Nay Pyi Taw-People’s Defense Force informed the public today that intensified defensive operations will begin in Nay Pyi Taw region starting from this month. In the further north, Putao-People’s Defense Force (PUTAO PDF) also commented on the news of coup leader Min Aung Hlaing visiting Kachin State again by saying they are ready to welcome Min Aung Hlaing with guns blazing if he ever decides to come.
In resistance news, People’s Defense Forces from Putao, Pale and Kalay as well as an underground group from Ayeyarwady Region’s Mawlamyinegyun launched attacks against regime forces today. In Kachin State’s Putao, PUTAO PDF ambushed the regime forces who were manning the entry gate of Putao around 1am with small artillery and residents nearby said the fighting lasted only 30 minutes but people were terrified to sleep the entire night in fear of retaliation from regime forces. In Ayeyarwady Region’s Mawlamyinegyun, an urban guerrilla resistance group called Maw Gyun-STF planted two bombs at the local tea shop that is frequented by regime forces. The explosions reportedly injured four people.
In Sagaing Region, today’s resistance efforts caused over 35 casualties on the military’s side. This morning around 8am, Pale-PDF launched a landmine attack against the military convoy of two tanks, killing more than 25 military personnel. Kalay-PDF also initiated three attacks today in Kalay Township. A military convoy leaving Kalay town around 8am was attacked for the first time near Kalay Technological University with a landmine, killing one military personnel, and was attacked again near Tharyar Kone village, injuring three soldiers. Around 11am, the military convoy reinforced around Sithar village, but the convoy was attacked by a coalition forces of Kalay-PDF and the Chin National Defense Force (CNDF) in the aftermath, killing at least 10 regime soldiers.
More defensive operations have been observed in the southern regions of Myanmar recently as well. In Tanintharyi Region’s Thayetchaung Township, the local People’s Defense Force clashed with the military soldiers in Taung Pyaut Tite area early morning around 4am. The local PDF who called itself Daung Min (Peacock King) military operation group told Dakkhin Insight that there must be at least over 10 casualties on the military’s side. In ethnic clashes, the Karen National Union (KNU) informed today that the fighting between Min Aung Hlaing’s military forces and Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) in Mudraw District within the KNU-controlled area in Karen State resulted in death of 24 military personnel, including two battalion commanders, and 30 others were injured.
Despite the regime forces violently cracking down on the monks’ protest in Mandalay yesterday evening, many residents came out together with the monks today to continue defying the control of the military regime. Protests also continued across the country in Sagaing Region, Karen State and Yangon today. In Sagaing, residents of Latpadaung area, Yinmabin Township and Kalay town marched the streets to show their support for the People’s Defense Forces. In Karen State’s Paya Thon Zu, a group of women led a protest, urging all women to partake in efforts to overthrow the military government, and in Yangon, the students from All Burma Federation of Student Unions led a small protest in Shwepyitha Township.
We know it’s hard to stay hopeful when there is no good news around us. But it’s important to remember that we are all aiming to dismantle the over 70-year-old Tatmadaw administrative machinery which is deeply rooted in our culture and environment. It needs efforts from every resident living in this country—even small efforts help. To give an example, more and more military-appointed ward and village administrators from Yangon, Magway and Sagaing regions have been resigning from their positions recently. Today, three ward administrators from Yangon’s Mingaladon Township resigned from their posts. Mingalardon is referred to as military land for having many battalions stationed there, so the fact that there is a defiance within that area is an interesting development. It does not seem big in the grand scheme of things, but these are all building blocks to dismantle the military regime.
