Bi-weekly Update on the Current Situation in Myanmar (1-03-2025 to 15-03-2025)

Bi-weekly Update on the Current Situation in Myanmar

(1-03-2025 to 15-03-2025)

Almost (50) months ago, on 1 February 2021, the military junta attempted an illegal coup, toppled the civilian government, and unlawfully detained State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, and other senior members of the civilian government, parliamentarians and activists. Since then, the military junta has ignored the will of the people of Myanmar, placed the country in turmoil, and made people suffer tremendously as a result of its inhumane and disproportionate acts.

As of 15 Mach 2025, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), the military has ruthlessly killed 6,401 people and arrested another 28,846 people. 22,062 people remain in detention and 168 people have been sentenced to death, including 119 post-coup death row prisoners and 44 in absentia since 1 February 2021, when the military unleashed systematic and targeted attacks and violence against innocent civilians. Four democracy activists who were sentenced to death were executed by the military junta in July 2022.

Moreover, over 3.5 million people are being displaced. Almost 20 million are in need of humanitarian assistance. Among them, 10.4 million are women and girls. 112,485 houses were burned down throughout Myanmar since the illegal coup until the end of December 2024, according to a report by Data for Myanmar. Of those, 108,645 houses were deliberately set on fire by junta soldiers or members of allied organizations according to the report released by Data for Myanmar on 27 February 2025.

Crimes committed Across Myanmar by the Junta Troops and its affiliates

Crimes perpetrated by the junta troops and its affiliates, militias across Myanmar include extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and the targeting of civilians, including children. These atrocities have led to widespread displacement, destruction of civilian properties, and a climate of fear and insecurity among the civilian population. The junta's widespread and systematic tactics of brutality are aimed at suppressing dissent and maintaining its grip on power, regardless of the human cost and violations of international law.

According to the data collected by AAPP, from 1 January to 15 March 2025, the junta killed (274) people in total across the country; (125) women and (149) men. These are the numbers that have been verified. Among the deaths, Magway Region recorded the highest number of fatalities, totaling (59). Among the (274) deceased, (184) people were killed by the junta’s airstrikes, marking the highest cause of death.

Moreover, during the stated period, the junta arrested (53) people in relation to the Spring Revolution; (11) women and (42) men, across the country. Among them, Yangon Region records the highest number of arrests, totaling (13).

War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and Mass Murders Committed by the Military Junta

Military Junta Conducts Scorched-Earth Operations in Magway, Displacing Over 20,000 Civilians

The Irrawaddy stated that military junta troops are carrying out scorched-earth operations in Magway to secure a popular pagoda festival in central Myanmar, forcing more than 20,000 people to flee their homes in Salin and Pwintbyu townships. The raids and clashes, which erupted in the second week of February, have caused residents from over 20 villages in Salin and Pwintbyu townships to seek refuge in unaffected settlements, monasteries, schools, farms and forests. Many are reportedly running short of food after being unable to return home.

Military junta soldiers torched Pyaung Khin (North) and Pyaung Khin (South) villages over three days from 17 February to 19 February, destroying dozens of houses. A resident of Pyaung Khin (North) village said the military junta troops fired shots as they entered the village from two directions, forcing residents to flee in a hurry. They said their houses have been set on fire and they have been staying in makeshift huts on farms. Most of the victims are farmers, and cattle are also suffering. The raids involve military junta troops from Salin, Pwintbyu, Sagu, Minbu and Chuak, supported by local Pyu Saw Htee militias.

Fierce fighting is also taking place to the west along the Ann-Padan Road, which links Rakhine with Magwe, where military junta troops have reportedly abandoned some outposts, according to a Salin Township People's Defense Force (PDF) member. The military junta is concerned that clashes will spill over into Magwe. They are also holding the pagoda festival in Shwe Set Taw, so they are conducting raids for security. They stay in a village for at least two days after each raid, so villagers dare not go back, the PDF member said.

