Burma coup resistance notes October 17, 2022
Karen army captures entire junta platoon; Chin forces shoot a helicopter; news leaked of dictator furiously trying to stop information leaks; several police posts stormed by PDFs.
Karen army Brigade 6 captured 16 junta troops alive including a platoon commander yesterday in Notakaw township (Kyainseikgyi township on Burmese maps). Six others were killed, and at least 6 of those captured are wounded and receiving care from Karen army medics. All of their weapons were captured. The junta troops were in an area where they should not have been, according to Kawthoolei authorities. They had been sent south from Mutraw District (Hpapun on Burmese maps) to try to recapture the Jayt camp that the Karen took from the junta during September, but they failed. (Karen Information Center)
The news increasingly shows large and peaceful anti-junta demonstrations held in towns such as Monywa, Kalay, and others in Sagaing Region. The implication is that liberated and safe areas exist even in the big towns, where protesters need not fear the junta. That is evidence of progress.
Ethnic regions-------------------
In Chin State, Chin defense forces shot and damaged a junta helicopter yesterday in Kanpetlet township as it was resupplying a camp there. The camps have to be supplied via helicopter because Chin forces control the roads. The defense forces carefully monitored helicopter flight paths, then positioned themselves to shoot them. The previous day, helicopters airlifted 30 additional troops into a camp near Kanpetlet at Jindwe, and expanded fighting is anticipated. (Khit Thit Media) Yesterday a junta-imposed administrator in the Matupi education department was assassinated; the regime’s administration can’t function in Chin State. (Mizzima) On the other hand, the Chin liberation government opened its law court in Hakha township today. (People's Spring)
In Arakan State, the Arakan Army destroyed 2 trucks trying to supply food to junta troops in Maungdaw township on Oct. 15. They blocked the road and trapped the trucks, then opened fire, killing 4 and wounding 3 of the 15 troops on board and capturing all the food and weapons.
In Beit-Tavoy District of Kawthoolei (Tanintharyi Region on Burmese maps), a PDF in Launglone township near Dawei blew up a convoy of junta/Pyu Saw Htee terrorists who were returning to their base after extorting money from people in villages on Oct. 14. The blasts caused casualties, but the number isn’t known. Further south, the junta admin office in Palaw city was bombed yesterday. (Khit Thit Media)
In Mon State, a PDF fired on junta troops/police in Kyaikmaraw township on Oct. 15, killing one of them. Mon PDFs are now maintaining their level of anti-junta military activity.
Junta scorched earth village terrorism campaign---------------
Troops continued their anti-village attacks in Wetlet township yesterday, burning down Thitsayt, Pidaukchon, and Ngajin Ine villages, in addition to 5 villages destroyed in the past few days.
In Banmauk township other troops have been attacking Kawtah village for the past 3 days with mortars and arson. (Khit Thit Media) The junta has suffered heavy casualties in Banmauk at the hands of the Kachin army and allied PDFs lately.
Troops kidnapped and beheaded a 43-year-old man who ran a boarding house in Taungmyint village of Pauk township, Magway Region this morning. They hung his head in front of a local school. (Myaelatt Athan)
People’s Defense Forces (PDFs)-----------------
In Sagaing Region, local PDFs stormed a police barracks at Shwepangon village of Wetlet township this morning, killing an unreported number of police/troops. Later, 2 helicopter gunships arrived and fired on the village, killing a woman, and junta troops re-occupied the barracks. (Khit Thit Media)
In Shwebo township yesterday a column of 100 junta troops was attacked twice with landmines followed by gunfire. The local PDF says the junta suffered casualties both times but no number is reported. (Khit Thit Media)
The junta terror squad of 50 troops that had been devastating villages in Chaung Oo township was counter-attacked by local PDFs yesterday near the ruins of Matheetah and Thayetkan villages. The PDFs planted mines in the path of returning troops and killed 8 of them, and also captured a number of 40mm grenades.
In Magway Region, local PDFs in Myaing township fired locally-made mortars into a school being used as a barracks by a Pyu Saw Htee terror squad on Oct. 15, killing 2 of them. Today they did the same thing again at Thayetchaung village and killed 5 junta/Pyu Saw Htee operatives.
In Bago Region, the mile 83 police post on the Yangon-Naypyitaw expressway was attacked for the 2nd time in 8 days today, and this time it was apparently stormed by an unidentified PDF; casualties haven’t been reported. Significantly, junta troops did not come to the rescue. Four police were killed there on Oct. 9. In Nattalin township on Oct. 15 a PDF blew up a junta convoy there, causing an unknown number of casualties.
Urban warfare------------------
In Mandalay, a junta administrator was assassinated in Patheingyi township yesterday, as was another one in Monywa, Sagaing capital.
Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM)-------------------
The National Unity Government reports that a fundraising campaign for Chin and Magway defense forces exceeded its target of 1.5 billion kyat (US$500,000). Much of this money comes from Burma citizens overseas. (Mizzima)
Junta dictator Min Aung Hlaing was reportedly furious over the leak of news about a special luxury rail train that was built and outfitted to take him and his family on a vacation to Lashio in Shan State, amid the deepening poverty of the post-coup economic crisis. He insisted that the army clamp down on information leaks coming from high levels, and he changed his plan to go to Mawlamyaing by helicopter instead. This news was immediately leaked.
- စီၤ ထံဆၢ