Burma coup resistance notes November 19, 2022
Chin & Kachin forces inflict heavy casualties; terrorists do their utmost to prevent survival in villages they destroy; NUG opens Washington embassy.
Ethnic regions-------------------
Chin defense forces have been fighting to capture a junta camp between Hpalam and Rikadar on the Indian border for the past 5 days, according to a report out today. Of the 34 troops originally in the camp, the Chin have killed 23 over 4 days time. The camp is cut off and has to be resupplied by helicopter. The junta has called in air strikes several days in a row, and today 2 jets bombed and 5 helicopters strafed and dropped 34 reinforcements. Some Chin soldiers have been wounded. (People's Spring) If nothing else, the battle is forcing the junta to divert aircraft and personnel, weakening its positions elsewhere.
The Kachin army and allied PDFs intercepted a convoy of 150 junta troops entering Indaw town in northern Sagaing Region yesterday. During an intense battle, at least 20 junta troops were killed including a battalion commander and several other officers. The commander was a former body guard of dictator Min Aung Hlaing; his body was evacuated by helicopter, while the other officers were buried in the forest. A Kachin soldier was also killed. The junta convoy was forced to retreat. (People's Spring)
In Kachin State itself, Kachin army operatives burst into a plush karaoke bar in Hpakant last night and shot 8 junta troops who were partying. Five were killed, including an officer, and the other 3 were wounded. (Khit Thit Media) This comes after junta troops kidnapped 16 Kachin civilian and military officials in a karaoke bar in Myitkyina on Nov. 12.
The Kachin army spokesman, Col. Naw Bu, says the junta continues to pour maximum effort into attacking Kachin positions at Longja Mountain in Bhamo township and also in Hpakant township, using troop reinforcements and air strikes. Hundreds of troops have died in these efforts, but the junta continues to send more. (People's Spring)
The Arakan Army intercepted a column of 500 junta reinforcement troops as it was trying to penetrate northern Maungdaw township yesterday. There was a 2-hour battle in the afternoon, causing villagers to flee. Outcomes and casualties aren’t reported yet. (The Irrawaddy)
In Karenni State, Karenni defense force snipers killed 3 junta troops in Hpruso in their Hpruso town camp yesterday; the previous day they killed 2 others at the junta’s Sinmakaung camp in Demawso township. (Than Lwin Khet News)
In Beit-Tavoy District of Kawthoolei (Tanintharyi Region on Burmese maps), a junta scout plane crashed into a rice field in Thayetchaung township today. The 2 pilots were apparently unharmed. The plane is a small, antiquated propeller model used for spying and identifying targets. It doesn’t appear to have been shot down. (Khit Thit Media)
Junta scorched earth village terrorism campaign---------------
Troops who burned villages also purposefully broke water pots and blew up water dams and pipes to prevent residents extinguishing the fires when the troops left. This happened in Saw township in the past 4 days. Local PDFs followed and fired on the troops as they moved from village to village; out of 93 troops who began the terrorist sweep on Nov. 14, only 73 returned to base in Kyauktu on Nov. 17. (Than Lwin Khet News)
About 300 troops attacked 200 mostly women and children in a refugee camp in Yelejun island of Maddaya township, Mandalay Region yesterday, burning the camp to ashes while the refugees fled. The troops had already destroyed almost everything these unarmed villagers had, and now they burned their few food supplies and winter clothing. (Mizzima) Incidents like this show clearly why people decide to risk death to fight the junta rather than try to live under it, which is impossible.
Yesterday troops began burning Paungleh Kone village in Khin Oo township, Sagaing Region, then camped there, and today continued the burning. In Sagaing township a terrorist gang of 300 troops burned Taungyin and 2 other villages yesterday. (Khit Thit Media)
People’s Defense Forces (PDFs)-----------------
In Sagaing Region this morning, troops from the junta’s northwest regional command left their base to clear mines along the Chaung Oo road. The mines cleared them instead; six roadside bombs exploded. The number of dead isn’t known exactly, but 3 cars were required to carry the bodies. (Myaelatt Athan)
A PDF closely observed 6 junta guards at a religious school in Myinmu town last night; towns are junta strongholds. As the guards were drinking alcohol, the PDF fired 40mm grenades and killed 4 and wounded the other 2.