Military Junta Using Devastating Thermobaric Bombs Against Civilian and Military Targets

Irrawaddy reported that the military junta is deploying thermobaric bombs, which are more destructive than conventional high-explosive bombs, indiscriminately against both civilian and military targets, according to records from ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and military experts. These bombs, also known as aerosol bombs, have been used in Shan State, Chin State, Kachin State and Sagaing Region. The military junta used them against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) when the latter attacked the junta's 21st Military Operations Command in Bhamo Township, Kachin State, a KIA source told The Irrawaddy.

A thermobaric bomb consists of a fuel container with two separate explosive charges. When it hits its target, the first explosive charge blows open the container and widely disperses the fuel mixture as an aerosol. A second charge then detonates this aerosol, resulting in a huge fireball, a massive blast wave and a vacuum that sucks up all surrounding oxygen. Besides thermobaric bombs dropped by aircraft, the military junta also uses thermobaric rocket-propelled grenades, grenades, recoilless rifles and multiple rocket launchers, the source added.

The KIA source explained that unlike a conventional grenade, a thermobaric grenade does not use a high-explosive material. Instead, it contains fuel. This mixes with oxygen in the atmosphere to create shock waves and pressure waves. You can get hurt even if you take cover in a building or bunker, the source said. Thermobaric bombs are more effective when used in enclosed spaces like tunnels and bunkers, the source indicated. Even if people are not directly hit by the explosion, they may still die from suffocation as the bombs suck up surrounding oxygen, said a weapons analyst. The shockwaves can damage victims' hearing and lungs, and even if a bomb does not explode, the fuel can be poisonous, according to a report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency.

Military defector and former captain Zin Yaw said: Thermobaric bombs are normally used during the peak of the battle, especially when the enemy's defenses are collapsing. They are also used if the military discovers the exact location of the enemy. They are used against both civilian and military targets. In battles in southern Chin State, infantry battalions were ordered to use thermobaric explosives with rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

The military junta is believed to have used thermobaric bombs even before the coup. An old picture The Irrawaddy has acquired shows a 250-kg thermobaric bomb being fitted to an A-5 jet fighter at Tada-U Air Base in Mandalay in 2017. The Junta buys air-dropped thermobaric bombs from China, and produces thermobaric rocket-propelled grenades by itself. Its ordnance factory No. 3 (KaPaSa No. 3) near Sinte Village opposite Pyay Town in Bago Region produces 80-mm thermobaric rocket-propelled grenades with Russian technology.

Human Rights Watch said the military junta used thermobaric bombs in its attack on Pazi Gyi Village in Sagaing Region's Kantbalu Township on 11 April 2023, which left more than 170 people dead. The military junta also used 250-lb China-made thermobaric bombs in battles in Laukkai in northern Shan State, according to Chinese media reports that included photos. The KIA also said the junta used them in Kachin after fighting renewed there in 2011.

Military Junta Airstrikes Kill 10-Year-Old Girl and Four Other Civilians in Mandalay Region

The Irrawaddy stated that the Military junta bombing raids killed a 10-year-old girl and four other civilians on 11 March 2025 night in Mandalay Region's Madaya Township, local residents said. The bombs fell in the villages of Wa Thon Da Ra and Mya Kan Thar on the line between Madaya and Patheingyi townships, hitting the home of a family in the basket-weaving business.

The deceased included a fifth-grade schoolgirl who had recently taken exams and several of their family members, according to their neighbours, but detailed information about their names, ages, and circumstances is not yet available.

The aircraft emitted a trail of smoke and then the explosion went off at the home of the family, who are basket-makers, said a man in his 60s living in Madaya Township. He said, four people died yesterday, and one more died this morning at the hospital, so that's five dead altogether. Many others were injured. The family's house was located behind a farming supply store between two villages. At least 10 people were reportedly injured nearby.

The funeral for the slain victims is scheduled for 14 March at a cemetery near the village, he added. Villagers injured in the attack have reportedly been transported to Mandalay General Hospital. A woman assisting with relief efforts for displaced people said military junta aircraft carried out eight airstrikes between 11 March evening and the late-night hours, dropping more than 50 bombs throughout Madaya Township.

