Burma coup resistance notes July 1, 2023
The junta is pushed back in Karenni State; jet shot down; Sagaing PDFs suffer losses; Mon State becomes a battleground; the junta compounds its economic mismanagement.
Karenni-------------------
During the ongoing battle in Bawlahke Township Karenni forces reportedly managed to shoot down a junta jet at Taungsaleh on the Salween River on June 30; 2 troops on board are known to have died. Three helicopters and a jet then patrolled, preventing Karenni forces approaching the crash site. First reports said it was a helicopter; no photos have yet been published. (People's Spring, Khit Thit Media, Mizzima 7/1) About 300 junta troops are massed in Ywathit town of Bawlakhe Township, trying to get to Mese Township, but are being held back by Karenni defenses. (Mizzima 7/1)
It was originally reported that 18 junta troops surrendered when Karenni forces captured the last enemy camp in Mese Township; now it is revealed that the entire battalion there, nearly 100 troops, surrendered, including two officers. They handed over more than 100 weapons to the Karenni, including mortars and rifles. Five Karenni fighters were killed including a deputy battalion commander. (Khit Thit Media 6/25, Kantarawaddy Times 6/29) After the battles in Mese, Karenni forces found about 10 more junta corpses in the bush. (People's Spring 6/27) On June 28 junta troops managed to recapture one of the lost Mese Township camps, which had belonged to a BGF battalion that switched sides from the junta to the Karenni forces. (Kantarawaddy Times 6/29)
Recent fighting in Karenni State has been done by a coalition force called 4K, comprised of the long-standing Karenni Army, the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force established after the 2021 coup d'état, the visiting Karen army (KNLA) deployed from Kawthoolei to Karenni State, and the KNPLF which had been under junta command but switched sides in June. (People's Spring 6/25) The deployment of Karen soldiers into another ethnic region represents increased coordination of Revolution military forces.
The junta has evacuated army family members from Hpasaung, Hpruso, and Loikaw to outside of Karenni State in anticipation of likely attacks and losses at the hands of Karenni defense forces.
Kawthoolei-------------------
The Karen army and allied PDFs launched an attack on a police barracks at Hnitkaren village in Win Ye Township of Dooplaya District on June 25. Nine junta troops were killed and 1 wounded, and then jets began bombing without knowing where the Karen forces were, hitting civilian districts and killing a woman and injuring about 10 more. The battle continued in the following days. (Karen Information Center 6/27)
Nearby in Ye Township of Mon State, the Karen army and allied PDFs have been fighting running battles with junta forces. Six clashes occurred in 3 days June 26-28 in which 31 junta troops were killed including 2 officers. The junta has used helicopter gunships. This is the area where Karen & allied forces control the national highway leading into the southeast panhandle of the country, blocking the passage of junta personnel and supplies. (Khit Thit Media, Mizzima 6/28) Four more junta troops were killed by a roadside bomb on June 30, including an officer. (Khit Thit Media 7/1)
The Karen army sabotaged a bridge on the national highway in Doo Tha Htoo District south of Bilin on June 29. About two thirds of the bridge’s width collapsed, leaving it barely passable by large vehicles on one side. The intent was to prevent the passage of junta reinforcements. Now there are huge traffic delays. A civilian was killed while driving across at the moment of the explosion. Hours later a team of engineers arrived from the junta to inspect the damage, when a bomb dropped by a drone killed a road foreman and 1 other person and wounded 27. (Chindwin News Agency 6/29) Still later the same day some junta troops came to secure the site surrounding the bridge and were attacked by the Karen army; 13 were killed and 25 wounded. (Salween Press 6/30) Then on June 30 the Karen army blew up two troop trucks carrying reinforcements from Kyaikto toward Bilin, and then opened fire on them, killing 12 troops and wounding about 20. (Mizzima 7/1)
An urban PDF in Pa-an, the junta-occupied capital of Karen State, managed to plant a powerful bomb aboard a military truck from the junta’s 22nd infantry division headquarters, located in the city. When the truck re-entered the army compound it exploded, killing the 2 soldiers on board and destroying the vehicle and some surrounding infrastructure. (Khit Thit Media 6/28)
The junta has closed numerous road checkpoints on the Yangon-Pyay road in Bago Region and redeployed 200 troops to Kawthoolei’s Kler Lwi Htoo District where it is trying to repair the bridge at Nat Than Kwin on the Sitaung River that was sabotaged by the Karen army on June 6. (Ayeyarwaddy Times 6/30)
An entire night patrol of twelve junta troops including a platoon commander deserted their unit on June 27, taking their weapons, at the Mawyawaddy naval base near Tavoy. Their absence wasn’t noted until the morning. Then other troops responded by attacking nearby villages. The deserters have not been found so far, and may have reached the safety of Karen liberated territory. (Ayeyarwaddy Times 7/1)
Chin------------------
A junta supply column of 9 trucks and 200 troops is trying to force its way from Kyauktu in Magway Region to Mindat in Chin State, but got only 4 miles before being blocked by Chin defense. During a June 26 battle 10 junta troops were killed and a Chin soldier was wounded. One truck was damaged. Jets then dropped 7 bombs, without any damage to report. (People's Spring 6/26, Khit Thit Media 6/27)
Peripheral parties---------------
The chairman of the junta-collaborationist New Mon State Party (NMSP) said in an interview that if all the other ethnic armies participate in the Spring Revolution, then the NMSP will too. (The Irrawaddy 6/29) The statement is empty since the chairman (famous for his handshakes with the dictator) knows there are small ethnic militias that won’t join the Revolution and even fight for the junta. On the other hand, the Mon people have active anti-fascist militias such as the MSRO, the Ye PDF, and the Mon State Monsters, who are positioned to emerge as the post-war Mon leaders in place of the discredited NMSP.