In Shwebo township, local PDFs detonated bombs outside a junta/Pyu Saw Htee terrorist camp at Kaw village yesterday morning. When the junta operatives emerged from the camp to counter-attack, they were blown up by another set of bombs, killing 3 and wounding 10 others. (Khit Thit Media)
A crony liquor factory in Shwebo town that is owned by a retired junta officer receives armed protection from junta troops. Last night a PDF fired on them with locally-manufactured mortars. Damage isn’t reported. (Myaelatt Athan)
Junta propaganda outlets boasted that its success in raiding 6 PDF camps in the Tamu area of Sagaing Region recently was enabled by information from junta soldiers who infiltrated the PDFs and acted as spies. Photos show well-built facilities in the training camps. (Chindwin News Agency) No PDF soldiers were captured in the raids, but some equipment was lost.
In Magway Region, a PDF bombed a 2-vehicle convoy in Myaing township yesterday. Three roadside bombs damaged one of the vehicles and killed 7 troops and wounded others. The troops then kidnapped 30 civilians from a nearby village as human shields. (People's Spring)
Also yesterday, another PDF set off landmines under a junta foot column of 40 troops coming out of Pakokku to clear the road for a convoy. Nine bombs killed 7 troops. The survivors then kidnapped 10 villagers as human shields. (Khit Thit Media)
In Pakokku town, PDFs fired 40mm grenades at junta troops stationed at Pakokku University yesterday, killing 5.
In Mandalay Region, a PDF in Myinchan township mined a road ahead of the passage of 40 troops clearing bombs in preparation for a convoy. Six bombs killed 15 troops and wounded 6. The remaining troops then began shooting their guns ineffectually. (Khit Thit Media)
Urban warfare------------------
A Mandalay obstetrics nurse who was kidnapped by junta troops on Oct. 29 is now known to have been tortured to death in an interrogation chamber. Four other health professionals were kidnapped at the same time, accused of being the source of a truckload of medicines captured by the junta on its way to PDFs in Sagaing and Magway Regions. The fate of the other 4 isn’t announced yet. (The Irrawaddy)
A local junta administrator/Pyu Saw Htee terrorist was assassinated in Maha Aung Myay township of Mandalay today. (Khit Thit Media)
More urban destruction is reported from Pyay town in Bago Region, where the junta has ordered 400 shops removed and bulldozed in a market district. The urban destruction pattern has now been repeated in 2 Yangon townships, Mandalay, Pyin Oo Lwin, and now Pyay. (Myaelatt Athan)
Political and economic-------------------
Burma’s National Unity Government opened an embassy in Washington DC, capital of the USA, yesterday. Burma’s UN ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun was present for the ribbon-cutting. (The Irrawaddy)
Six Christian leaders accepted medals from junta dictator Min Aung Hlaing recently, including Catholic cardinal Charles Maung Bo, who also shared a Christmas cake with the dictator last December. The leaders are criticized by Christian communities, given that churches have been bombed and burned by the junta, and right-wing Buddhist nationalists used to drum up intolerance and inter-religious hatred on behalf of the coup. (The Irrawaddy)
The regime has released over 5,700 prisoners in the past few days, but only 72 of them were prisoners of conscience, e.g. political prisoners. About 13,000 are still in junta prisons. Almost all of those released were common criminals. Thus the political repression remains unchanged. (People's Spring)
Both the Indian and Cambodian governments have favored Burma’s illegal military regime with high-level official visits recently, gushing over the prisoner release and promoting business as usual between the countries. Russia, unsurprisingly, also sent a delegation to sell more weapons.
- စီၤ ထံဆၢ