Military Junta Airstrike Kills Six, Destroys 30 Houses in Mandalay Region

Myanmar Now stated that military junta airstrike on a village in Mandalay Region's Taungtha Township on 4 March 2025 night left six people dead and destroyed nearly 30 houses. The attack on Nat Saunt, a village about six miles west of the town of Taungtha, was carried out at around 10:30pm, a man living in the area told Myanmar Now.

Six people were killed—four women, a child, and an elderly man. Their bodies were reduced to charred bones. With the entire village having fled, no one was left to put out the flames, he said. Further details about the victims were not available at the time of reporting. The man suggested that the bombs used in the aerial attacks were likely of a highly explosive type, as 28 houses were completely destroyed by fire within a short time of the attack. They could not have been regular bombs, given the intense fire they caused. They may have been incendiary bombs. Previous bombings only caused buildings to collapse without starting fires, but this time was different, he said.

The attack has forced the entire population of Nat Saunt, a village of more than 350 households, to flee, according to the man. Residents of other villages in the area, where most people work as onion or toddy palm farmers, have also been displaced.

Military junta has stepped up its attacks near Taungtha since 12 January, when resistance forces ambushed a military junta convoy in the town, killing more than 20 military junta troops and seizing weapons and ammunition. The following day, another ambush on soldiers stationed at a high school in the town left at least 10 dead and many others wounded, according to the People's Defence Force (PDF) battalion that carried out the attack.

The military junta has also increased its use of paramotors in the region, adding to civilian casualties. The Taungtha Township People's Movement Committee told Myanmar Now that there were at least nine paramotor bombing raids carried out in the township in January, killing six civilians. Data from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reveals that 106 people were killed by Military junta in February, with 78 of those deaths attributed to airstrikes.

Military Junta Intensifies Attacks on Civilian Areas in Rakhine State, Causing Widespread Destruction

The military junta has escalated its destructive operations in Rakhine State, burning homes and targeting civilian infrastructure amid ongoing conflict with resistance forces as of 7 March. In Wabo, a village about five miles north of Sittwe, military junta forces conducted a relentless assault that began on 11 March 2025, burning at least 35 houses to the ground, according to Myanmar Now.

There was heavy artillery fire all through the 11 March, and then from evening until this morning, the resident said on 12 March, describing the military junta's indiscriminate bombardment of civilian areas. The destruction was even more severe in Kyaukphyu Township, where military junta drone strikes devastated U Gine, a village about four miles southwest of the Dhanyawadi Naval Base. While no casualties were reported in either location, this was primarily because residents had already fled their homes to escape the military junta's attacks, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis caused by the military junta's operations.

The military junta's aggressive tactics have included airstrikes, drone attacks, and heavy artillery shelling against civilian targets, even as the Arakan Army (AA) focuses its operations on military junta bases in Sittwe Township, including the Shwe Min Gan Naval Base and positions in the villages of Ahmyint Kyun, Yay Chan Pyin, and Padalit.

Human Rights Abuses

Military Junta Arrests Staff Over NUG-Issued Medical Documents

Military junta announced on 10 March 2025 that it has arrested seven individuals, including three staff members from the junta-controlled Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in connection with a case involving medical documents issued by the National Unity Government (NUG).

The arrests were made after it was learned that Dr. Kay Zin Htun, who graduated from Mandalay Medical University in 2020, had used a certificate issued by the NUG's Interim University Council of the University of Medicine (Mandalay) to apply to study in Dubai.

According to junta-controlled media reports, military junta learned of the matter after officials in Dubai contacted them to verify the applicant's degree. In addition to blacklisting Kay Zin Htun, the military junta has also taken action against three employees from the consular department and four others who notarized the NUG-issued certificate, the reports said. Among those arrested were Aung Kyaw Moe, deputy director of the notary section of the consular and legal affairs department in Yangon, and Naing Naing Latt and Maung Maung Chit San Oo, who also work in the same office. The others named in the case are Hla Win, Zar Ni Lwin, Aye Thidar, and Ei Lae Lae Htun, who were all identified as public notaries.

