CNI News

15 August 2022 

Lieutenant Colonel Sai Mein, the translator of Chairman General Yawd Sit, of Restoration Council of Shan State / Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), passed away today (August 15), confirmed by RCSS. 

Lieutenant Colonel Sai Mein not only was RCSS’s spokesperson but also accompanied General Yawd Sit in his domestic and foreign trips and took on the role of translation.

 He passed away from liver disease in Nakornping hospital, Mae Rim District, Chaing Mai Province, today (August 15) at 3:00 AM.

CNI News

15 August 2022

Due to the closure of the waterways running to Chin State Palattwa Township and Kyauktaw City in Rakhine State by authorities starting from August 1^st, the commercial flow of goods was disconnected entailing the situation where they cannot afford to buy some food items including rice as well as fuel due to their skyrocketing prices. 

In August, clashes broke out between the Myanmar Army and the Rakhine Army. Due to tension, access to Kyauktaw and Paletwa seas is now closed and Palattwa residents said that rice and other commodities could not be purchased due to rising prices, said Ko Khin Kyaw to CNI news agency. 

Ko Khin Kyaw said, “One ordinary bag of rice costs 120,000. We can’t even buy that. It’s 40,000 before the closure of that road (Kyauktaw – Palattwa waterway). Now that the road is closed, we can’t even buy it for 120,000. You can’t even buy one egg with 1000. One liter of oil can’t even be bought for 10,000. 

The Paletwa residents have frequently faced the current price hike and shortage of goods but this time was made all the more difficult, said the locals. 

Seeing residents from Shin Lewa village, Palattwa Township.

In the previous battles, although the water route was closed, the land transportation had been opened. The relief groups had come and made donations and the freight goods were also allowed, so it was not this difficult. 

Since both the waterway and land routes are closed at the present, the Palattwa region is in a more vulnerable situation, said an official from the Chin State Chamber of Commerce. 

He said to CNI News Agency., “Last year, this kind of thing only happened in Palattwa. Because there is Sami town on the side of Sami – Min Tu – Hakha. The rescue forces have arrived there. Before, the other side was open. The Hakha – Min Tat – Matupi – Hakha road is open. They can receive rescue equipment there. But now the situation is terrible since all the roads on both sides are closed.

 If the flow of goods continues to be closed like this, the residents in the Paletwa Township and the Matupi Township may have health problems within two weeks and they are worried that there can be famine.

Seeing the Kelantan River.

The Chin State Chamber of Commerce is trying to transport and sell rice and other goods by entering into discussions with the respective authorities to get permissions, said an official from the Chin State Chamber of Commerce to CNI news agency. 

He said, “We, as merchants, will try as hard as we can. We will deliberate with SAC. After deliberation, we will make purchases possible in Palattwa just like they are possible in Yangon and other regions. Leave those things to us. We are trying to get permission to carry how many bags from here to there, sell how many bags in Sami and Palattwa.” 

It is reported that the Paletwa residents who are in Rakhine due to the closure of Kyauktaw and Palattwa waterways are still stranded in Rakhine with no way to return. 

There is a battle between the Tatmadaw and the Rakhine Army (AA) during August in Palattwa Township in Chin State and Maungdaw Township in Rakhine State, said the AA spokesperson U Khaing Thukha at the press conference on August 11.

CNI News

15 August 2022 

Win and Zaw should be eligible for royal pardon of more than 100,000 prisoners to mark the birthdays of Thai king and his mother queen, Executive Director U Htoo Chit of the Foundation for Education Development told the CNI.

“In the past, prisoners were granted sentence reduction by half or certain numbers of years. The two should be eligible for royal pardon and I hope they will be. We cannot tell what type of sentence reduction they will be granted. If the Thai government believes that they behave properly in prison, they should be granted sentence reduction even if they are not released or acquitted. Like other prisoners, their sentences should be reduced by at least one-third, five years or ten years,” he said.

Out of more than 100,000 prisoners pardoned by the Thai king, about 80,000 prisoners received sentence reduction and more than 20,000 will be released on parole.

Win and Zaw have been in prison since 2014 after being charged with murder on resort island of Koh Tao, southern Thailand. It is still unclear whether the two were granted sentence reduction, U Htoo Chit told the CNI.

Win and Zaw being brought to court for trial.

