CNI News

17 August 2022

The current political and economic crisis facing Myanmar can only be resolved by drafting a federal constitution, the Shan State Progressive Party/Shan State Party said in a statement issued on the 51st Anniversary of its founding day, which falls on 16th August.

“It is urgently necessary to find ways and means to resolve political crises, economic crises and social problems currently facing the union. It should be aware that economic crises and social problems will persist as long as political crises, which are realities, cannot be resolved collectively,” the SSPP said.

“Resolving and overcoming such crises collectively especially requires putting an end to dictatorship, drafting a federal democracy constitution, releasing political prisoners, ending persecutions and creating an environment for inclusive and genuine political solution,” the statement added.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and members of the SAC.

On 16th August, SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said that as the multiparty democracy was chosen by the people, he had no reason to refuse it and promised to move forward to democracy administration and a union mandated to exercise federal power.

He said, “We held negotiations with the SSPP. Everything was successful. I asked them if they could accept the multiparty democracy system, democracy administration and a union mandated to exercise federal power. They said they agreed. We will meet for the second round of talks. We are trying to meet again this month.”

The SAC said it held peace talks with 10 ethnic armed organizations during the period from 20th May to 4 August with the aim of building a federal democratic union and holding elections and the second round of talks were scheduled for September.

SSPP Vice Chairman (1) meets Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on 4th August, 2022.

The public in Myanmar has protested the declaration of a state of emergency of the military after overthrowing the civilian government led by the NLD on 1st January 2021.

Democratic forces and youths led by ousted lawmakers founded the National Unity Government and People’s Defence Forces and are trying to topple the military.

Under such circumstances, Myanmar has faced political, economic, social, health and educational crises and the public has run into difficulties.

CNI News

17 August 2022

More than 350,000 civilians have been displaced by armed clashes between the junta troops and the Karen National Union, according to a statement released by the KNU on 16th August.

Recently, fighting has been taking place in the KNU-controlled territory including areas of Thaton District Brigade-1, Taungoo District Brigade-2, Nyaunglebin District Brigade-4, Mutraw District Brigade-5 and Dooplaya District Brigade-6 on a daily basis and local residents have been displaced, according to the statement of the KNU.

The statement added that a total of 356,674 civilians including 94,768 in Thaton District, 7,537 in Taungoo District, 61,898 in Nyaunglebin District, 6,000 in Myeik-Dawei District, 96,180 in Mutraw District and 90,291 in Dooplaya District have been displaced by fighting.

The lists of the displaced due to armed conflicts between the junta troops and the KNU. (KNU-fb)

The KNU also said, “The accommodation, the needs for food, clothing and shelter, health and security of the displaced have been provided by the KNU, the KNLA and the KNDO for respective sectors.”

A political and peace analyst said that the KNU has been providing protection for youths who have taken up arms from the Spring Revolution and engaged in fighting, causing the number of the displaced to increase and that the higher the number of the displaced, the heavier the burden on the KNU.

The KNU also said in the statement, “The KNU and its armed wings like the KNLA and the KNDO have to fight junta troops on a daily basis while managing military spending and providing the needs of the displaced.”

However, the statement said that the KNU is leading the Karen National Revolution and has been engaging in political dialogue and armed conflict for freedom and self-determination since the beginning of the revolution.

KNU troops. (KNU-fb)

It also said that the armed wings of the KNU, the KNLA and the KNDO are fighting for the freedom of the entire Karen people by sacrificing their lives.

The KNU has been training People’s Defence Forces and fighting against junta troops in cooperation with them in the Spring Revolution to establish a federal democracy union since the coup on 1st February,2021.

CNI News

17 August 2022

Myanmar has been heading toward total collapse, U Myo Kyaw, a spokesperson of the United Nationalities Alliance told the CNI.

The coup of the junta is against the constitution they drafted while it lacks the abilities to govern the country, leading it to deterioration in all aspects.

He told the CNI, “Those who assumed to form the government have become oppositions, which have failed to establish legitimacy and show that they have the abilities to restore the power mandated to them by the people, which is the problem. As the coup leader has staged a coup in his own interests, he will never cave in to pressures on it. So, he would not correct his wrongs, the situation of the country will deteriorate gradually and the political system is heading towards collapse. As a result, the people will suffer. If the government wants to reverse the course, it is necessary for it to take the opposite direction.”

The police at a demonstration site in 2021. (The Frontier Myanmar)

He also added that the political landscape was likely to change if the federal union was established with the cooperation of the international community.

Col Saw Kyaw Nyunt, a spokesperson of the Peace Process Steering Team which was formed with seven signatories of the NCA, told the CNI that the current political and economic situation of the country was worrying.

He said, “All sectors including economic and political sectors not only in rural areas but also in urban areas are worrying. These economic crises and hardships directly affect the people. So, the PPST is worried about them. To overcome such crises, we are thinking of ways and means to resolve issues through dialogue but we are not able to implement them comprehensively.”