Junta village terrorism campaign------------------
Junta jets made an unprovoked terrorist raid Nyaung Kone village in Palay Township of Sagaing Region on June 27 where there had not been any fighting. They bombed and destroyed schools, homes, and a Buddhist monastery, blowing a monk to pieces and killing families. As frenzied civilians ran to escape the bombing, the jets strafed them with machine guns. In all, 13 people were killed and 13 injured. A local source suspected that a dalan gave the junta false information about PDFs at the site. (Khit Thit Media, Myaelatt Athan 6/27) As the terrorist regime loses strength on the ground, its brutality against soft targets grows more extreme.
Troops are still burning Nyaungpinji and surrounding villages in Salinji Township since PDFs stormed and destroyed the police barracks there on June 9. In addition, they were seen stealing civilian belongings and loading them onto boats which they took to Monywa. PDFs are battling the junta troops in that area and have closed the road leading to Nyaungpinji. (Khit Thit Media 6/26) Nyaungpinji is directly across the Chindwin River from the junta’s northwest headquarters in Monywa. Troops are also looting and burning villages in Sagaing Township.
In Kantbalu Township of northern Sagaing Region, where pro-junta ultra-nationalist monks are concentrated, the monks and the junta are coercing villagers to join the Pyu Saw Htee terrorist militia. Households are selected by lottery, and are then demanded to send a family member to attend paramilitary training; otherwise they are extorted for huge sums of money and their homes and farms can be stolen. Households that are not selected in the lottery are also extorted for money to support the Pyu Saw Htees. The paramilitary training is disruptive to people’s work and livelihoods. The coercion is causing villagers, particularly men, to flee to cities and liberated areas. A local PDF is helping them get to freedom. (The Irrawaddy 6/28)
People’s Defense Forces (PDFs)-----------------
Three junta supply boats descending the Chindwin River in Sagaing Region hit aquatic mines placed by PDFs on June 28. After the initial explosions, the PDFs exchanged mortar and gunfire with the boats. One of them sank, and 5 junta troops were killed in the ambush. Junta return fire killed 7 sheep and goats on shore. (Khit Thit Media 6/29)
About 120 junta troops in 3 columns left their base in Kalay town in Sagaing Region and attacked a community on the south side on June 25. Chin forces and PDFs intercepted the troops and an all-day battle ensued. The PDFs say about 30 troops were killed, and the dead remained on the ground overnight. A Chin soldier was killed and 4 wounded. Junta mortar fire injured some civilians. (Khit Thit Media 6/28)
PDFs dropped 28 drone bombs on a police barracks and junta admin office in Wetlet Township of Sagaing Region on June 29, killing 5 junta police inside. Three and a half hours later a jet arrived and dropped bombs, hitting the fire station, which was full of junta troops. Twelve troops were killed and others wounded by the friendly-fire bombing. (Khit Thit Media 6/29)
A coalition of 11 PDFs attacked a junta position at the southern entrance to Monywa city, capital of Sagaing Region, on June 24. Twenty junta troops occupied that position. After an hour and a half of fighting, shooting from inside the camp stopped and the PDFs stormed into it, to find 15 dead troops inside. They captured the camp’s weapons, and retreated before the arrival of junta reinforcements. (The Irrawaddy 6/28)
A PDF in Minkin Township of Sagaing Region dropped drone bombs and fired locally-manufactured mortars into the Kyauk Khe Tat junta/Pyu Saw Htee camp on June 25. The PDF estimates that it killed at least 10 enemy operatives. It was using large fixed-wing drones, which many PDFs are building these days. (Mizzima 6/28)
The Federal Wings drone warfare PDF has extended from Kawthoolei into Sagaing Region, where it is now training local PDFs in its techniques and is also bombing police barracks, admin offices, and junta/Pyu Saw Htee camps. So far it is operating in Sagaing and Myinmu Townships. (People's Spring 6/26) Federal Wings uses large six-rotor hexacopter drones that can deliver large bombs by air, and pairs them with smaller spotting drones for high accuracy.
