Burma coup resistance notes December 12, 2022
Ethnic regions-------------------
The large battle continued in Namsan township of northern Shan State today, where junta troops invaded Ta’ang territory on Dec. 7. Yesterday junta jets and helicopters continued to bomb and strafe villages, using their largest 500 pound bombs, hitting a school and some homes; a report also says one of the large bombs went astray last night and killed 28 junta troops who had invaded a village that was targeted. Thousands of civilians are fleeing to Namsan, the main town. (People's Spring, Than Lwin Khet News) The heavy use of air power suggests that the junta’s ground troops may be in trouble. At last information, the Ta’ang army had surrounded several hundred junta troops who had been airlifted in by helicopter.
In Karenni State, Karenni defense forces fired mortars or rockets into the Loikaw airport yesterday, targeting the junta’s ammunition depot. There were also attacks in Loikaw town, which is occupied by the enemy. At least 5 explosions took place in the town. (People's Spring)
It is now known that 5 Karenni soldiers perished in the fighting on Dec. 7 when junta troops reinvaded Kone Tha and tried to get back into other villages in western Demawso township where they had been driven out by Karenni forces at the end of November. They were given a funeral yesterday. At least 20 junta troops died in that fighting and 4 were captured, along with a number of weapons. (Than Lwin Khet News)
The Kachin army and allied PDFs landmined a road taken by 68 junta troops yesterday and blew up some of them. Afterward, Kachin soldiers found at least 10 buried bodies of junta troops; an unknown number of wounded were evacuated. (Kachin News Group)
In Chin State, junta troops patrolling along a road decided to fire their weapons into refugee tents in Kanpetlet township yesterday, and wounded 3 civilians. (Ayeyarwaddy Times)
In Paung township of Mon State, an ethnic Karen area, after 2 junta police were killed on Dec. 10, junta troops went to a different village which voted for the NLD in the last election, and kidnapped more than 20 random people at gunpoint. (Myanmar Now)
Junta scorched earth village terrorism campaign---------------
The terrorists have stepped up the pace of village destruction. Over the past 3 days 130 troops and Pyu Saw Htee have burned 6 villages in Kawlin township and caused 20 villages to empty out as 23,000 residents flee the terror. Local PDFs have been helping the refugees to escape safely in time. (Myaelatt Athan)
In Depayin township, junta terrorists spent the past 2 days burning Meh Oh village. They scrawled a threat on a whiteboard, saying if people continue to support the PDFs, there would soon be no villages in the area. (Mizzima) Despite events to date, the junta still thinks it can terrorize the people into accepting its rule, if it just uses enough violence.
People’s Defense Forces (PDFs)-----------------
In Sagaing Region, PDF police arrested the manager and another staff member of a junta-owned bank, and a junta soldier yesterday in Kalay town. The PDF police were informed that the Myanma Economic Bank manager and the others were partying at a karaoke bar, and went to arrest them. Another junta soldier who resisted was killed. Those arrested will be prosecuted under the National Unity Government’s anti-terrorism laws. (Khit Thit Media)
A fierce battle is underway today in northern Kalay township along the Tamu road. No results are in yet. (People's Spring) The junta brought in a convoy full of weapons provided by India along this road in November. Later in the day the troops began burning Nanchaung village and firing mortars at civilians. (Mizzima)
Pyu Saw Htee terrorists threatened residents of Yaw village in Kantbalu township, Sagaing Region, that if they didn’t submit to inscription and training in the Pyu Saw Htees, the village would be burned. Every household is expected to send a male if they have one, or a female. The villagers responded by fleeing. (Myaelatt Athan) Then yesterday a local PDF came and fired locally-manufactured mortars at the Pyu Saw Htees in Yaw. (People's Spring)
Self-taught military engineers at 2 Magway Region PDFs have perfected a shoulder-launched rocket with a range of 7 km, after 3 months of development. It was modified after the recoil broke the clavicle of a tester. A video shows it being used safely. Shells reportedly cost 12,000 kyats (about US$4) and the launcher costs 200,000 kyats ($70) to produce. (Myaelatt Athan) Since the coup, people with no previous experience have developed, produced, and used locally-manufactured mortars, roadside bombs, aquatic mines, drone bombs, rifles, and other technologies of war, due to the lack of help from outside.
After junta troops left a camp at Kotaungbo in Kantbalu township today, PDFs attacked the remaining troops in the camp. They say they caused a number of junta casualties but don’t know how many. Then helicopter gunships arrived and began firing, and the PDFs retreated. One PDF soldier was killed and 3 wounded. (Khit Thit Media)
PDFs intercepted a junta/Pyu Saw Htee patrol in Bayin village of Tantse township yesterday, killing a soldier and 2 Pyu Saw Htee terrorists.
Combined Chin forces and Kalay township PDFs ambushed junta troops coming out of a police barracks in Myautsei 2 days ago Dec. 12, killing 3 and wounding 3, and forcing the troops back into the barracks. (Khit Thit Media)
There are frequent reports of junta troops in plain clothes extorting money from travelers at road checkpoints while claiming to be PDFs. The latest one is from Sai Naing Kwe village in Wetlet township, Sagaing Region. (Mizzima)
Urban warfare------------------
In Yangon, a bomb exploded this morning at the junta immigration office in Dagon Myothit township, which is guarded by junta troops. One person was wounded. In response, junta troops and police are stopping anyone riding a motorcycle and stealing all the motorcycles and loading them into trucks. (Khit Thit Media)
In Mandalay, an urban PDF bombed the guard house at the junta’s central military command yesterday, causing some casualties and damage, though no details are reported. (Khit Thit Media)
Five grenades were discovered by junta police at the Naypyitaw bus station in a parcel shipped from Doo Tha Htoo District of Kawthoolei (Thaton township on Burmese maps). They traced the source of the parcel to a local Pyu Saw Htee pro-junta terrorist leader in Thaton, and subsequently seized and abducted that Pyu Saw Htee leader and his family. Security is tight in Naypyitaw in preparation for another one of the junta’s self-congratulatory pageant events. (Khit Thit Media) No explanation is given as to why a junta supporter would mail grenades to Naypyitaw.
In Ma U Pin city of Irrawaddy Region, the junta is repeating its pattern of urban destruction, obliterating more than 100 shops in a commercial district. (Ayeyarwaddy Times)
Political and economic-------------------
After the European Union formally recognized the National Unity Government, its ambassador to ASEAN, Igor Mann, said today that the EU supports Indonesia’s efforts to find a solution to the Burma crisis. Indonesia, a democracy, favors the democratic resistance to the illegal Burma military regime. (Ayeyarwaddy Times)
News outlets carry various stories these days about new deals signed between the illegal Burma regime and the Putin government in Russia, involving the purchase of weapons systems and, supposedly, nuclear power generation technology. All of these deals pass through relatives of junta generals, who pocket a large cut. The same is true for construction contracts. It’s a crony kleptocracy. While these military purchases are taking place, the country has a food shortage and can’t purchase sufficient fuel to keep the electrical grid lit or cars on the road.
-စီၤ ထံဆၢ