Published on November 24, 2021
- As of November 24, 2021, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Burmese human rights advocacy organization, reported that 1,291 individuals have been killed, 10,452 individuals arrested, and that over 7,500 individuals are still detained by the Burmese military since the coup.
- On November 22, China-ASEAN Summit took place without the junta representation. Hosted by China, ASEAN members including Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore objected to the request by China to invite Burma’s junta at the Summit and maintained their stance to exclude the junta leader at the ASEAN-related summits. While the junta leader continues to be excluded at the head of state level, junta’s Minister of Defense General Mya Tun Oo joined the ASEAN-ROK Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting and ASEAN-Australia Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting on November 11. Meanwhile, NUG’s Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Dr. Tu Hkawng was invited to the three-day Third Climate Smart and Disaster Resilient ASEAN International Conference starting on November 23. This is a significant development in which the NUG is invited instead of the junta’s representative.
- Details of the recent visits by senior officials and diplomats from Japan, Thailand, and China have been reported in recent days.
- During Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai’s visit to Burma on November 14, the Thai delegation delivered 17 tons of relief supplies to Burma. Media reports suggested that COVID-19 vaccines may have been part of the relief aid. The Deputy Prime Minister stated that he had “constructive” engagement with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.
- In addition to meeting with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and visiting Rakhine State, Yohei Sasakawa, Japan’s Special Envoy for National Reconciliation in Burma and President of Nippon Foundation, also held talks with Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, the Arakan Front Party, the People’s Party and at least four other political parties in Yangon. In his engagement with SNLD, Sasakawa discussed economic issues and the resettlement of IDPs. Sasakawa informed that he also met with a representative from NLD during his visit. Both Sasakawa and Sun Guoxiang, the Special Envoy of Asian Affairs of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were denied a meeting with the detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during their visits.
- After holding a press conference on November 16, the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) said it is seeking to expand membership and inclusion to more groups ahead of its “People’s Congress” in December. Founded in March this year, NUCC aims to abolish the military dictatorship and build a federal democratic union. NUCC is also looking to amend the Federal Democracy Charter ahead of next month’s congress.
- As conflict and violence escalated around the country, the casualty and destruction of both the junta forces and the resistance grew. In Magwe Region, junta forces sustained 120 casualties while civilian resistance fighters suffered 15 casualties in the last two weeks. In some reports, the junta soldiers are using civilians as “human shields” during raids on villages in Magwe Region. Fightings between junta forces and local PDFs have forced thousands of civilians to flee. Furthermore, junta forces raided a health clinic in Kayah State earlier this week and arrested healthcare professionals accusing them of aiding local resistance forces. Sustaining heavy losses and struggling to find new recruits, the junta had turned to retired soldiers with added incentives to boost recruitment. Recently, the NUG had warned the public of plans to escalate attacks on junta forces in Yangon, Bago, and Ayeyarwady Regions.
- Political arrests and persecution continue throughout the last few weeks. On November 23, U Thaung Tun, ousted Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations, was charged with corruption. U Thaung Tun was also the national security adviser to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. On November 22, Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the deposed Mandalay Region Chief Minister, was charged with two additional charges of voter fraud and abuse of power during his time in office. On November 18, U Phyo Zeya Thaw, a former NLD lawmaker who was accused of organizing attacks on junta targets in Yangon, was arrested. He was charged with terrorism.
- On November 22, the NUG launched the sale of government bonds to fund the “revolutionary movement” against the junta. Within the first day of the launch, NUG had raised US$6.3 million.
- On November 17, the UN approved a resolution on the human rights conditions in Burma. The resolution would mandate the UN General Assembly to call on Burma’s security and armed forces to “respect people’s democratic aspirations, to allow the democratic transition, fully respect the rule of law and end the state of emergency declared on 1 February.”
- On November 19, Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL) applied to dissolve the joint venture with Japan’s beer giant Kirin. Previously, Kirin had announced that it will end its joint venture with MEHL after the February 1 coup. Days earlier, Kirin had announced that they are preparing “legal action” to dissolve the partnership before the end of 2021.
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