8th May, 2021 #day97

 

The NUG government will do its utmost to seek justice for the dead, arrested and tortured, rather than negotiating with the junta, the NUG Vice President asserted in his today’s speech. He thanked the people who opposed the junta and promised that fallen heroes will always be remembered. He added that the government appreciated the effort of the ASEAN but negotiation with the terrorist is not the will of the people. The junta toady has suspended 136 professors and lecturers from Mawlamyaing (Moulmein) Technological University and Mawlamyaing University and 619 teachers from Yadanarbon University in Mandalay. Teachers, like health workers, are one of the most active group of professionals in CDM, and now thousands of teachers have been fired across the country.

CDM Major Hein Thaw Oo, who served in the 99th Division in Meikthila township, is training young people to take up arms against the junta on the border, Myanmar Now reported. "We need to take up arms to wage a just war, and if we believe we are on the side of justice, we will have to work hard and confront the military council at any time," he said. He did not mention the number of young people attending the training, but after the coup, hundreds of urban protesters reportedly went to the Myanmar-Thai border to attend basic military training.

The Chinland Defence Force (Hakha) announced that the CDF-Hakha seized a military base in Surkhua, Hakha Township, Chin State at around 11 am this morning. As many as 15 members of the junta fled the area, weapons were confiscated, and documents were burned, the CDF wrote on its Facebook page . According to the photos, several young people including a female member in plainclothes with hunting rifles involved in the attack. Since the May 2 shooting, at least 10 soldiers were killed in Hakha Township. The CDF Kanpalet, Chin State, has issued a warning to the junta troops not to threaten CDM civil servants, to avoid carrying weapons in public, and not to interrogate or monitor civilians. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action by the CDF (Kanpalet), the statement said.

Thousands of locals from Kani Township, Sagaing Region are fleeing their villages due to the heavy artillery shelling, according to Myanmar Now. They need emergency humanitarian assistance as many of them are living in the forest and open fields. Locals confirmed to Khit Thit Media that houses in Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region were destroyed by the junta troops on May 7 and looted gold, silver, and mobile phones. Social media users have complained that members of the military are seen using new mobile phones and driving new motorcycles stolen from the public.

The military council guarantees that banks can be trusted to deposit money. However, people are trying to withdraw their deposits on a daily basis. KBZ Bank has announced that it will only allow only 200,000 kyats (USD 130) per person per day. The Central Bank under the military council also announced on May 7 that it has reduced the minimum reserve requirement (MRR) for private banks from 5 percent to 3 percent. This change indicates that banks do not have enough currency due to massive withdrawal and a stalled economy, businessmen told Khit Thit Media. The Irrawaddy also reported that the appointment of Lt. Gen. Moe Myint Tun, a confidant of coup leader Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, as chairman of the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC), has left many businessmen worried that the banks will collapse, and the economy will deteriorate further.

Colonel Saw Chit Thu, leader of the Karen State-based Border Guard Force, said on May 6 that the BGF would not attack the KNU's 5th Brigade as they would avoid conflict between Karens. The KNU earlier said that tensions are high due to the influx of more than 500 BGF troops into Brigade 5 area. The BGF also known as Saw Chit Thu’s army broke away from the KNU and transformed into a border guard force under the military. There are rumours speculating on social media that chemical bombs were being used by the junta’s fighter jets on Kachin State’s front lines. A spokesman for the KIA, Colonel Naw Bu, told Myanmar Now that the KIA is investigating this speculation.