Burma coup resistance notes November 12, 2022
A nightmare day for the illegal regime. The Karen army was on the offensive on 4 fronts, and PDFs launched attacks across central Burma. The junta’s air strike retaliation capacity was stretched thin.
Human rights advocates at both the UN and Burma’s National Unity Government make the point that, by taking no concrete action to stop the mass killings in Burma, the UN, ASEAN, and other international actors embolden and effectively encourage the terrorist regime to commit those atrocities. These international actors therefore bear some of the responsibility for the killings. (The Irrawaddy)
Ethnic regions-------------------
In a major offensive, Karen army Brigade 3 and allied PDFs attacked and captured 3 separate junta camps today in Kler Lwi Htoo District of Kawthoolei (Shwegyin township on Burmese maps), provoking the usual air strikes. Starting before dawn near Baw Ka Hta, Karen forces overran a junta outpost of 30 troops. Later this morning they took a camp of 50 troops at Thansayt and another one at Ton Bridge. The junta called in helicopter gunships. At least 30 junta troops have been killed and another 20 wounded including a battalion commander. Four Karen soldiers are injured. As of the latest report, the battle and airstrikes were still continuing. (Khit Thit Media, Myaelatt Athan)
To the immediate south, Karen army Brigade 1 and allied PDFs destroyed a junta convoy yesterday at Bilin in Doo Tha Htoo District of Kawthoolei. All 13 vehicles in the convoy were hit, 4 of them overturned or destroyed, and 27 troops killed and many wounded. The Karen forces used roadside bombs, rocket-propelled grenades, drone bombs, and gunfire; the junta shot down 2 drones. (Khit Thit Media)
Further south today, Karen army Brigade 6 stormed a junta police barracks and bridge checkpoint in Kyaikmaraw township in western Dooplaya District of Kawthoolei (Mon State on Burmese maps). At least 2 junta police were killed and 4 captured alive, and then helicopters came and opened fire while the Karen destroyed the police barracks. (People's Spring) Junta helicopters and mortars attacked the civilian village of Chaung Hnitko. (Khit Thit Media) In such a situation, the Karen forces likely captured the police weapons and will strategically abandon the barracks in order to avoid reprisal attacks.
Also in Dooplaya District but in the east on the Thai border (Myawaddy township on Burmese maps), fighting continued today at Thay Baw Bo, a former junta camp that regime forces are trying to retake from the Karen Cobra battalion.
In Kachin State, fighting resumed in Momauk township yesterday, this time in an outlying ward of the town, though no outcome is reported.
In Mon State, junta vehicles were blown up two days in a row by a local PDF in Thanbuzayat. On Nov. 10 a 4-vehicle convoy was attacked with roadside bombs, and yesterday 3 food supply trucks were attacked, killing a soldier and wounding 2 others.
The Arakan Army is angry following the junta’s killing of 10 innocent Arakan citizens yesterday. That could prove to be a problem for the junta, given the AA’s strength and determination. Junta troops retaliated against the civilians after the AA captured 2 of its food supply trucks the same day. It is entirely typical for the junta to retaliate against civilians for its military setbacks, but the AA is very protective of its civilians, and is vowing payback. (Than Lwin Khet News)
Junta scorched earth village terrorism campaign---------------
Troops burned Shaynmagah village of Wetlet township, Sagaing Region last night. Residents had to flee in the middle of the night into the bush. Today troops burned the entire large village of Payimma and the village of Myitsone in Myaung township, over 2,000 homes. Residents already fled yesterday on news of the terrorists’ approach. Over 30,000 Myaung township residents are now refugees. (Mizzima, Khit Thit Media)
In Saw township of Magway Region, 80 junta troops began a village terrorism campaign on Nov. 8, looting and destroying in Pauktaw village; the next day they were hit by roadside bombs and suffered injuries, and a local PDF fired locally-manufactured mortars at their overnight campsite. The troops kidnapped 5 women in Letpan village on Nov. 10, and then yesterday the PDF fired 80mm shells at the troops again. One of the women escaped in the confusion. Today the PDF attacked again with roadside bombs. There were wounded troops, and then the number of wounded being transported decreased, suggesting that some of them died. (Than Lwin Khet News)
People’s Defense Forces (PDFs)-----------------
In Sagaing Region, a PDF drone-bombed the leadership of a junta/Pyu Saw Htee terrorist group in a village of Monywa township yesterday, killing the Pyu Saw Htee leader and another person and wounding 5 others, 3 of them seriously. The event is captured on drone video. (People's Spring)