Anti-coup protests in 2021. (The Frontier Myanmar)

He also said that the conflicting sides should engage in negotiations to overcome the political and economic crises encountered by the people.

Myanmar had been encountering protests as well as the growing political and economic crises since the junta staged a coup on 1st February, 2022.

CNI News

17 August 2022

Myanmar migrant workers are underpaid and exploited in Thailand and some of them have lodged complaints about such practices, Ko Thar Gyi, a labour activist working for Myanmar workers in Thailand told the CNI.

They lodge complaints that they have a lot of trouble as they are paid about Baht 220 per day and are chiseled off from their overtime pay while being forced to rent their own accommodations because their employers fail to do so, he said.

“The have to spend all their wages. They earn Baht 220 a day and about Baht 6,000 a month. As their salaries are paid every fifteen days, they earn about Baht 3,000. There are some workers who earn about Baht 2,800. Baht 500 is cut off from each worker’s 15-day salary for their passports. So, they have to pay Baht 1,000 each month for their passports. So, they actually earn only about Baht 5,000 a month. Some of them may earn over Baht 4,000. Then, they have to rents, electricity bills and utility bills. Prices of goods have increased exponentially in Thailand. As a result, nothing is left to send back to their families,” he said.

He was underpaid and exploited, a worker, who has been working in a plywood factory for 10 years, told the CNI.

Although minimum wages for a worker are set between Baht 315 and Baht 330 per day from province to province, they are paid Baht 220 per day, Ma Marlar, a worker who is working in the plywood factory, told the CNI.

 Baht pink cards permitting migrant workers to work officially in Thailand.

“They said their factory was too small to pay such salaries and we requested them to pay us Baht 250 per day as goods were getting expensive. They refused to pay such wages and they raised the 15-day salaries of workers who regularly worked overtime by Baht 10 and those who did not by Baht 5,” she said.

Moreover, it is learnt that Myanmar workers are paid from Baht 25 to Baht 30 per hour for their overtime pay despite the overtime wage being set at Baht 55 per hour by the Thai government.

As they are entitled to basic salaries set by the Thai government as workers legally come to work in Thailand, they will fight for their rights in accordance with the law, Labour Activist Ko Thar Gyi told the CNI.

He said, “When they asked for my help, I contacted the factory, which said they could pay only Baht 220 per day and those who no longer wanted to work for them could leave their jobs. I am still trying to negotiate with them. If they continue to refuse to pay the basic salaries set by the Thai government, I will take legal action against them. If I sue the factory, it will have to repay compensations, which amount to two years’ wages. It will have to pay Baht 315 per day for each worker. I have taken such steps.”

Meanwhile, the Migrant Workers’ Rights Network and other organizations in Thailand have requested the Thai government to raise the basic salary of migrant workers including Myanmar nationals to Baht 492 per day.

However, the Ministry of Labour of Thailand said that it was impossible to pay all migrant workers Baht 492 per day as economic conditions of each province was different from others and would raise the basic salaries of migrant workers as of 1st January, 2023.

CNI News

17 August 2022

The ceremony to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the establishment of the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) is held today (August 16) at SSPP/SSA Headquarters Martyrs’ Mausoleum, Wan Hai village.

SSA was established in 1964, but the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) established in 1971. The first chairman of SSPP is Sao Say Lain, a Palaung.

At the present, SSPP/SSA is a Shan armed group that has signed a ceasefire agreement (Bilateral) with the government as the State Level – Union Level Initiative.

Similarly, SSPP also is a member of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) led by the United Wa State Army (UWSA).

CNI News

17 August 2022

SAC announced on August 16 that those who have attained political positions by serving in the second parliamentary term and 491 elected members of parliament were given political pensions.

It is stated in the announcement that the respective departments and parliamentary offices issued those who met the requirements to be entitled to the lump sum pension award for those who have obtained political positions by serving in the second parliamentary term as well as the elected parliament representatives.

These individuals are (9) Union level individuals; (50) region or state level persons; (152) members of parliament; (88) National Assembly representatives; (192) region or state representatives with a total of 491 individuals. SAC has stated that they have awarded these lump sum political pensions to the aforementioned individuals.

Announcement of SAC

It is reported that the total amount of the lump sum political pensions has added up to more than 4040 million kyats to date.

Those who received political pensions were 217 from the National League for Democracy Party၊ 5 from Pao National League Party၊ 6 from the Taung (Palang) National Party၊
98 from the Union Solidarity and Development Party၊ 43 from Shan Nationalities Democratic Party၊ 3 from Lisu National Development Party၊ 39 from Rakhine National Party၊ 4 from Kachin State Democratic Party၊ 4 from the Zomi Democratic League Party၊ 2 from the Mon National Party၊ 2 from Kokang Democracy and Unity Party၊ 1 from the New Democratic Party (Kachin).

