7th April, 2021, #day66

 

Tahan Protesters, who have been widely praised for launching an armed resistance against the junta, were violently cracked down today. These protesters of Kalay township had been defending their stronghold since March 27 with their handmade rifles and even did prisoners exchange with the junta. Both agreed to a ceasefire until 10 am today, but hundreds of troops attacked the protesters' stronghold at 5 am with machine guns and grenades, local media reported. Locals told the media that at least 12 people have been killed and five seriously injured. The dead included three civilians unrelated to the protest, according to Chin World media. Detainees were blindfolded, hands tied to back, and beaten by the junta’s troops. At present, soldiers are inspecting door to door and some houses have been burglarized. Residents of Kalay are reportedly fleeing their homes. About 17 people have been killed in Kalay since the coup.

The Irrawaddy reports that there were seven bomb blasts in Yangon’s Dagon, Sanchaung, and Pansodan townships today. Blasts happened near public offices and military post, but no one was injured. Locals told the Mizzima news that it was not possible for the protesters to detonate the bombs as they did not have any materials to make one and claimed that the soldiers are behind these incidents since they always try to defame the ongoing protests. The state-run MRTV reported that Aye Thaw Kaung, who lives in Bahan township and a supporter of the NLD, was arrested for shooting at the American Centre on March 27. He used a CO2 gas pistol which he had bought online for 19,000 lakhs (US $ 1.3 m). His intention was to cause political turmoil between the US and Myanmar, the state media reported. Netizens wrote that the man is the owner of the famous Shwe Pazun bakery and claimed that buying an air gun for 190,000 lakhs is not realistic and that it was a deliberate ploy by the junta.

Some private banks are operating after closing for weeks since the coup. According to the Central Bank's directive, a person can only withdraw 500,000 kyat (US$ 350) a day, which is later reduced to 300,000. However, according to the BBC, local banks, including KBZ Bank, limit maximum withdrawal to 200,000 kyats a day, up to 20 million a week, and businesses can only withdraw a maximum of 200 million a week. As a result, an illegal money transfer service has emerged, taking 3% of remittances. The value of the kyat in Myanmar has been steadily declining, reaching a record high of 14 lakh kyats ($ 950) per 16.6 grams of gold, according to Myanmar Now. The World Bank’s forecast on March 26 indicate that Myanmar's economy would now be projected to shrink by 10 percent although it is expected to grow by 5.9 percent before the coup.

Some officials from the Triangle Command under the military council did training for army combat medics held at the UWSA headquarter in Wan Hong, southern Shan State, according to Shan News. The UWSA is the most powerful ethnic armed group and its leaders are infamous for their involvement in the drug trade. When the DVB asked the liaison officer of the UWSA South about the current situation, he refused to comment but expressed his condolences to the victims. The EurAsian Times reports that the junta has received the Pantsir-S1 air defence system from Russia. The junta has been buying various weapons from Russia since 2000s.