PDF setbacks in Sagaing Township of Sagaing Region--------------
A dalan (regime informant) led junta troops to a small PDF camp in Sagaing Township on June 25, resulting in a surprise attack that killed 17 PDF soldiers and captured their weapons and destroyed the camp. Two of the PDF soldiers were women, who were gang-raped and stabbed in the genitals by the junta troops. They also murdered 3 civilians. (Chindwin News Agency 6/25, Khit Thit Media 6/27)
In a second PDF setback in Sagaing Township, two local defense battalions joined forces to counter-attack a village terrorist assault on June 28, but were ambushed along the way by junta troops. Fourteen PDF soldiers were killed and their weapons captured, including ten military rifles, a sniper rifle, ammunition and grenades. (Myaelatt Athan 6/28)
Thirdly, junta troops raided a PDF group camped at a monastery in Samun village on June 29. Most of the PDF soldiers escaped in a hurry, but could not take their handmade weapons or their vehicles, which were lost to the junta. Eleven people were captured including the head monk of the monastery. A woman and a boy were shot and killed and several other civilians were injured by junta troops shooting into the village. (Myaelatt Athan 6/30)
Myaung Township defense force leader Ko Nway Oo analyzed these setbacks, saying the junta was adopting stealth guerrilla tactics, and the PDFs need to adapt. They should assess their weaknesses and become more vigilant against surprise attacks, being more careful with sentries and with dalans (junta informants).
Urban warfare------------------
Nine thousand homes were ordered demolished in Patheinji Township, a suburb of Mandalay. The residents are scrambling to find rental housing. The destruction of urban housing, combined with the vast displacement of both urban and rural residents by junta post-coup violence, is creating enormous pressure on housing stock and causing rents to rise steeply. (People's Spring 6/29)
Political and economic-------------------
After the USA sanctioned 2 junta-owned banks, the public tried to dump the Burma kyat currency and buy dollars and gold, causing the kyat to lose even more value. The junta responded in typical fashion with force, kidnapping 51 money transfer agents who converted kyat to dollars. (Ayeyarwaddy Times 6/25) Now the junta is driving gold sales underground with extremely invasive regulations that require the submission of lists to the regime showing all gold items sold, money received, and buyers’ names and addresses. Neither buyers nor sellers of gold will comply with this. Even before this, junta troops and Pyu Saw Htee thugs regularly extorted money from gold shops. (Khit Thit Media 6/27) It is another sign of the total collapse of the national economy under the pressure of authoritarian rule.
USA-based PACT non-governmental organization was one of the biggest NGOs operating in Burma and was the largest provider of micro-loans. For moral reasons PACT decided not to renew its contract (or memorandum of understanding) with the Naypyitaw terrorist regime and stop paying taxes to it as of June 30. PACT will therefore cease its operations in Burma. (People's Spring 6/26) Several other international organizations have done likewise in order to stop supporting the illegal regime’s atrocities, but many others remain, particularly the UN, which supplies vast amounts of post-cyclone assistance that the regime uses for its own purposes.
During Indian Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the USA on June 22, the two countries released a joint statement regarding the Burma coup, calling for the release of political prisoners and the building of inclusive federal democracy. The illegal Naypyitaw junta issued a rejection of the statement. (Mizzima 6/30) In fact India has been one of the main enablers of the junta regime, after Russia, China, and Thailand.
June 29 was the Muslim holiday Eid Al Adha. While Muslim citizens in Thinganjun Township of Yangon were preparing to celebrate, junta administrators came and stole the 10 cattle and 200 goats that worshipers had assembled for the feast, despite the permission that the residents had obtained ahead of time. (Khit Thit Media 6/29) In Beit (Myeik) in far southern Kawthoolei, troops kidnapped celebrating Muslims and held them for ransom. (Mizzima 6/29)
A convoy carrying an official Chinese delegation and guarded by junta troops was fired on in Myitkyina Township in Kachin State on June 27, causing only minor damage but provoking an international incident. Local residents say the shooting was done by a pro-junta Lisu militia that was in the area, while junta propaganda accuses the Kachin army. (The Irrawaddy 6/30)
Labor organizers at a Chinese-owned garment factory in Yangon have been lobbying for a wage increase in the face of the plummeting value of the Burmese kyat currency. The junta treated them as political resistance, kidnapping 10 leaders to prison and charging them with destabilizing the state. (Mizzima 6/30)
-စီၤ ထံဆၢ