Then, there were also 1 from the Karen People's Party၊ 1 from the Chin Democratic League Party၊ 1 from the Democratic Party (Myanmar)၊ 1 from the Mon Regional Democratic Party၊
1 from the Shan Ethnic Democratic Party၊ 1 from People's Pioneer Party၊ 1 from the National Unity Party၊ 1 from the "Wa" Democratic Party၊ 1 from the National Democratic Unity Party၊ 1 from Akha National Development Party၊ 1 from the Lahu National Development Party၊ 43 non-political parties၊ 13 individuals.

CNI News

17 August 2022

The Muse merchants reported said that there is a decreasing number of imports through China border due to the decline in the value of Myanmar kyat and the rise in the price of yuan.

In the beginning week of August, 1 Chinese yuan was only around 350 Myanmar kyats. However, the increase to 400 kyats this week has affected the importation processes including the fact that the number of imported cars from China to Myanmar is currently on the decrease, said the Vice President of Muse Rice Commodities U Min Thein to CNI news agency.

“Today, one Chinese yuan is about 415 Myanmar kyats. The ones on the line of exports have to send the goods abroad, earning foreign currency like exports to China. We are very lucky to be in this line of work. The importers who have to import goods back to Burma have to buy the goods with foreign currency. Purchases cannot be made with Myanmar Kyats. So, it was more difficult and inconvenient for them. About 50 cars could be imported previously but now only 30 cars can.”

Due to the rising exchange rate caused by the price of yuan that has been rising continuously these days, the price of the imported goods from China is also escalating, said the merchants.

Seeing a Chinese border trading post

As a result, some importation processes have come to a halt, subsequently leading to a shortage of goods, thereby negatively affecting the truckers who drive the freight goods, said a Muse truck driver Ko Thant Zin to CNI News Agency.

“We get about 3 / 4 times a month. There are also times when we get 4 / 5 / 6 times. But now it’s only once a month. There are also merchants who keep on going. Those who don’t see any profits stopped going. There are already many traders who do not go. If the flow of goods is disrupted, the difficulty is that freight cars will grind to a halt,” he said.

It is said that in addition to not having an increase in freight charges despite the rise in the price of yuan, the truckers are also facing an accelerating price of fuel.

According to traders, although the importers are facing difficulty due to the rise in the price of yuan, the situation is beneficial for exporters. Therefore, there are currently more truckers entering the export market of China.

Previously, there were only 10 to 15 cars per day in the export of rice and grain rice but there are almost 20 units entering now according to Muse rice commodity depot.

CNI News

16 August 2022

The Karen National Liberation Army raided a police station in Kawkareik in Kayin State, killing 12 members of security forces including a police major and arresting two others, the Karen National Union issued a statement on 15th August.

The two detained were a law officer and an office staff, according to the statement.

It also said that six weapons were seized during the fighting and the junta troops shot heavy weapon fires at the KNLA troops on their withdrawal, seriously injuring a civilian, according to the statement.

  A house damaged by heavy weapon fires during the fighting in Kawkareik. (CJ)

The KNU is one of the signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.

Currently, the EAC is conducting training for the PDF members of the Spring Revolution and joining forces with them.

CNI News

16 August 2022

The Karen National Union issued a statement saying no other organizations would be permitted to set up administrative mechanisms in areas controlled by it.

KNU Brigade-1 (Thaton District) issued the statement prohibiting organizational activities that fail to comply with rules and regulation of the KNU such as incitement of political differences and misunderstanding among the public by any organizations and endangering public security and rights.

Similarly, KNU Brigade-3 denied the news reports about opening a PDF clinic in Ywakantlant Village, Warhtoesike Village Tract in Kyaukkyi Township and that it was providing medical services and training to village youths.

Any organizations that intend to do something in Kyaukkyi Administrative areas are required to seek approvals from the relevant township authorities and to carry out their activities in accordance with rules and regulations of the KNU.

  The statement of the KNU.

It is necessary to solve the problems through the negotiations with the National Unity Government, Political Analyst U Than Soe Naing told the CNI.

U Than Soe Naing told the CNI, “It is difficult to assess the situation on the ground as I don’t know much about what happened there. However, the PDF and the EAOs are organizations that will have to cooperate for the Spring Revolution. It is sad that disagreement and conflicts broke out between the two. The way to solve the problems is through the NUG and to prevent armed conflicts. I will have to say just that.”

 The statement of the KNPP.

He added that the two organizations are alliances for the Spring Revolution, unity between them is important for the revolution.

The Karenni National Progressive Party had to lodge a protest against the NUG in April, 2022, when its Ministry of Home Affairs formed administrative bodies in Kayah State.

Armed conflicts have broken out between the alliance of the KNLA and the PDF and the junta while the alliance between the KA, the armed wing of the KNPP, and local PDFs are fighting the Tatmadaw.

The KNU is one of the signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.