The Myanmar Junta is extending its state of emergency an additional six months in what appears to be a bid to have to avoid facing elections. The junta took over after Aung San Suu Kyi won the election in 2021. She was arrested February 1, 2021, and has been imprisoned ever since.
The announcement comes at the same time as the junta lost a military base near the border with China, which is the northeastern command located in the city of Lashio, which is in the Shan State. The junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, made the announcement as he also accused “foreign countries” of providing arms to the junta, saying, “We need to investigate where these [drone] factories are getting their funds and technological support from.”
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Excerpt from The Irrawaddy
China Advised to Pick Friends More Wisely in Myanmar After Schmoozing With Junta
China will be unable to solve the crisis in Myanmar by holding talks with “untrustworthy” military dictators, U Kyaw Zaw, the spokesman of the President’s Office of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) told The Irrawaddy.
He made the comment following the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Myanmar last week.
Wang visited Naypyitaw on August 14, holding talks with junta boss Min Aung Hlaing, the junta’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Than Swe as well as former military dictator Than Shwe.
During the meeting with the coup leader, Wang said China opposes chaos or conflict in Myanmar as well as any remarks that attempt to sow discord in China-Myanmar relations.
China hopes “Myanmar finds a path to long-term peace and stability,” he said.
His visit coincided with a string of humiliating defeats of Myanmar’s military in northern Shan State, Mandalay Region and Rakhine State.
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Excerpt from The Irrawaddy
Myanmar Junta Troops ‘Cornered’ in Two Northern Shan Townships
Heavy fighting is ongoing between Myanmar junta troops and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA)-led forces in the neighboring townships of Nawnghkio and Hsipaw, northern Shan State, according to residents and resistance forces.
Clashes erupted around Nawnghkio Township’s Taung Khan and Mat Man Taw villages on Sunday, said the TNLA, a member of the ethnic Brotherhood Alliance.
A junta Y-12 transport plane dropped at least 20 bombs on Nawnghkio Township hotspots on Sunday alone, according to the TNLA’s statement.
Fighting around the two villages continued on Monday, residents said.
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Excerpt from news.google.com
Myanmar’s military regime extends state of emergency by 6 months as civil war rages
The military regime that seized power in Myanmar 3 1/2 years ago extended a state of emergency in the civil war-wracked country for another six months, saying Wednesday it needs time to prepare for long-promised elections.
The state of emergency was initially declared when troops ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021, arresting her and members of her National League for Democracy party.
The emergency decree empowers the military to assume all government functions, giving the head of the ruling military council, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, legislative, judicial and executive powers.
At the moment, the military regime is facing its greatest challenge since taking power. Powerful ethnic minority militias and people’s defense forces that support Myanmar’s main opposition have taken wide swaths of territory in fierce fighting in recent months.
The military is now estimated to control less than half the country, but is holding on tenaciously to much of central Myanmar, including the capital, Naypyidaw, which was recently targeted by small rocket attacks and two bombings.
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Excerpt from news.google.com
Myanmar Rebels Claim Regional Military Base in Major Victory
A rebel army in Myanmar announced this weekend that it had overrun a regional military base near the border with China in what is likely to be the most significant victory yet for a patchwork of resistance groups that have challenged the country’s junta.
On Monday, Myanmar’s military rulers signaled that the insurgents had, in fact, made a major advance, saying the junta had lost contact with the base, the northeastern command in the city of Lashio in Shan State.
The junta leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, said in a speech later Monday that security forces had withdrawn in northern Shan State because they were “prioritizing the safety of the people.” He said the rebels were getting weapons and other supplies, including drones and short-range missiles, from “foreign countries,” which he didn’t identify. Some arms and ammunition were coming from factories just across the China-Myanmar border, he said.
“We need to investigate where these factories are getting their funds and technological support from,” the military leader said.
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Excerpt from news.google.com
Myanmar Rebels Capture Key Junta Base, Commanders Detained
Bangkok, Aug 5 (EFE).- A powerful Myanmar guerrilla said Monday it had taken complete control of the Lashio military base, headquarters of the military junta in the northeast of the country, in one of the biggest rebel forces victories since the 2021 coup.
The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army said it completely took over the base Sunday, along with other allied forces against the junta, the northeast region headquarters. It also captured three senior army commanders, including a major general, a milestone for the rebels.
The prisoners are Gen. Soe Tint, Brigade Chief Thant Htin Soe and Brigade Chief Myo Min Htwe, captured alive and with whom the military junta has acknowledged losing contact since Saturday.
According to the statement, on the morning of Aug. 3, the entire military headquarters of the Northeast Region, called Ramakha and based in Lashio, in conflict-ridden Shan State, was attacked and captured by joint rebel forces.
During the battle, both sides fought and thousands of people, including members of the Myanmar army and their families, surrendered, although the exact number is unknown.