After the Military junta seized power in illegal means in February 2021, many medical professionals joined public employees across the country in boycotting the newly installed military junta’s system as part of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) against the coup. In response, the military junta has been targeting CDM healthcare workers, instructing private hospitals to refrain from hiring doctors who refuse to work in hospitals or clinics operated by the military junta. In addition, the military junta has also reportedly blacklisted around 800 doctors nationwide, revoking their licenses to practice medicine in Myanmar and barring them from going abroad to work or study.

Medical students have also been prevented from pursuing further studies overseas, under an order issued by the military junta's health minister, Dr. Thet Khaing Win, and the director-general of the department of human resources for health, Dr. Tin Tun, according to Myanmar Now's sources. However, some have been able to pursue their studies at international institutions with medical degrees issued by the NUG.

On 6 March 2025, Dr. Khin Maung Lwin, rector of the Interim University Council of the University of Medicine (Mandalay), announced on his Facebook page that many doctors have already received degree certificates from the Ministry of Health of the NUG. He said these certificates have helped many to find work or continue their postgraduate studies abroad. In November of last year, the military junta blacklisted two Myanmar students who had tried to matriculate at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand using NUG-issued medical degrees.

Military Junta Denies Medical Degrees to 800 Doctors in Apparent Retaliation

Military junta is withholding degree certificates from around 800 doctors who started medical residencies before Myanmar's 2021 coup, effectively denying them the possibility of employment, the Irrawaddy stated.

The blacklisting appears to be retaliation for the doctors' decision not to return to take junta’s jobs in the wake of the military coup following their residencies. In addition to withholding their degrees, the military junta has also barred them from practicing or travelling abroad. Medical schools in Yangon, Mandalay, and Magway have scheduled graduation ceremonies for this year that were previously put on hold after the military coup. As reported in military junta-controlled newspapers, the ceremonies will award Ph.D. and MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) degrees for the preceding three years simultaneously. However, only a minority of the class that started their final year in 2018 will be allowed to graduate, according to two doctors who were denied their degree certificates and spoke to Myanmar Now on condition of anonymity.

Of 1,022 medical students in this class who passed their final MBBS exams, most will be denied degrees. Only some 200 members of this class who are currently working in medicine for the military junta will receive certificates, the affected doctors said. The doctors who spoke with Myanmar Now finished their medical coursework in December 2019 and have completed more than a full year of training in medical residencies.

When they enrolled in medical school, they signed an agreement to serve as government employees for three years after graduation if required, with a fine of up to 1m kyat imposed for failure to fulfill that commitment. The military junta directed members of this class to apply for government service positions in 2022, a year after the coup, but most of the doctors participating in the CDM sought ways to pay the penalty rather than serve amid the ongoing political turmoil, one of the affected doctors said. We did not apply for work because we all agreed that we could not serve in these conditions, one doctor told. Now, they are withholding our degrees because we did not serve. But this goes against the terms of the agreement we signed. They are supposed to take the million-kyat fine, but the junta-controlled Ministry of Health is refusing to accept it.

Now that the graduation ceremony is taking place, we still will not receive our degrees, he added. We were supposed to get our medical licences after completing university, but they have not been issued yet. Military junta personnel have also barred doctors from this class who refused government work from applying for passports or travelling abroad. One of the doctors said immigration officers accompanied with junta security personnel once stopped him from boarding a flight departing from Yangon Airport, subjected him to an inspection, and ordered him to turn back.

Following the 2021 coup, many medical students and professionals joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), a campaign of nonviolent strikes by government employees to protest military rule. The military junta responded by cracking down on healthcare workers, directing private hospitals not to hire CDM participants or medical professionals whose licences the military junta had allowed to expire.

