Burma coup resistance notes October 22, 2022
Junta taken off guard by Karen capture of Kaw T'Ree town; Burma blacklisted by international anti-money-laundering organization; Kachin & Chin forces battle the regime.
Ethnic regions-------------------
Airstrikes continue again today in Kaw T’Ree town (Kawkareik on Burmese maps) after Karen defense forces attacked the Burma army occupation troops there. Yesterday the police station was captured, along with all of its weapons; at least 20 junta operatives were killed and many others fled. Karen forces surrounded a junta infantry battalion in the town. Junta troops abandoned a camp at a monastery on a hill and planted it with landmines, but the Karen army removed the mines and gutted the junta camp. After destroying the junta’s control infrastructure in the town, the Karen forces retreated to peripheral camps it captured, and has posted troops in defensive positions around the town. The junta is sending troops from elsewhere to try to reoccupy it. (The Irrawaddy, People’s Spring)
Last night and today the junta is dropping bombs from Russian-supplied attack jets, hitting Kaw T’Ree town and the outlying villages of Pyapin, Kaung Hmu, Tada Oo, Kanainmun, and Yan Kote. At least 2 civilians have been killed so far in the airstrikes and 16 injured. Many people are fleeing. (People's Spring)
Regime forces in Myawaddy, on the Thai border to the east, have closed roads and are bracing for similar attacks. Kaw T’Ree sits astride the Asia Highway, the main route between Burma and Thailand, so control of that town also implies control of the entire border area. Twenty carloads of junta-proxy BGF troops are loaded up and ready to ship out westward toward Kaw T’Ree. (Myaelatt Athan)
In Mutraw District of Kawthoolei (Hpapun township on Burmese maps), after the Karen army attacked junta troops at Mei Lei Hta and Cho Lo in Butho township on Oct. 18 and 19, junta jets have been bombing Dae Bu Noh town and a Karen army training ground nearby. The town has been bombed twice before since the coup, and is equipped with air raid bunkers. (Local sources)
In Chin State, Chin defense forces retaliated for the killing of 2 kindergarten children on Oct 19 by attacking a junta checkpoint in Hakha yesterday, killing 5 troops or more. Meanwhile in Kanpetlet the fighting continued yesterday, and 3 more junta troops were killed including an officer, in addition to the 5 killed the previous day. (Khit Thit Media)
In Kachin State, a battle is occurring today in Momauk township near the Chinese border. Junta troops fired over 100 mortar rounds at a Kachin army camp in the morning, and a ground battle followed. No results are known yet. (Mizzima)
In Karenni area, 35 junta administration staff in Pekhon township have defected to the Civil Disobedience Movement recently. These are added to the 1,200 who did so shortly after the Feb. 2021 coup. The junta’s ability to govern even the isolated large towns it controls is hobbled by lack of staff. (Khit Thit Media)
In northern Shan State, the Ta’ang ethnic army (TNLA) and an allied PDF attacked the residence of a pro-junta militia leader in Muse town on the Chinese border.
Junta army decline------------------
News happened to come out about an attempted suicide by a junta soldier working at the military equipment factory in Thayetkan, Magway Region. The man hung himself today but was rescued and taken to a hospital. Inside sources say the only thing unusual about this even is the survival, and that despondent junta soldiers frequently commit suicide. Normally the news is suppressed, and if a survivor ends up at the hospital, the hospital staff is threatened to keep silent. (Mizzima)
Junta scorched earth village terrorism campaign---------------
Troops invaded Shwepin village of Myinmu township this morning in Sagaing Region. The people fled by boat, but the troops fired mortars at the refugees in boats, sinking a boat with 6 people and drowning most of them; only one survivor is known.
Yesterday troops attacked Thamanjin village of Wetlet township, Sagaing Region, shooting at civilians as they went. A couple was shot and their young son was killed. (Khit Thit Media)
People’s Defense Forces (PDFs)-----------------
In Sagaing Region, a local PDF in Shwebo township planted remote-control bombs near a junta/Pyu Saw Htee terrorist camp at Zee Phyu Kone, then blew up 4 Pyu Saw Htee that were lurking under a banyan tree yesterday, killing 3 of them. (People's Spring)
In Myinmu township, a PDF bombed a convoy 2 days ago Oct. 20, damaging a truck and killing as many as 10 troops out of 30 in the convoy, according to the PDF. (Myaelatt Athan)
In the Oct. 19 terror attack on Yinpaungdaing village of Yinmapin township, junta troops caught 2 PDF members who ran out of ammunition as they were helping villagers to escape the onslaught, including the PDF captain. The troops cut off their heads. Yesterday those same troops invaded Shwe Hlan village where the PDF soldiers were spending the night. The PDF sentries fell asleep, and the junta troops stormed their camp, killing 10 PDF soldiers. (People's Spring)
In Magway Region, two PDFs stormed a junta police station at Linkadaw in Myaing township yesterday. During the attack they had to pause when a helicopter showed up and began firing, but since no junta reinforcements arrived, the PDFs continued their attack and took over the police barracks, killing 7 police and wounding a number of others. The helicopter came back and fired its machine guns for half an hour, then the PDFs withdrew safely. (Khit Thit Media)
In Seikphyu township, a PDF blew up a junta village terror attack squad, killing 7 troops and wounding others on Oct. 19. The troops then burned down the entire village of Palanma.
Urban warfare------------------
In Yangon, a local junta administrator and his wife were assassinated in Hlaing township today, and two dalans were killed in North Dagon township. (People's Spring)
Political & economic-------------------
The international Financial Action Task Force has added Burma to its “black list” of money-laundering countries, along with Iran and North Korea. (Khit Thit Media) Since being hit with sanctions by many countries, the illegal regime in Burma has tried to economically ally itself instead with Russia. The regime also profits from the illegal drug trade, manipulates currency markets, and hides its transactions from monitoring. Being on the black list can trigger more sanctions, exclusion from international financial networks, and freezing of assets. None of this bodes well for an economy already thrown into a tailspin by the Feb. 2021 military coup, and today the value of the kyat currency plunged in response.
In another money-grab, the cash-strapped regime is now threatening to close certain bank accounts and seize the assets. Even the announcement of such a move will further undermine confidence in the banking system already devastated by the junta’s limits on access to cash, exchange rate manipulation, and other interference in the financial sector. (Mizzima)
The Bangladesh government has thanked China for convincing the Burma regime to stop lobbing bombs into Bangladeshi territory. If true, this intervention is a sign of China’s close relationship and influence with the illegal military regime in Naypyitaw.
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