Situation Update On Burma (July 27, 2022)
Situation Update On Burma (July 27, 2022)
On July 25, the military junta announced the execution of four political prisoners namely Ko Jimmy, Phyo Zayar Thaw, Hla Myo Aung, and Aung Thura Zaw. Ko Jimmy was a 52-year-old political activist, a writer, and a veteran of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. Phyo Zayar was a former Member of Parliament of the National League for Democracy (NLD). He was also a pro-democracy activist, a well-known rap artist, and a member of Acid, a pioneering Burmese hip-hop band. Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw were protest leaders and citizen journalists and were allegedly charged by the junta under the counter-terrorism law. These executions were the first in more than 30 years and were carried out discreetly on July 24. Their families have been denied the return of their bodies. On July 26, junta spokesperson, Zaw Min Tun, told the press that the executions that were carried out were “justice for the people” and defended the executions claiming that those executed were “criminals.” ...

Situation Update On Burma (July 27, 2022)

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Published on July 27, 2022

  • Political Developments
    • On July 25, the military junta announced the execution of four political prisoners namely Ko Jimmy, Phyo Zayar Thaw, Hla Myo Aung, and Aung Thura Zaw. Ko Jimmy was a 52-year-old political activist, a writer, and a veteran of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. Phyo Zayar was a former Member of Parliament of the National League for Democracy (NLD). He was also a pro-democracy activist, a well-known rap artist, and a member of Acid, a pioneering Burmese hip-hop band. Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw were protest leaders and citizen journalists and were allegedly charged by the junta under the counter-terrorism law. These executions were the first in more than 30 years and were carried out discreetly on July 24. Their families have been denied the return of their bodies. On July 26, junta spokesperson, Zaw Min Tun, told the press that the executions that were carried out were “justice for the people” and defended the executions claiming that those executed were “criminals.” 
    • As of July 26, 113 people have been sentenced to death by the junta since the coup. A local media reported that the junta is preparing to execute another 41 political prisoners.
  • Ground Situation
  • As of July 26, 2022, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Burmese human rights advocacy organization, reported that 2,123 individuals have been killed. AAPP also reported that 14,883 individuals have been arrested and 11,795 individuals are still detained by the Burmese military since the coup.
  • On July 25, inmates at the Insein Prison staged a protest over the execution of the four political prisoners over the weekend. Protestors were physically abused by the prison guards and soldiers. 
  • Testimonies from junta defectors revealed the junta’s atrocious crimes against civilians since the coup last year. Revelations include extreme forms of violence against people including sexual violence, torture, and killings by the junta forces. 
  • Nearly 100 junta soldiers were injured or killed in clashes with anti-junta forces in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Kachin and Shan states on July 21 and 22. 
  • On July 19, an ambush by a group of local resistance forces in Myinmu Township in Sagaing Region killed at least 17 junta soldiers. The resistance forces reported that the junta convoy was carrying around 100 reinforcements to nearby townships.
  • On July 18, junta soldiers burned seven people alive and shot three others in a raid against a predominantly Muslim village in Sagaing Region. The junta forces also burned down around 500 homes during the raid. 
  • In recent weeks, the junta troops in Rakhine State have been arresting civilians and conducting raids after clashes with the Arakan Army (AA) on July 18.
  • International Responses
    • Since July 25, international actors, including the United States, European Union, United Nations, and the international community, have condemned the military junta for the executions of four democracy advocates. ASEAN Chair, Cambodia, expressed dismay over the execution. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price called on China to pressure the junta. A joint multi-country statement described the executions as “reprehensible acts of violence that further exemplify the regime’s disregard for human rights and the rule of law.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the release of “all arbitrarily detained prisoners, including President Win Myint and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi.”
    • On July 22, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected objections to the genocide case of the Rohingya, allowing for the case to continue. The junta expressed disappointment at the rejection and argued that the ICJ has “no jurisdiction in the matter.” However, the NUG supported the court’s decision to reject all objections in Gambia’s case of genocide against Burma.
    • On July 22, a US Embassy spokesperson said a US citizen is being detained by the junta. No additional details were given on the individual. Burma has been labeled as a detention risk country (alongside China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela). 
  • Business and Economy
    • Reuters reported that Burma’s last foreign telecom operator, Ooredoo, has indicated its intention to exit the market. 
    • On July 21, the junta-controlled Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) ordered local banks to buy up the remaining US dollars held by businesses and individuals by the end of that day. This is part of CBM’s mandatory current conversion policy launched in April this year. This restriction and official red tape are also disrupting border trades with China and Thailand. 
    • World Bank’s July Report projected a three percent economic growth for Burma in the fiscal year ending in September 2022. Weak economic activity, challenges due to policy shifts, spikes in inflation, rising global oil prices, and the currency crisis are major barriers to a substantial economic rebound after an 18% contraction last year.
    • A leaked internal document from the junta’s department of information and technology and offices of the special investigation department revealed that the junta is screening government contractors for ties to resistance forces. Investigations are underway according to the document. 
    • In June, the junta-controlled CBM installed six military personnel in leadership roles within the CBM. Since the coup, the junta had replaced CBM’s leadership with its military officers.