27th May, 2021 #day116

Threats and assassinations have frightened junta-appointed local administrators and the junta troops across the country. According to Myanmar Now, eight bombs exploded in Yangon’s Thaketa Township alone and Phone Ngwe, a well-known military informer, was shot dead by three gunmen near his home yesterday. No group has claimed responsibility for the shooting, and the junta has not made any arrests. At least 10 local administrators have been assassinated since the coup, and many are now frightened and reluctant to come to their offices, Myanmar Now reported. 

Four KIA soldiers were killed during a failed raid at the resident of local militia leader Min Zin Thant in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, at around 3:30 pm on 26 May, DVB reported. According to locals, the militia leader is working with the junta and is reportedly involved in drug trafficking and extortion from illegal gold mining. According to the KNU, there were 193 clashes between KNU and junta troops in May, killing at least 128 members of the junta. Two of KNU members were killed and nine wounded, and one civilian was also killed and five wounded in the clashes.

According to the NUG, 73 children under the age of 18 have been killed by the junta troops since the coup. The dead included 63 boys, nine girls and one unidentified gender. According to Chin World, Chin surgeon Dr Za Chhinga lost one of his eyes due to junta troops’ shootings on May 26 while driving to the staff quarters from the Magway teaching hospital. Alfred Luudu and Patrick Boe Reh, two youths assisting displaced civilians in Demoso, Karenni State, were shot dead on May 27. Khit Thit Media reports that the junta troops shot them while they were transporting foods to IDPs.

Thai police seized a large quantity of ammunitions and guns, including 14 rifles and 13 pistols, destined for Myanmar in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province on the Thai-Myanmar border, Irrawaddy reported. There have been speculations that these weapons could be linked to drug gangs in the Golden Triangle near the China-Myanmar border, but some Myanmar netizens commented that Thailand government should not arrest them and send them to rebel groups fighting the junta. Some commented that the Thai police are so corrupt that weapons being seized are less than 10 percent of the weapons actually being smuggled.

After disputing who to represent Myanmar at the World Health Organization (WHO)’s 74th World Health Assembly, the WHO excluded both the NUG and the junta from the conference. Both sides earlier submitted applications for the right to represent the country at the conference, Irrawaddy reported. The NUG welcomed the WHO’s decision not to allow the junta to attend. Referring to a statement from Netblock, DVB reports that the country economy is losing more than $ 24 million a day due to internet outages. According to the Nikkei Asia, the junta has sent a whitelist with more than 1,200 online pages and domains to internet service providers and telecommunication companies. The list does not include several online applications and pages, including Facebook and Twitter, meaning access to these sites will be banned soon.