Burma coup resistance notes April 8, 2023
Karen army attacking on many fronts; junta air bases & weapons factory bombed; Magway PDFs inflict heavy casualties; Thailand sends wounded PDFs back to their deaths; refugees top 1.8 million.
The People’s Revolutionary Alliance PDF in Magway Region fired 107mm missiles into the No. 10 KAPS junta weapons factory at Minhla where technical consultants from Russia, China, and North Korea were visiting on April 7. The missiles caused multiple large explosions. The condition of the foreign enemies isn’t yet reported. The factory produced large anti-aircraft and tank-launched missiles before its destruction. (Ayeyarwaddy Times 4/8)
Likewise, three Yangon urban guerrilla groups teamed up to fire seven 107mm missiles into the junta’s Mingaladon air base adjacent to the international airport on April 6. They damaged a fuel supply depot and some offices, causing explosions and gunfire. The guerrilla groups also warned the public not to attend the junta’s forced Thingyan holiday venues as they may also be hit by missiles. (DVB 4/7)
Revolution military units are trying to disable the junta’s devastating air strike capacity.
Ethnic regions-------------------
The Karen army appears to be mounting an all-out offensive, capturing many junta/BGF camps. After striking 4 targets in Dooplaya District and capturing a Mutraw District camp in late March, on April 5 it suddenly attacked the area around Shwe Kokkol, the BGF-controlled zone on the Thai border north of Myawaddy where Chinese businessmen have run illicit gambling dens and telephone scam operations. In 3 days of attacks, the Karen army and its Lion Column overtook 5 BGF camps, killed 85 BGF & junta troops and wounded 60 more, captured 75 weapons, and smashed some casinos. Photos show truckloads of BGF corpses. As of this writing, the action was still ongoing and the junta was attempting to mount a counter-offensive, accompanied by jet bombing. Over 8,000 refugees crossed the Thu Mwe River into Thailand, where Thai authorities were allowing them to camp on the riverbank temporarily and receive pro-cooked food rations. (Khit Thit Media 4/6)
Individual BGF soldiers, who are ethnic Karen, have rejoined the Karen army recently, while others are keeping lines of communication open. As the BGF increasingly finds itself on the losing side, observers watch for a mass realignment.
Meanwhile in Taw Oo District, the northernmost part of Kawthoolei, Karen army Brigade 2 fought a two-day battle against junta troops in Leikto, destroying 3 trucks of a convoy and killing 7 troops. (People's Spring 4/4) In Kler Lwi Htoo District, Karen Brigade 3 surrounded a junta convoy and killed 3 troops, wounding 7 on April 1. (Ayeyarwaddy Times 4/4)
As junta police abducted people randomly in Palaw and demanded ransoms of 50,000 to 100,000 kyats for their release, PDFs in remote Tanintharyi township of Beit-Tavoy District in Kawthoolei intercepted a junta border patrol at the end of march, leading to 10 days of fighting in which at least 20 troops and 1 Karen fighter were killed; 3,000 refugees have had to flee. (Ayeyarwaddy Times 4/8)
In Mutraw District of Kawthoolei (Hpapun township on Burmese maps), Karen Brigade 5 reports that it fought 190 clashes during March, killing 92 junta troops including a company commander, and wounded 45; 4 Karen soldiers were killed and 14 wounded. (People's Spring 4/3)
In Dooplaya District, Karen Brigade 6 and the Cobra Column have been attacking along the Asia Highway again, exchanging mortar and gunfire with junta troops. Some trucks got burned and are blocking the highway. Meanwhile along the alternative road through the Dawna Mountains, the Karen White Tiger Column attacked and captured a BGF camp at Taungthonlon on April 7. (Than Lwin Khet News 4/8)
Three Karen PDF soldiers who had been wounded in action sought medical treatment across the border in Mae Sot, Thailand, and were caught by Thai authorities, who handed them over to the pro-junta BGF. The BGF then handed them on to the junta, where their deaths are certain, with the high likelihood of torture beforehand. (Chindwin News Agency 4/5)
The Karenni defense forces have also seen intense combat during the past week. Battles have been occurring around Pekhon and Pinlaung, prompting air strikes in response; a 100-bed military hospital in Namsan in Pinlaung township is overflowing with junta wounded from these battles. (Khit Thit Media 4/6) In Demawso township the Karenni forces fought at Danilaleh village, killing 10 troops and capturing some weapons and a lot of ammunition on April 4-5. (People's Spring 4/8) During the month of March, the Karenni fought 102 battles, killing 281 junta troops, wounding 80, and capturing 13 alive. They captured 51 rifles and 9 mortars. Five civilians were killed and 29 wounded by junta mortar fire into communities. (KNDF)
In Chin State, Chin defense forces continue their daily attacks on long convoys of junta trucks trying to push their way along the convoluted mountain roads. A convoy trying to get from Hpalam to the state capital Hakha lost 17 more troops and some vehicles during April 2-5, and the convoy still didn’t arrive. (People's Spring 4/2, Ayeyarwaddy Times 4/5) A series of attacks on a column trying to move from Matupi toward Paletwa resulted in 20 junta fatalities March 27-April 1. (Khit Thit Media 4/1) As the junta continued bombing Htantalan town in response to the loss of its barracks there 2 months ago, 8 civilians in nearby Khuafo village were killed including two children ages 6 & 9. (Chindwin Yoma News 3/31)
Junta scorched earth village terrorism campaign---------------
The junta was bombing multiple villages in Shwegu township of Kachin State this week, setting them ablaze and forcing out residents to join the 1.8 million refugees already displaced. Jets bombed Kyondo town in Kawthoolei Dooplaya District April 6 in the absence of any fighting, just for something cruel to do.
