Burma coup resistance notes October 14, 2022
Karen army destroys another junta camp; Junta prepares to go from persecutors to persecuted; troops burn villagers alive; skilled workers flooding out of Burma.
"The world, throwing my country away." – A People’s Defense Force soldier
Junta defensive measures----------------
In a striking reversal of roles, the junta has banned off-duty travel by its personnel without authorization. For official travel, staff (including police and military) are to travel incognito, in civilian clothes, without carrying any badges or other ID that would identify them if arrested or inspected by Revolutionary forces, and they are to purge their phones of any photos or social media that could identify them as regime personnel. This order was issued – and leaked – yesterday. Until now it has been the junta that has searched the persons and phones of citizens for evidence of anti-regime sentiment or activity. Now that it is losing the war, it is anticipating the same treatment by the Revolution. (Khit Thit Media)
Ethnic regions-------------------
Karen army Brigade 5 stormed a junta/BGF camp yesterday in Mutraw District of Kawthoolei (Hpapun township on Burmese maps). Enemy BGF troops fled, and the Karen soldiers burned the camp down. This camp was at Pazonmyaung on the Kamamaung-Papun road. Casualty figures aren’t reported. (Salween Press)
Karen army Brigade 5 also released details of 5 previous days of fighting: Four skirmishes occurred Oct. 7-8 in which 5 junta troops were killed. On Oct. 9 Karen forces attacked a junta camp at Kuzeik in Dwelo township and killed 11 junta troops and wounded 10. Junta/BGF troops then fired mortars at civilians, injuring 3 people. The next day the Karen ambushed junta troops in Butho township and killed 3 troops.
In Beit-Tavoy District of Kawthoolei (Tanintharyi Region on Burmese maps), a local PDF shot up a junta bridge checkpoint on the national highway between Dawei and Ye; five were killed from the junta, and taken away in ambulances. In Dooplaya District (Myawaddy township on Burmese maps), two more junta troops died when they stepped on a defensive landmine planted by the Karen Cobra battalion at Luko near Palu. There were not supposed to be there. (Khit Thit Media)
Karenni defense forces attacked a junta camp at Ponchaung for an hour with mortars on Oct. 11, between Loikaw and Shadaw, where the junta had been firing at civilians. The Karenni speak of junta casualties but give no number. (Mizzima)
In Arakan State, the junta has just shipped more than 100 truckloads of munitions from Magway Region to Ann township. Observers say there weren’t many troops in the convoy; at this point the junta is still rich in munitions but short of personnel. Based on this shipment, more fighting is anticipated in Arakan State, where the Arakan Army has dealt several significant setbacks to the junta in the past 3 months and has a number of its bases cut off for supplies. (Myaelatt Athan)
In Chin State, after illicit groups in Hpalam demanded money from people in the name of the Chin defense forces, the Chin defense command has ordered its soldiers not to collect any money from the public at all, even gifts. It wants to maintain the integrity and public trust of the public defense forces. (People's Spring)
Junta scorched earth village terrorism campaign---------------
Troops burned 4 villagers alive as they destroyed West Side (Anawtbet) village in Htilin township of Magway Region yesterday. The troops had been looting and occupying the community for 3 days. Two of the dead were teenagers; another man is still missing. (Myaelatt Athan)
As a junta terror squad looted and burned Zitaw village in Yesagyo township, Magway Region yesterday, a PDF placed landmines in their exit route, blowing them up as they left. Four were killed by the mines including a captain; then the PDF opened fire and killed 3 more. The troops killed a large herd of goats, then moved on to attack Thandaw village where reinforcements arrived. (Khit Thit Media)
Junta border guard troops burned Pahwatchaung village in Maungdaw township yesterday, except that heavy rain doused the fires. This morning they called the villagers and ordered them to tell the media that the Arakan Army and the Rohingya army were responsible. The villagers told the media that the junta had told them to say that, and they also said the troops were always coming through, stealing the people’s livestock, and they stole all the materials from the local school. (Myaelatt Athan)
People’s Defense Forces (PDFs)-----------------
PDFs have been transporting ammunition by bus, disguised in sacks of rice. A shipment of bullets inside rice sacks was seized by junta troops in Indaw, northern Sagaing Region, on its way from Myitkyina in Kachin State to Mandalay. The troops weren’t able to connect a person or group to the cargo. Speculation is that a tip-off from a dalan led to the seizure. (Kachin News Group) The bullets could have come from a factories operated by the Kachin army,
In Sagaing Region a PDF coalition detonated 15 roadside bombs when junta troops and Pyu Saw Htee terrorists left their Bantbwe camp in Yinmapin township yesterday to go get food. The PDF says about 15 junta operatives were killed in the blasts. (Khit Thit Media)
Six PDF soldiers were killed by enemy mortar fire in Banmauk township; the date isn’t given. (People's Spring) The Kachin army has been inflicting heavy casualties on the junta lately in Banmauk township.
In Bago Region, a column of 50 junta troops marching in Nattalin township was ambushed by a PDF yesterday morning; 4 were killed and 7 wounded. Later, in the early afternoon, the same column marched through a PDF minefield, where 6 died and at least 8 were wounded. The same day another PDF fired on a junta outpost of about 20 troops near Taungoo, killing 2 of them and wounding an unknown number. (Khit Thit Media)
In Irrawaddy Region, two simultaneous explosions in different locations occurred yesterday. A local PDF planted a booby-trapped motorcycle at a junta checkpoint where the police have been extorting money from travelers. When it exploded it killed an officer and seriously wounded another. At the same time a bomb exploded at the downtown police station; casualties there aren’t known. (People's Spring) Irrawaddy Region has been relatively quiet, so this double-bombing is significant.
Urban warfare------------------
In Yangon, urban guerrillas blew up a junta patrol vehicle this morning in South Dagon township. The vehicle cab emitted smoke, and some troops were injured. The others disembarked and tried to seize and abduct civilians waiting at a nearby bus stop, but the civilians fled, leaving the streets empty. Plain-clothes troops were later observed all over the vicinity, impersonating motorcyclists and delivery messengers, armed with knives and watching for people. (Khit Thit Media)
Post-coup economic crisis-------------------
The junta’s deadly persecution of people of all professions who oppose its rule, together with the catastrophic collapse of the economy, is driving increasing numbers of educated and skilled workers out of the country or into liberated areas. Not all of them actively oppose the regime; some just wanted stability, regardless of the form of government, but they are realizing that the junta has no chance of ruling the country peacefully. Parents leave because education has stopped under the military regime. Troops in the streets create a climate of constant fear. Many employing businesses have shut down, leaving people jobless. So skilled Burma citizens are increasingly heading for Thailand, Singapore, and further afield. (The Irrawaddy) That is not to mention the thousands of health care professionals, journalists, and other skilled people sheltering in liberated areas, putting their skills to service with refugees and freedom fighters, but relying on charity for their subsistence.
The junta re-opened tenders for investment in 18 solar electricity plants in June, and then extended the deadline due to lack of bidders. A leaked document shows only 2 bidders, both junta crony companies, down from 50 international bidders when the same plants were put up for bid by the previous civilian government. In that instance, Chinese companies won all but one of the bids, but this time there were no Chinese bidders. That is due to the war and to the crash of the Burmese kyat currency, which make the projects both dangerous and unprofitable. (The Irrawaddy) It is another clear sign that the Burma economy cannot possibly emerge from its collapse until the junta is removed from power in the parts of the country it still controls.
- စီၤ ထံဆၢ