According to one of the doctors who spoke to Myanmar Now, doctors who earned their degrees just before the coup and opted out of serving under the military junta have become targets, facing restrictions that deprive them of any opportunity to practise in Myanmar or continue their education elsewhere. We cannot go abroad, and we are losing many opportunities here as well. Our future feels very uncertain, he said.

Another doctor said major private hospitals refused to hire them without licenses, and opportunities for work in other fields without degrees were scarce. Despite these challenges, many doctors still have no desire to work for the military junta. Working under the military junta is not the solution, he said. Most of us do not want to work in such conditions. It is difficult to enter this failing system and be part of it.

A 6 March Facebook post by Dr. Khin Maung Lwin, an advisor to the NUG's health ministry and chair of the Federal Health Professional Council (FHPC), claimed many doctors who had opted out of working for the military junta had received their degrees or licences and were working or continuing their medical education abroad.

Over 40,000 Migrant Workers Trapped in Myanmar by Military Junta Travel Ban

More than 40,000 migrant workers have been trapped in Myanmar since January, when the military junta banned civilians selected for conscription from leaving the country, the Irrawaddy reports. Under a bylaw introduced on 23 January, men selected for mandatory military service who have passed medicals and are on waiting lists for training are barred from travelling. The new rule has forced over 40,000 documented male workers, who were ready to leave the country for overseas jobs, to cancel travel plans.

The military junta has also stopped issuing overseas workers identity cards (OWICs) since mid-February this year, without explanation, inflicting losses on both employees and employment agencies. They had bought flight tickets to countries like Japan and Thailand. Financial losses totaled over US$ 300,000, said an overseas employment agency executive.

The OWIC suspension followed the military junta's appointment of former junta ambassador to Thailand Chit Swe as the junta’s Labor Minister on 31 January. His ministry halted the issuance of the cards on 14 February, citing the need to review rules and procedures governing the transfer of migrant workers abroad. 

The remittance law requires workers to remit at least 25 percent of their foreign currency income through the country's official banking system, at an official exchange rate that is far lower than the market rate. They must also pay at least 10 percent income tax.

Myanmar Women's Rights Organizations Issue Joint Statement on International Women's Day

Myanmar's women's rights and human rights organizations released a powerful statement on 8 March 2025 to mark International Women's Day, highlighting ongoing gender-based violence, condemning violations and demanding accountability and justice for women in Myanmar.

The statement begins by recognizing the historical origins of International Women's Day, tracing it back to protests by women workers in 1857 in New York City, USA, who fought against inequality and for justice and equal rights in a patriarchal society. The organizations emphasize that in Myanmar's current political context, gender-based discrimination and various forms of violence, including sexual violence, remain prevalent. They note that during the Spring Revolution, women's organizations have continuously received reports of violations committed by the military junta, violations among the general public.

The statement firmly declares that sexual violence and violations against women during conflict are war crimes, and that all forms of violence against women—physical, psychological, sexual, economic, harmful traditional practices, and technology-based violence—are unacceptable human rights violations. The organizations express determination to ensure perpetrators of the military junta's abuses are not granted amnesty and that accountability is established during the nation-building period.

The women's organizations pledge to seek justice through all possible means and continuously monitor that perpetrators are not granted impunity. They announce a commitment to social sanctions against perpetrators who do not acknowledge guilt or sincerely apologize, including refraining from engaging in joint work, inviting them to speak at events, giving them platforms, or acknowledging them in their activities. The statement concludes with a call for public support, urging society to impose social sanctions on any perpetrators of sexual exploitation and violence against women, regardless of who they are, and to join in seeking justice for women in Myanmar.

Actions of Resistance Forces against the Junta

Arakan Army Seizes Military Junta Base Near Strategic Rakhine-Bago Border

The Arakan Army (AA) and its allies reportedly seized a military junta base in Nyaungkyo village on the Taungup-Padaung road on the Rakhine-Bago border on 12 March 2025. Around 30 military junta soldiers were captured during the operation, while others fled to another military junta base near KaPaSa 6 ordnance factory. Military ordnance factories 3 and 9 are also located in Padaung Township, Bago Region, which the military junta has recently fortified in response to AA advances.

