assumed to be killed by the same group. U Kan Tun was a farmer and is now survived by four daughters.
An explosion took place at a military-owned dairies factory in Pyimapin Township. No casualties or damages were reported yet military’s properties/businesses have been targeted more frequently now. This afternoon around 1am, a military informer/ward administrator from Insein Township called Soe Myint Htwe was shot in the head four times and killed on the spot. The man was given a nickname Arnold in the area, for acting like he had all the muscle in the world, treating the residents as subordinates.
Around 3pm today, junta’s forces abducted two villagers from Wakaema Township on charges that they were assembling Tumi guns. Those two men were identified to be forty-year-old carpenter Ko Zeyar and seventy-year-old U Hla Tun, both of whom suffered some beatings from regime’s soldiers before they were handcuffed and taken into local police station. According to locals, a military supporter/Dalan named Aung Nyein was responsible for the arrests of those men. Aung Nyein is a former military man who occasionally invite regime’s forces into his home and tip on NLD’s supporters.
Meanwhile, a news spread by military supporters came up online that National Unity Government (NUG) is going to announce its own currency in the near future so people should burn the current notes they have in the hands. People quickly branded this fake news ridiculous even for the military standard. Another rumor that is widely shared on social media is that another internet cut off is imminent starting September 6. However, prominent news media outlets pointed out that even telecom suppliers receive such directive only a few hours in advance; thus, this is also likely to be fake news.
We reported on August 14 that four policemen were killed by resistance forces on a train in Yangon. Today, junta announced that five civilians including a woman from a military family were captured related to that incident. Pictures of the guns that were taken from dead policemen were shared on social media. It is indeed a sad news losing our fellow freedom fighters to junta once again. Regime’s forces have never given up on finding and punishing the ones who defy them yet the people have been struggling to seek justice upon the atrocities committed by regime itself.
Speaking of justice, ASEAN special convoy to Myanmar has found it difficult to enter the country despite Min Aung Hlaing’s promises for coordination said Mr Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, the foreign minister for Malaysia. ASEAN was never counted on by Myanmar people for justice but still, it would be nice to see them failing on their own terms.
