Published on February 03, 2022
- As of February 03, 2022, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Burmese human rights advocacy organization, reported that 1,513 individuals have been killed, 11,951 individuals arrested, and nearly 9,000 individuals are still detained by the Burmese military since the coup.
- Political Developments
- On February 01, 2022, the NUG announced that it was withdrawing all preliminary objections in the case of The Gambia v. Myanmar concerning the military operations against the Rohingya in 2016 and 2017 at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It also advised the ICJ that Burma accepts the court’s jurisdiction.
- The junta formally renewed the “state of emergency” for another six months on January 31. The junta leader cited the ongoing instability and the need to prepare for the 2023 elections as reasons for the extension of the state of emergency.
- From January 27 to January 29, the NUCC held its first People’s Assembly with representatives from the NUG, CRPH, EAOs, and ethnic groups. With a total of 388 delegates in attendance, the Assembly adopted the following resolutions:
- Ratified Part I and II of the Federal Democracy Charter.
- Formally formed the NUCC with 33 member organizations.
- Reaffirmed the formation of the NUG.
- Member organizations of the NUCC ratified the Federal Democracy Charter.
- Called on the international community to officially recognize the NUG as the sole legitimate government of Burma. A full list of resolutions can be accessed here.
- On January 31, the junta leader Min Aung Hlaing approved the implementation of a proportional representation (PR) system for the 2023 election.
- On January 31, the Karen National Union (KNU) announced an ultimatum to civil servants working under the junta in Hpapun District in Karen State to leave their posts.
- Sources close to the court proceedings of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi revealed that the junta court will commence the election fraud trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on February 14. President U Win Myint and Union Government Office Minister U Min Thu also face the same election fraud charges. The junta court said that the cases will be concluded within the first half of the year.
- Shan State Chief Minister Dr. Linn Htut and Planning and Finance Minister U Soe Nyunt Lwin were sentenced to 16 years in prison on corruption charges. Both are members of the NLD.
- On January 25, the junta filed a corruption charge against U Min Thu, a former Minister for the Union Government Office in the NLD government and a former military officer. In his capacity as the Minister for the Union Government Office, U Min Thu was in charge of supervising the General Administration Department (GAD), the country’s public administrative mechanism.
- Last week, the junta released U Han Tha Myint, an NLD central executive committee member, and U Soe Win, Former Planning and Finance Minister, from prison. The two were released due to their poor health conditions.
- Ground Situation
- Despite the junta’s threats and actions against participating in all forms of protests including the Silent Strike on February 1, the streets and public spaces around the country were empty on the one-year anniversary of the fail coup. The local media reported that several business owners have been arrested for the planned closure of their businesses ahead of the Silent Strike.
- After being ambushed by the local PDF, the junta forces retaliated by torching 12 houses and entire harvests of rice in Depayin Township in Sagaing Region on January 30 and 31.
- Two people were killed during a junta raid on Sagaing’s Pa Dat Taing village where the junta deployed an MI-35 fighter plane to bomb the village. The airstrike was followed by a raid by junta troops.
- In recent weeks, the junta troops have been burning and destroying small-scale crude oil fields operated by local civilians in Magwe Region’s Pauk and Myaing townships. Several burnt bodies of civilians were also found in these arsons by the junta forces. In addition, heavy weaponry was used against civilians and three people were killed.
- Save the Children reported that at least 150,000 children have been forced to flee from the violence and the fighting since the coup last year. In recent weeks, the junta’s bombing and military operations have killed children in Kayah State and Sagaing Region.
- Last week, the junta forces lost over 30 of its soldiers in clashes with PDFs in Magwe, Sagaing, and Tanintharyi Region as well as clashes in Chin, Shan, and Kayah State.
- International Responses
- On January 31, the US, UK, and Canada imposed joint sanctions on individuals in the military regime and entities. Individual sanctions target junta’s judicial officials who are involved in the prosecution of the State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as well as four businessmen involved in arms dealing for the junta. The junta’s arms procurement directorate and KT Services & Logistics Company Ltd are the two entities added to the sanctions list for arms dealing for the military regime.
- Cambodia, the chair of ASEAN, announced on February 02 that the Burma junta’s foreign minister is not invited to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting this month. Citing the lack of progress on the junta’s side to implement the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus, Cambodia said that the invitation is only open to a non-political representative from Burma at the meeting.
- On January 28, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on the international community to increase pressure on the junta to cease the violence against its citizens. The UN Human Rights Chief said that the international responses have been “ineffectual” while the people of Burma continue to suffer at the hands of the repressive military regime.
- On February 01, the NUG’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed Saw Ba Hla Thein as the NUG’s Representative to Japan. The NUG currently has representatives in Australia, the Czech Republic, Norway, South Korea, Japan, and the UK.
- On January 31, NUG’s Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Sasa, Foreign Minister Daw Zin Mar Aung, Deputy Foreign Minister U Moe Zaw Oo met with US Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the US Advocacy Coalition for Myanmar (USACM).
- On January 27, NUG leadership including Acting President Duwa Lashi La, Prime Minister Mahn Win Khaing Than, and Foreign Minister Daw Zin Mar Aung met with US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kim Moy to discuss the ongoing crisis in Burma and the importance of expanding humanitarian assistance.
- Business and Economy
- Since February 01, 2021, the junta had approved US$ 3.82 billion of foreign investments and US$ 651 million equivalent on domestic investment. China is both the largest trading partner and largest foreign investor for Burma in the past year. Other foreign investments came from Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Hong Kong.
- The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that 1.6 million jobs were lost in 2021 in Burma. The stagnating economy and disruptions to the economic activities as a result of the political and security crisis contributed to these losses.