“However hard they try, they will be in distress in the prison for their families and their future. I am worried about it. The government can offer effective help to them by discussing the case with the Thai government. This can lead to reduction of their prison terms significantly,” he added.

Migrant workers Win and Zaw were detained in September 2014 for rape and murder of British tourists, Hanna and David Miller on resort island of Koh Tao in Thailand.

They were sentenced to death in 2015 but the Thai king commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment on 14th August 2020.

The two behave properly in prison but they were not eligible for royal pardons frequently granted in Thailand.

Currently, their families are trying to visit them with the assistance of the FED and the Wunlet Foundation in Rakhine State.

CNI News

15 August 2022

Highway bus services are encountering a situation which forces them to suspend operations if authorities continue to ban parcel transportation, according to owners of highway bus services.

It was learnt that authorities had banned parcel transportation on highway buses running between Yangon and other states and regions for security reasons, highway bus service owners said.

Currently, highway bus services had to rely on parcel transportation as the number of passengers has decreased to only one-third of previous levels. So, all highway bus services will be forced to suspend their operations if parcel transportation is prohibited further, an incharge of a highway bus service in Aung Mingalar Highway Bus Terminal, told the CNI.

 Inspection of parcels on highway buses. (GETTY IMAGES)

He said, “How can we survive? The number of passengers has dropped to one-third or 30 percent of previous levels. Highway buses managed to survive with only a few passengers because they earned from parcel transportation. Sometimes, there were only three to five passengers on a highway bus. It costs about MMK 2 million to operate a trip with higher fuel prices. If we are not allowed to transport parcels, we cannot survive.”

Highway bus services based at Aung Mingalar Highway Bus Terminal, Dagon Ayar Highway Bus Terminal and Aung San Stadium Highway Bus Terminal have never been permitted to carry out parcel transportation and they are allowed to transport luggages carried by passengers, according to Yangon Region Public Transport Committee.

Although parcel transportation is not officially permitted, the committee was not able to prohibit it effectively but the restrictions were imposed for security reasons, said Lyan Cin Mang, the joint secretary of the YRTC.

Aung Mingalar Highway Bus Terminal. (Myanmar Time)

He said, “Highway bus services have never been permitted to carry out parcel transportation. Their business licenses were issued for transportation not of parcels but of passengers. They are allowed to transport luggages carried by passengers. However, they were not told not to do so in the past. Now, percel transportation is prohibited for security reasons by security authorities not by the YRTC. This has nothing to do with the YRTC,” he told the CNI.

Highway bus services are also facing difficulties as no instructions were issued for parcel transportation through checkpoints in other towns.

If authorities do not permit highway bus services to carry out parcel transportation, the public will have to use freight transportation services in Bayintnaung Freight Terminal and other freight trucks.

CNI News

15 August 2022

If federal democracy is to be established in Myanmar, restrictions about meetings with foreign organizations on political parties should not be imposed, Chairman Dr. Aye Maung of the Arakan Front Party told the CNI.

He added that political parties are entities that will take over government functions and enacting financial laws can regulate political parties.

Dr. Aye Maung said, “It is necessary for political parties to get used to diplomatic relations because they are entities that will take over the functions of the government one day. So, they are trying to get used to diplomatic relations by meeting with foreign diplomats and exchanging views with them because they need to sound them out about their aims and views. They need to study “dos and don’ts”. So, restrictions of meetings, discussions and exchange of views with foreign entities should not be imposed on political parties. As I just said, enacting financial laws to regulate political parties can prevent pulling the strings behind the scene.”

The UEC holds a meeting with political parties

The Union Election Commission sent a letter to political parties on 11th August that they are required to seek prior approvals from it before meeting with foreign entities and individuals as they may violate provisions of the paragraph 5 of the law concerned.

It is a matter that should take the positions of both sides into consideration, Chairman Mahn Aung Pyi Soe of Karen National Democratic Party told the CNI.

Mahn Aung Pyi Soe said, “It is a matter that needs to take the positions of both sides into account. We see ourselves as civilian independent organizations of the people. We will have to look into the consideration of the government and what are the problems. We will have to take the middle path.”

The UEC meets political parties.

It is necessary for the SAC to give freedom to political parties when it faces political, military and diplomatic crises, said Dr. Aye Maung.

The UEC has permitted 92 political parties including 43 parties of political ideologies, 19 parties of ethnic groups and 30 regional parties, according to the UEC.