People’s Defense Forces (PDFs)-----------------
In Sagaing Region, the junta’s ‘monster column’ responsible for rapes and beheadings raped 5 more women in Myinmu township on March 28, and is sexually harassing others. PDFs counter-attacked with 2 days of drone bombs and rockets. In Depayin and Htee Chaing townships, coordinated groupings of PDFs also counter-attacked village terrorism squads, killing a total of 33 troops. (People's Spring April 1-2)
In Kalay township, junta troops left the town and tried to raid villages on the north side April 1-6, but were opposed by strong Kalay PDFs, who captured a number of junta weapons. Then the junta side abruptly left off its attacks and returned to the town. In other liberated parts of Kalay town, protesters continued their marches. (People's Spring 4/6) But a dalan tip-off led junta troops to a PDF camp on the Palay-Myaing township boundary on April 5, where 7 PDF soldiers were killed. (Khit Thit Media 4/7)
During March, Chindwin Yoma News agency totaled up the civilians killed by the junta in Sagaing Region: 61 men, 24 women, 12, children, 7 unknown. (CYN 4/4) During March, 9 junta officers ranked major to colonel were killed in Sagaing Region. (Khit Thit Media 4/3)
In Magway Region, a coalition of PDFs mounted a huge attack on a large junta barracks in Kannya village of Gangaw township that lasted 2 days March 31-April 1. They overran 75% of the camp before junta helicopters and reinforcements arrived, and they destroyed buildings and bunkers and killed an astounding 45 troops and police and wounded 10 others. Two PDF soldiers were also killed and 10 wounded. (People's Spring 4/2)
In another large PDF counter-attack in Kyauktu township of Saw region on March 30, at least 30 junta troops were killed, as were 2 PDF soldiers. (Khit Thit Media 4/2)
At Ma-U in Yesagyo township, PDFs attacked a junta barracks that harbored about 25 police. Seven were killed, including the commander, and the rest fled. The PDFs captured some weapons. Then junta reinforcements arrived, but the PDFs had prepared a minefield for them. Seventeen troops died stepping on mines. Helicopters then provided air support. (People's Spring 4/3)
Eleven junta police and 4 troops defected to the CDM movement with full weapons on April 3 in Magway and Sagaing Regions. (Than Lwin Times 4/3, Myaelatt Athan 4/4) On April 6 junta Lieutenant Colonel Mya Lwin was arrested by a PDF while he was in civilian clothes trying to gather information on PDFs in Pakokku township. (Myaelatt Athan 4/8)
Urban warfare------------------
In addition to the missile attack on Mingaladon air base in Yangon described above, an air force lieutenant colonel was assassinated there on March 31, emphasizing the insecurity of the remaining junta forces even at senior levels. (Khit Thit Media 4/1)
Political and economic-------------------
Frustrated with the futility of recent war efforts against PDFs and ethnic armies, dictator Min Aung Hlaing purged more commanders in charge of the southeast region. Gen. Khin Hlaing & Gen. Myat Thet Oo were demoted to the “reserves” for losing so many troops to the Karen army. (There are no longer any reserves.) (The Kokang media page, 4/1) An analysis published in the Ayeyarwaddy Times on April 5 describes the discontent of senior junta commanders at being ordered by the dictator to attack on five fronts – Sagaing, Magway, Karen, Karenni, and Chin. They say the resources don’t exist for a multi-front offenses, and that they need to pick one to focus on.
Meanwhile, in Bago, 20 truckloads of troops and supplies were seen redeploying towards – of all places – Arakan State, where there has been no fighting since Nov. 26, 2022 when the Arakan Army suddenly abandoned the Revolution. (Khit Thit Media 4/7) The logic of sending troops there while the junta is losing ground in so many other theaters isn’t readily apparent.
The UN humanitarian response agency, UNOCHA says the number of internal refugees in Burma since the Feb. 2021 coup d'état has reached 1.8 million. (DVB 4/7)
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