The AA continues to expand its offensive beyond Rakhine State, advancing along the Magway and Ayeyarwady borders after successfully seizing 14 of 17 townships in Rakhine State. Simultaneously, the AA is intensifying attacks on Sittwe and Kyaukphyu in Rakhine State, which remain under the military junta control despite the resistance group's significant territorial gains throughout the region.

Resistance Forces Capture Military Junta Officers and Seize Weapons in Natogyi Township Battle

Myanmar Now reported that resistance forces captured 14 prisoners of war (POWs), including two military junta officers, and seized numerous weapons during a battle in Mandalay Region's Natogyi Township on 9 March 2025, the National Unity Government (NUG) announced on 11 March 2025. More than 200 military junta troops from Light Infantry Division (LID) 101 were attacked by joint resistance forces southwest of Kyatwinboe Village, about six miles from Wetlu Village, after departing from Wetlu Police Station in Natogyi Township.

According to the local sources, resistance groups killed 25 military junta troops and captured two officers—Major Win Hlaing Oo and Captain Aung Ko Ko—during the battle in Natogyi Township, the NUG said. Only around 2:30pm they were able to collect the bodies and weapons, and they had to continue clearing the area until the next day, an official from Myingyan District PDF Battalions 4 and 10 told. He said the battle continued from 9am to 2:30pm of that day.

After the clashes came to an end, the resistance forces seized 44 guns, over 10,000 rounds of ammunition, and various explosives. Warplanes from Meiktila and Tada-U air bases provided air support twice during the clash, which resulted in the deaths of two resistance fighters. The battle involved fighters from the People's Defense Force (PDF) Myingyan District Battalions 4 and 10, the Natogyi Township People's Defence Organization (PDO), and allied resistance groups. The military junta column had been moving through northern Natogyi Township since early March. On 8 March, they raided Kanu Village after departing from Wetlu Village.

While there have been no ground operations in the southern part of Natogyi Township—where resistance forces are strong—the military junta has frequently rolled out aerial reconnaissance missions and artillery shelling from their Light Infantry Battalion 15 (LIB) base near Myingyan Township.vA local woman, said  that military junta aircraft have been seen constantly conducting surveillance, occasionally flying at low altitudes in the Natogyi area. On 30 January, resistance troops ambushed a military junta column leaving Pyinsi Village in Natogyi Township, resulting in the capture of eight POWs and the seizure of 39 weapons. The constant presence of military junta aircraft is producing a palpable sense of anxiety among the civilians across villages in Natogyi Township. And although the community is becoming more familiar with the sounds of warplanes, the fear that comes in their wake never truly subsides.

Activities of the National Unity Government and Ethnic Resistance Organizations

National Unity Government Urges Stronger International Action at UN Human Rights Council

The National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar delivered a statement at the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on 4 March 2025, expressing support for High Commissioner Türk's assessment that the human rights situation in Myanmar is among the worst in the world.

The NUG acknowledged the High Commissioner's description of the military junta's crimes as a litany of human suffering that is difficult to fathom, including famine, mass civilian casualties, coercive conscription, beheadings, burnings, mutilations, executions, torture, the use of human shields and sexual violence. The High Commissioner also highlighted the continued forced displacement of vulnerable communities, including the Rohingya.

In its statement, the NUG fully supported the High Commissioner's appeal to the international community to prioritize Myanmar through strengthened targeted sanctions against military junta members, their businesses and associates, and by imposing an embargo on weapons, munitions, jet fuel and dual-use items transfers to the military junta.

The NUG also endorsed the call for UN Member States to support solutions that place the National Unity Government, ethnic organizations, women's groups, youth, civil society and other pro-democracy actors at the center of the process. This includes an ASEAN+ approach bringing Myanmar's neighbors and influential states into a political process that upholds the democratic will of the Myanmar people. The NUG called for a stronger Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar that recognizes the evolving situation on the ground, where the National Unity Government and ethnic organizations are expanding territorial control and service delivery. The statement outlined specific elements needed in the new resolution, including sharper condemnation of the military junta's atrocities against civilians, forced conscription, planned sham elections, and obstruction of humanitarian assistance.