In Tantse township yesterday a marching column of 150 junta troops was attacked multiple times, starting with a 40-minute fusillade by PDF soldiers, after which the column continued marching. Later another PDF attacked for 2 hours, and in the evening the column was hit by roadside bombs. In all, 16 troops were killed and a number of others wounded. (Khit Thit Media)
Also in Tantse township, PDFs continued drone-bombing troops and Pyu Saw Htee terrorists yesterday. In one attack, the PDF dropped 5 bombs from drones on troops, causing an unknown number of casualties. Later, another attack was carried out on a junta patrol. (Khit Thit Media)
PDF members entered a Pyu Saw Htee leader’s home last night with guns firing, killing the leader and 4 other terrorists, in Maletaw village of Sagaing township. (Ayeyarwaddy Times)
A PDF attacked the troops guarding the junta-owned Myanma Economic Bank branch in Shwebo town today, firing pistols and throwing a grenade into their bunkers, killing at least one and wounding at least 3. This is a copycat attack of 2 similar attacks at a bank branch in Myinmu township recently. (Mizzima)
In Magway Region, PDFs in Yesagyo township ambushed a junta vehicle with a mounted machine gun yesterday that was carrying 8 junta/Pyu Saw Htee terrorists. A junta quartermaster and 4 Pyu Saw Htee were killed. The PDF withdrew without casualties, but other troops then seized 3 random area residents and killed and burned them. (Myaelatt Athan)
In Myaing township, 10 Pyu Saw Htee terrorists attacked farmers weeding their peanut fields near Thayetkan village this morning. A PDF was lying in wait to protect the farmers, and opened fire, killing 6 of the terrorists and wounding 1; the others escaped. Other junta troops and Pyu Saw Htee then fired mortars from the safety of their camp. (Myaelatt Athan)
In Mandalay Region, 20 troops and a senior officer died from wounds suffered in a 2-day battle with PDFs in Thabeikkyin township. The officer was a Major and an instructor in an army training school, but the training staff have been put out on patrol due to the junta’s personnel shortage. The major had a bullet wound in the chest and was being transferred to a hospital in Pyin Oo Lwin when he expired. A PDF soldier was also killed. (Ayeyarwaddy Times)
In Sanku township, a PDF fired 60mm locally-manufactured mortars at junta ships in the Irrawaddy River 2 days ago Nov. 10. Troops and Pyu Saw Htee arrived at Inzaukgyi village in response, and a gun battle ensued. The PDF had gained the upper hand, but then truckloads of junta reinforcements arrived and tipped the momentum, and the PDF had run out of ammunition, so it had to evacuate. Four Pyu Saw Htee were killed as well as a junta officer, a Major. The PDF had 2 minor injuries. Then the troops attacked Inzaukgyi village with large-caliber mortars and set it on fire, and killed the people’s livestock. (People's Spring)
In Bago Region, a PDF blew up a group of junta troops returning from collecting their salaries in Otpo township yesterday, killing 3 and wounding others. (People's Spring)
Political and economic-------------------
The Revolutionary authorities in Chin State, like their colleagues in Karenni State, have announced that they won’t permit the junta’s fake election to take place in their state. That means that “voting” can only happen in the central urban cores in those states, which are the only places the junta still controls.
Southeast Asia’s regional diplomatic bloc, ASEAN, issued a vague statement yesterday that it will “engage all stakeholders soon” in a “flexible and informal manner.” That is being interpreted as meaning it will hold unofficial meetings with Burma’s National Unity Government. This would be a slight advance in gaining international recognition for the NUG, though still stopping well short of naming the NUG as Burma’s legitimate government. ASEAN is about evenly composed of democracies such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, which are hostile to Burma’s military coup, and military one-party regimes like Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos, which tend to favor the junta. ASEAN also has to consider the position of China, its biggest trading partner, which supports the junta at least for the time being. (The Irrawaddy)
Junta police profit from meth sales in Myaungmya, Irrawaddy Region. Drug control officers collect bribes from meth dealers to permit open sales. Besides corruption, this strategy also aims to keep youth out of anti-regime political or military activities. (Ayeyarwaddy Times)
There is electricity for about 5 hours per day in most of Burma, due to the junta’s mismanagement of the energy sector and the economy generally. (Khit Thit Media)
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