Burma coup resistance notes January 2, 2023
People's Defense Forces take the offensive against junta village terror gangs; more fighting in multiple Kawthoolei locations.
Ethnic regions-------------------
The battle in Taungsoon in Winyay region of Dooplaya District, Kawthoolei (Kyaiseikgyi township on Burmese maps) that began when Karen forces attacked a junta/BGF camp yesterday continued with intense fighting today. Karen PDFs say they lost 6 soldiers killed, while junta casualties aren’t announced yet. They are likely to be heavy, since the junta is bombing with jets and helicopters. The battle is near the Payathonsu (Three Pagodas Pass) border crossing with Thailand. (Than Lwin Khet News, The Irrawaddy)
The Karen army ordered all junta administrators and staff in Mutraw District of Kawthoolei (Hpapun township on Burmese maps) to leave their positions by January 10 or face unspecified consequences. The purpose of this order is to prevent the junta trying to legitimize its fake election in the district. (People's Spring) In practice, the junta controls only Papun and Kamamaung towns and a few isolated camps in Mutraw; there are no junta staff in the great majority of the district, which is under the control of the Kawthoolei government (KNU).
PDF soldiers raided Pyu Saw Htee terrorist camps and leaders’ homes in Launglone township of Beit-Tavoy District of Kawthoolei (Tanintharyi Region on Burmese maps) the night of Dec. 31, capturing weapons, uniforms, documents, and equipment. The Pyu Saw Htee were surprisingly poorly armed, with only a few rustic shotguns and machetes. More importantly, the documents captured reveal all the members of right-wing pro-junta groups like the Pyu Saw Htee, Thway Thauk (blood-drinking) death squad, and Young Men’s Buddhist Association, an extremist nationalist political group supportive of the coup. (Khit Thit Media)
After yesterday’s PDF attack on a junta bridge checkpoint in Tanintharyi township of Beit-Tavoy District of Kawthoolei (Tanintharyi Region on Burmese maps), in which 3 junta troops and one PDF soldier were killed, the junta is attacking civilian villages today, chasing residents into the jungle, and torturing those it can catch, and is also blockading trade in order to cause hunger. (Mizzima)
The Mon State Monsters PDF blew up a junta-owned Mytel communications tower this morning in Ye township. Automatically, 50 junta troops came to investigate, and they drove straight into a Monsters ambush; 7 troops were killed.
There was a battle yesterday at Titayn in Chin State; 2 junta troops were killed and others wounded; 2 Chin soldiers were slightly injured. (Khit Thit Media)
Three member armies of the Northern Alliance, the Ta’ang, Kokang, and Arakan ethnic forces (TNLA, MNDAA, and AA, respectively) issued a statement yesterday that they will continue to collaborate to fight the military dictatorship. (People's Spring) This raises the question of whether the AA will continue its ceasefire with the junta, which increases the pressure from the junta on other Revolutionary organizations.
Junta scorched earth village terrorism campaign---------------
Junta/Pyu Saw Htee terrorists burned Aleisho village in Htee Chaing township of Sagaing Region yesterday. A local news source says troops kidnapped 20 villagers and massacred at least 8 of them. In Khin Oo township, they shot at farmers harvesting their paddy (rice) and burned Myakan village. Four thousand new refugees have fled into the bush and are in need of food and warm clothing. (People's Spring)
People’s Defense Forces (PDFs)-----------------
The Viper’s Nest Soldiers PDF fired locally-manufactured mortars into the police barracks in Salingyi town, Sagaing Region last night. Casualties aren’t known, but the PDF was attacking the power center of the junta in that township. (People's Spring) The central towns are the only places in most central Burma townships that the regime troops really control.
Four junta troops patrolling on motorcycles in Htee Chaing towns, Sagaing Region were blown up by a local PDF yesterday; 3 died and the other was seriously wounded.
PDFs attacked junta troops and Pyu Saw Htee terrorists for several hours yesterday afternoon in Yesagyo township, Magway Region, killing 4 troops and forcing the rest to turn back. Junta fire killed 2 civilians. (Khit Thit Media)
A PDF attacked a junta camp gate at Kandot on the Pathein-Monywa road on Dec. 31. They killed 4 troops including a captain and wounded another. One PDF soldier had a gunshot wound in the shoulder. (Khit Thit Media)
PDFs were also on the offensive against the terrorists in Pauk township of Magway Region, where they attacked a camp at Kukkosu and killed a soldier and 2 Pyu Saw Htee, and wounded 6 two days ago on Dec. 31. (People's Spring)
A PDF attack on 3 junta police coming from a junta road checkpoint in Ngape township of Magway Region killed one of them and wounded the others yesterday. The police there, like most places, stop motorists and extort money. As they were returning from the checkpoint their vehicle was blown up by roadside bombs. (Myaelatt Athan)
PDFs used drone bombs and locally-manufactured mortars to attack 50 junta troops camped at Thonseipay village of Maddaya township, Mandalay Region on Dec. 31. Casualties aren’t known. (People's Spring)
Also in Mandalay Region, a PDF coalition attacked and sacked a junta camp at Lay Ayn Dan village in Myinchan township on Dec. 31, killing 9 junta troops including an officer; one PDF soldier also died. (Khit Thit Media)
Two Pyu Saw Htee spies were caught reporting to the junta on PDFs, and killed. One was a Pyu Saw Htee leader in Otpo township of Bago Region, who was caught skulking around a PDF camp on Dec. 28. His brother who was with him was released by the PDF. The other was a local junta administrator in Myauk Kone village of Myinchan township, Mandalay Region, caught on Dec. 30. (Khit Thit Media)
In liberated parts of Kalay township, Sagaing Region, the National Unity Government has been opening more hospitals. It has opened 3 new hospitals serving about 200 inpatients, staffed by 12 medical professionals and 32 volunteers. They originally served mostly wounded PDF soldiers, but now also treat a large number of refugees from the junta’s village terrorism campaign. (Myaelatt Athan)
Urban warfare------------------
A small urban guerrilla operation in Mandalay city is producing replicas of Colt 1911 semi-automatic model pistols for use in urban warfare. Members say they are prepared to share the technology with other Revolutionary groups who also want to go into production. (Myaelatt Athan)
In Monywa city, an urban PDF fired grenades into the junta central admin office yesterday; casualties aren’t known.
Political and economic-------------------
Junta-collaborationist government staff will be used in the Jan. 4 pageant in the military capital Naypyitaw to glorify the illegal regime, due to the unavailability of a large military contingent for the spectacle. Civilian staff are being trained and drilled for the parade, and at least 2 have died during the practices. In this celebration of genocide, junta air force pilots who have destroyed civilian communities and killed noncombatants will be awarded medals. (People's Spring) The junta army is much shrunken from its original size due to 2 years of deaths, injuries, and desertion, and remaining troops are deployed to the front lines all over the country.
- စီၤ ထံဆၢ