CNI News

15 August 2022

The Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw vowed to create a federal union where all ethnic groups can live together with equality and justice in a message sent to the 72nd Anniversary of the Karen Martyrs’ Day on 12th August.

The CRPH said in the message, “As the people in the entire country have unitedly resisted the military dictatorship which has oppressed them for many years, Karen people have continued its fight against the military dictatorship together with other ethnic groups by sacrificing their lives.”

“On behalf of the entire people, the CRPH would like to thank Karen people at home and abroad by expressing that their warm welcome and protection offered to friendly political and revolutionary forces from all social strata of the anti-coup movement amount to a push for the victory of the revolution.”

A statue of Saw Ba U Gyi.

 “Karen people have been fighting for freedom, equality and self-determination for Karen State for more than 70 years and today is the Karen Martyrs’ Day annually celebrated in honour of fallen Saw Ba U Gyi and all other Karen martyrs who had fought consistently for Karen people’s freedom from oppression.”

It has been 72 years since the Karen Martyrs’ Days was first celebrated on 12th August in 1950, when Saw Ba U Gyi, a leader of the Karen Revolution, died.

CNI News

14 August 2022

No other armed organizations except the Arakan Army are needed in Rakhine State, Arakan Army Spokesperson Khaing Thukha said during a press conference on 11th August.

He said the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army aimed to achieve confederation status and hinted that it would allow no revolutionary forces except the ULA/AA in Rakhine State.

This raised questions on how the SAC and the NUG view the confederation demands by ethnic armed organizations.

The NUG was not able to handle the confederation demands of EAOs currently, Political Analyst U Than Soe Naing told the CNI.

U Than Soe Ning said, “I don’t think this serves the interests of Rakhine people. If fundamental democratic rights and equality are guaranteed for Rakhine people, the ULA/AA should not take such attitudes. I have to say it is inappropriate for the ULA/AA to have such attitudes because it is an undemocratic approach.”

Leaders of the AA and the ALP.

Similarly, a new constitution cannot be drafted as points of view of important political forces such as the National League for Democracy and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Win Myint cannot be known.

The AA hinted that it demanded the confederation status and vowed to continue its struggle if they are denied their lawful rights, Rakhine Politician U Pe Than told the CNI.

U Pe Than said, “They demanded confederation status and said anyone who rejects the confederation concept is their enemy. The chief of staff of the AA had said the confederation status was the only solution they could accept and would continue to fight if they were denied their rights. So, I understand that they can accept only the confederation status.”

He added that the junta and the NUG were not likely to accept the demand and would have to negotiate too hard.

A road junction in Rakhine State.

The demand for confederation aggravates the current problems, Director U Thein Tun Oo of the Centre for Strategic Studies told the CNI.

U Thein Tun Oo said, “Frankly speaking, the term confederation is likely to cause problems for peace in Rakhine State because a lot of bargains had to be made even to reach an agreement on federalism. Confederation goes far beyond federalism. It is a bit much to call for rights to confederation. I think it will be difficult and will worsen the problems.”

ULA/AA Chief of Staff once said that they would prefer self-administration status similar to Wa Self-administered zone in Shan State.

Currently, junta troops and border guards forces, the ULA/AA forces, the ALP force and ARSa are active in Rakhine State.

CNI News

13 August 2022 

In Lashio, Northern Shan State, Myanmar, as the fuel station said today (August 13) morning that a person can fill up an amount worth of 30,000 MMK, there had been a long queue of cars waiting to fuel.

Lashio residents who had to wait to fill up said that the price of octane 92 per liter today (August 13) is 2470 MMK. 

Currently, with the increasing demand for fuel in Myanmar, the price of the fuel also hiked up to above 2000 MMK.

CNI News

13 August 2022

Amidst wars between Myanmar Army and Local People’s Defence Force (LPDF) in Shwe Bo District, Sagaing Region, Myanmar going on these days, the residents and strike committees cooperated, and anti-dictatorship strike movement was made in DePaYinGaMyay (Depayin) township today (August 13).

 Monywa general strike committee released a statement that Monywa main strike joined that peoples’ protest. 

Currently, there has been fights between Myanmar military and People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) in townships such as Shwe Bo,Depayin, Yinmabin and Kalay, Sagaing Region.