YANGON, Myanmar – Kayin internally displaced people are desperate for food, clothing and shelter, hiding in the forest from the air strikes of the Myanmar military.
The IDPs fled to neighboring Thailand, but Thai government turned them back. However, Wednesday morning the Thai government opened Maeseli jetty in Maehaungsaung district to sending rations and medicines over the border to Kayin state, according to a Thai media.
By Htay Win
YANGON, Myanmar – The fighter jets shelled the headquarters of Kayin National Union, located in Mutayaw district, and one house was burnt down, resulting in civilian casualties, according to the Kayin Information Center.
After the air strike, 2000 local people fled to neighboring Thailand to take the shelter, but Thailand’s government deported them back to Myanmar.
Earlier this week, the fifth regiment of the insurgents captured the Themuhtar base of the Myanmar military.
Kayin National Union, one of the armed ethnic groups in Myanmar, has been fighting for self-determination under rights set out in international law.
By Htay Win
Photo credit KNC
Dozens of civilians and an unknown number of military deaths, some by decapitation, were reported by Human Rights Watch, as communications have been shut off in the strategic town of Palma since al-Shabab insurgents attacked the town from three directions Wednesday. The renewed violence affects the fate of the liquefied natural gas project by the French energy company Total.
About 200 foreign workers who sought refuge at the Hotel Amarula along Palma’s beach have become the targets of insurgent attacks while others trying to reach the hotel were reported killed. Locals have taken to the dense forests outside town to outrun the rebels. Palma is near the border with Tanzania.
Mozambique’s defense and security forces are “working tirelessly to re-establish security and order as fast as possible,” said the Ministry of Defense through a spokesman, adding they will “do everything to guarantee the security” of the local population and of “economic projects.”
Total has issued a statement indicating it has suspended all its operations in the Afungi peninsula and that none of its staff at the site were victims of the attack. “Total trusts the government of Mozambique whose public security forces are currently working to take back the control of the area.”
Al-Shabab already holds Mocimboa da Praia, a town 31 miles south of Palma since their victory there in August. They have no known connections to Somalia’s jihadist rebels of the same name.
By Milan Sime Martinic
YANGON, Myanmar – Protesters cursed the military coup leader, Min Aung Hlaing, in temples and pagodas, specifically that the military wouldn’t be successful in the coup against the will of the people.
They also prayed for their fallen heroes in what they consider to be the democratic struggle for control of Myanmar.
So far, a total death toll has reached 270 throughout Myanmar, including casualties in Bagan when security forces dispersed the crowd with live rounds.
In ancient times, the people in Bagan cursed those who destroyed the pagodas and temples they built. With thousands of temples and pagodas in the same place, Bagan is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Myanmar.
By Htay Win
Photo credit Aye Yarwaddy
Detonations lasted from dawn to late afternoon, says the mayor of Arauquita, in the southwestern Venezuelan states of Apure, reporting “a significant number of injured and dead.”
President Maduro reported the incident without offering other details, but it was reported by AFP that an exiled general said it was an attack on a camp of dissidents from Colombia’s FARC disbanded rebel group.
By Milan Sime Martinic
YANGON, Myanmar – Regiment 5 of the Karen National Union has blocked the logistics of the Myanmar military in one of the military’s controlled areas.
The Myanmar military transported 500 bags of rice and edible oil from the Thailand side of the border due to how difficult it was for them to carry the rations from the Myanmar side where the KNU blockade is.
“At this time, the Myanmar military usually carries their military rations, but this year we don’t allow them to carry them because of the military coup,” said an official from the KNU.
Recently, the Karen National Union has declared autonomy in their controlled area, where it has fought for self-determination for more than six decades.
The Karen National Union is a signatory of Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
By Htay Win
YANGON, Myanmar – Two hundred internally displaced people from Ingyan Yan area of Kachin state fled to Myikyina, the capital of Kachin state, on March 20 due to military reinforcement of both opposing armed forces after recent clashes.
The Kachin Independent Army conducted an attack on the Myanmar military near Gway Htaung village of Ingyan Yan area, which is not far from the dam project of the Chinese government, on March 16. Both forces exchanged artillery fire until midnight.
In recent years, there has existed a ceasefire between the two groups, but they restarted active operations after the military coup. The Kachin Independent Army is a non-signatory of Nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA).
By Htay Win
Photo credit Kachinwaves
The International Commission on Missing Persons estimates that the conflict in Syria that started as part of the Arab Spring 10 years ago has disasppeared Syrians and foreigners in Syria at the rate of about 10K per year. Many of the missing were said to be along migratory routes, Mediterranean crossings, and areas where they are preyed upon by criminal enterprises.
By Milan Sime Martinic
JUBA, South Sudan – The South Sudan civil society forum has said that several internally displaced persons and refugees in neighboring countries are fearing to return to their homes because of delay in implementing the revitalized peace deal.
“Lack of plans by the government, looming insecurity and poor services continue to discourage IDPs and refugees from returning home,” said a statement issued by South Sudan Civil Society forum on Monday in Juba.
According to UN agencies, close to one million people are living in IDP camps in the country.
These people were displaced in the aftermath of violence that broke out in December 2013 and renewed violence in July 2016 that displaced thousands in Central, Eastern and Western Equatoria states respectively.
“A comprehensive national plan to facilitate and support repatriation, rehabilitation and resettlement of internally displaced persons and returnees in a voluntary and dignified manner has to be developed,” according to the forum.
It also expressed deep concern over slow implementation of the security arrangement that includes training and unification of the army.
South Sudan is supposed to complete training and unification of 83,000 estimated force to take charge of security during the transitional period before elections are held around 2023.
“The 2018 agreement provided for restoration of permanent and sustainable peace, security and stability in our country envisaged through training, graduation and deployment of national unified forces to take charge of security. Sadly, there is little progress to report on this front,” it said.
By Benjamin Takpiny