97Today is the birthday of the late Lu Du Daw Amar, who is a prominent writer and journalist from Mandalay. She was also very well-known for being outspoken and critical of the various authoritarian rules in Myanmar. Many outspoken writers, journalists and poets continue to carry her legacy in Myanmar’s fight for democracy today. One of her famous lines quoted as “Dictators never step down alive” is widely shared by her admirers today instilling fierce revolutionary spirit in us. Inside the shopping mall today in Yangon’s Mingaladon township, members of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) led a protest in memory of Ludu Daw Amar’s 106 birth anniversary.
Myanmar’s long history of resistance against authoritarian rules from the colonial era to the 2021 coup shows us that women of Myanmar never fail to stand against injustice. Some hold pens and brushes. Some hold needles and pots. And some hold guns. Early this morning in Magway’s Natmauk township, a 50-year-old woman, Daw Mya Mya Win, was beaten and arrested by the junta’s forces and the reason of arrest was unknown.Since the coup, there are close to 1380 women who have been detained by the junta. Women from Myanmar Peace Network (MPN) calls for release of all women detained including all the political prisoners today. Resistance fighters from Tamu’s People Defense Force(PDF) brigade-2 also joined ongoing “White Ribbon” campaign that calls for an end to violence against women. An end to violence against women should be a reality in our generation together with an end to facist military regime rule.
PDF Minkin reported today that Sagaing’s Minkin Township saw more than ten soldiers and military lackeys, Pyu Saw Htee members, on the morning of November 27. PDF fired heavy artillery to the military convoy and when they attempted to turn back in despair, many of them stepped on landmines. More than ten, including the majors, were killed, and more than 20 were injured. Border to India, in Sagaing’s Tamu township, Change Nat Gyee police post was attacked by Burmese Student Organization (BSO), of Tamu’s brigade-1, which led to three soldiers dead.
In lower and central Myanmar, Bago and Mandalay region also saw attacks on the junta’s soldiers by urban guerrilla forces. Four soldiers from the force that stationed in Mandalay’s Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT)’s office were shot dead. Bago’s Daik-U Township also saw attacks on the junta’s forces brigade 440 though the details were not reported. In retaliation to junta’s air raids on the village of Nyaung-Hla of Depayin, the ShweBo ‘Thunderstorms’ PDF together with other alliance groups launched attacks on the junta’s forces today which led to more than 50 dead.
Violence against innocent civilians continues as long as the junta is in power. It is reported today that four youths were beaten and arrested for no reason yesterday, and a CDMer who returned home from his hideout to his mother was also arrested in Dawei. A father and his son were injured from the junta’s landmines planted on Mindat-Matupin route, Chin Defense Force(CDF-Mindat) reported today. Though they escaped death, the son was badly injured. Not only the junta’s soldiers loot, steal, set fire of the cilvilians’ properties in addition to killing and rape, they also planted landmines along their routes. A CDF-Mindat member laments that clearing off all the landmines junta’s forces planted is a difficult task as they lack a landmine censoring device.
Brave protesters continued to march on the streets. Protesters in Hpakant marched to the streets showing their support to KIA, PDF, NUG and NUCC. It’s been 3 months already that the internet has been cut in the jade-mining township.In Shan-north’s Namkhant township, protesters marched against the fascist regime. Other protests were observed in Yangon, Sarlinhgyi, Shwebo, Kalay and Monywa, all led by student unions but marching together with committed civilians in their fight for democracy. On one Yangon’s overpass today, Thanlyin Student Union held a poster that read as, “Demolish the root of the dictatorship, uproot the people’s democracy!”.
On the international front, some pressure is stirring up nevertheless. Justice For Myanmar reported Australia’s Future Fund on doing business with the military where it invested millions of dollars in the military’s owned businesses and ventures. JFM condemns the investment of the Future Fund as it funds the military’s crimes against humanity in Myanmar. It is reported today that there was a discussion on Myanmar matters in the meeting of the Indonesian Foreign Minister and ASEAN’s secretary-general.
