Burma coup resistance notes September 29, 2022
Junta self-inflicted wounds: jets hit their own POWs in Arakan, and troops attack police in Magway. A striking teacher who came back to the junta ends up tortured to death by the regime.
Junta troops fought junta police yesterday and ended up destroying the police station in Thayetkan, Pauk township, Magway Region. An argument erupted when an army patrol visited the police station and ordered the police out, who refused. (Ayeyarwaddy Times) Since the coup a sharp division between the junta police and army sometimes flares into deadly violence.
Ethnic regions-------------------
In Arakan State, three junta jets bombed Arakan Army positions in Maungdaw township on Sept. 23, hitting, among other things, two camps where the AA holds prisoners of war. The AA says many captured junta troops and border guards were killed and injured by the bombs, and it has called the junta to come take its wounded troops for treatment, but has received no response. The number of dead and wounded is still changing, as some wounded by the bombs continue to die. AA medics are providing what care they can. The AA also says it has received over 150 junta deserters so far. (Khit Thit Media)
In Kachin State, the Kachin army has re-occupied its camp near Shaduzup that it evacuated ahead of the Sept. 12 junta assault. In that assault, the junta poured in jet bombing and a mortar barrage before sending ground troops into the empty camp. (Kachin News Group)
Yesterday the Kachin army and allied PDF attacked a junta base in Nammatu in northern Shan State. The Kachin army also issued a report of a battle there earlier this month, in which junta troops invaded and occupied a Kachin army camp on Sept. 7. The following day Kachin forces surrounded the junta troops in the camp and killed 47 of them. (Kachin News Group) It isn’t clear why it took 3 weeks for that information to emerge.
In Kawthoolei (Karen nation) Dooplaya District (Myawaddy township on Burmese maps) yesterday, the same day the junta lost a camp near Payathonsu, other junta troops fired mortars at Thay Baw Bo Baletto villages closer to Myawaddy, damaging homes and a Bhuddhist temple and forcing civilians to flee. Also yesterday, the Karen Cobra battalion attacked junta troops that were trying to camp at Taungni village, killing one of them.
In Kawthoolei Mutraw District (Hpapun township on Burmese maps), Karen army reports intercepting a junta convoy twice on the Kamamaung-Papun road on Sept. 26, killing 5 troops, and the next day the Karen attacked 2 junta camps at Kaw Po and Mae Wei, killing 3 troops. In Kawthoolei Beit-Tavoy District (Tanintharyi Region on Burmese maps), a junta police intelligence officer was assassinated yesterday in Ye Phyu township. Also, a PDF again attacked the junta police barracks at Pakari on the Dawei-Htee Khee (Thai border) road, re-opening an ongoiong battle front there. (Khit Thit Media)
In Mon State, a PDF bombed a junta convoy passing through Thanphyuzayat yesterday, killing 4 troops and wounding 2. (Tanintharyi Times)
Junta army desertions------------------
A junta soldier joined a PDF in Yesagyo township of Magway Region yesterday. He described the conditions that prompted him to leave the junta: They are regularly ordered to torture civilians, and soldiers themselves are abused and even killed by the army; they don’t get regular meals; salaries have been cut to about 100,000 kyats (US$25) per month; they are ordered to fight continuously with no rest. He urges other soldiers to defect likewise. Those interested can call 9402434303, 09429900938, or 0942545458 from inside Burma. (People's Spring)
A junta policeman from the Htilin city station defected with full weapons yesterday to the Gangaw township PDF.
Junta scorched earth village terrorism campaign---------------
In Tantse township of Sagaing Region, a junta terror squad is burning Ywa Shey village today. A surprise dawn assault caught some villagers before they could flee. (Khit Thit Media)
People’s Defense Forces (PDFs)-----------------
In Sagaing Region, a PDF in Wetlet township fired 15 locally-made mortar shells at a junta police station 2 days ago Sept. 27, killing 4 troops and wounding 7. In Ayadaw township yesterday a PDF ambushed a junta truck carrying 9 troops; 2 were seen lying in the road after the attack, but the casualty totals aren’t known. (Myaelatt Athan) In Yinmapin township, local PDFs continued their chain of assaults yesterday on the junta/Pyu Saw Htee camp at Bantwe village, firing small arms and locally-made mortars and small that exploded inside the camp; the PDFs say at least 5 of the junta operatives were killed. (Khit Thit Media)
Urban warfare------------------
In Yangon, an urban PDF bombed a back gate of the Yangon international airport yesterday, wounding an unknown number of the junta troops on guard there. Two closely-spaced explosions were heard in North Okalappa township. Other bombings occurred in Insein, Thaketa, and Ahlone townships. The one in Ahlone injured some plain-clothes junta troops guarding an admin office. Gunfire was heard on the train tracks in Insein township. Gunfire from an unknown source killed a junta administrator in Thaketa. (Khit Thit Media)
In Mandalay, a dalan (regime spy) was assassinated yesterday along the river road.
Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM)-------------------
In Wundwin township of Sagaing Region, a school teacher in his 50s who had joined the national strike after the coup, buckled to junta pressure and came back to work in his junta school early this month. The regime abducted him anyway on Sept. 23, and 4 days later he had been tortured to death. The murderers burned his body to destroy the evidence of torture, then called his wife and handed her his ashes without an explanation for his death. When she asked, they simply said they cremated him because he stopped breathing. (People's Spring) Conditions for striking government employees are extremely difficult, but this case shows that trying to get on with life under junta rule is futile.
In Pyay city, Bago Region, citizens have observed that junta police are spying on the city at night disguised in a septic tank truck. They say the truck is in too good a condition and has no smell, and always comes from and returns to the direction of the police station. They are therefore taking great care when they see this clean sewage truck. (Mizzima)
- စီၤ ထံဆၢ