The NUG also welcomed the filing by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court of an application for an arrest warrant for junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, and called on the Security Council to take clear punitive steps against the military junta for failing to comply with UNSCR 2669 (2022). The statement emphasized support for expanded humanitarian assistance, reconstruction, transitional justice and nation-building efforts as essential steps toward establishing an inclusive, sustainable federal democratic union in Myanmar.

NUG Pledges Cooperation with Chin Leaders and Welcomes Unity Agreement

The National Unity Government (NUG) has reaffirmed its commitment to working alongside Chin ethnic leaders and the Chin people in the pursuit of self-determination, national equality, and the establishment of a new federal democratic union, according to a statement marking the 77th Chin National Day on 20 February 2025. The statement honoured the sacrifices of Chin national leaders, resistance fighters, and the broader Chin community, who have long struggled against military junta rule—from historical independence movements to the ongoing Spring Revolution.

In a related development, the NUG welcomed the agreement between the Chinland Council and the Interim Chin National Consultative Council (ICNCC) in a separate statement issued on 27 February 2025. On 26 February 2025, both Chin political groups reached an understanding aimed at securing the long-term future of the Chin people. The agreement includes the formation of the Chin National Council, which will serve as a representative body for all Chin communities.

The NUG lauded this development as a significant step toward national unity. Despite past ideological differences, the two groups engaged in peaceful dialogue to resolve their disagreements.

The NUG highlighted this political maturity as a commendable example of democratic practice for all revolutionary forces participating in the Spring Revolution. The statement also underscored the importance of mutual trust, understanding, and strong unity among revolutionary groups and ethnic communities in the final phase of the revolution to completely dismantle military junta rule and eradicate dictatorship.

This reaffirmation comes as resistance forces continue to make significant territorial gains in Chin State and across Myanmar, with Chin resistance groups playing a crucial role in the broader struggle against the military junta since the February 2021 coup.

Myanmar Ambassador addressed the Third Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

At the General Exchange of Views of the Third Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, Myanmar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, stated that despite the difficulties and challenges arising from the illegal military coup, Myanmar remains committed to upholding the purposes and objectives of the treaty. He affirmed that Myanmar will become a State Party to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons when circumstances permit."

The ambassador explained that Myanmar signed the treaty in 2018 under the elected civilian government but ratification plans were disrupted by the 2021 military coup. Ambassador said that the military coup in Myanmar and the ongoing brutal atrocities committed by the military have shattered the foundations of peace in the country, caused human suffering, and affected regional peace and stability. He mentioned the people of Myanmar are determined to end the military dictatorship and build a federal democratic union to restore peace and stability in the country, and for this, he urges the international community to address the root cause and provide support to the people of Myanmar.

In his conclusion, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun appealed for help for the Myanmar people by cutting off the flow of ammunition, weapons, and jet fuel to the violent military.

Myanmar Ambassador Highlights Women's Role in Democratic Progress at UN Event

Myanmar's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, delivered closing remarks at a side event during the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York on 14 March 2025.

In his closing thank-you remarks at the CSW69 Side Event titled 'Beijing Platform for Action 30+ Years and Beyond: A Critical Review and Future Directions for Myanmar,' Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations, stated that he had heard about the heartbreaking situations faced by the people of Myanmar, especially women and girls. The military dictatorship is nearly facing complete defeat on the ground, while the people are winning, the ambassador stated.

Now is a very important time, and they are working together for Myanmar's future and building a better nation, he remarked. Women and girls, especially women human rights defenders, are playing an important role in their Spring Revolution. He thanked them and saluted them for their courage and selflessness.

The ambassador appealed to the international community to continue supporting Myanmar's resistance efforts and the fight for justice and accountability.

Myanmar Ambassador Highlights Junta's Atrocities Against Women at UN Commission

Myanmar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, delivered a statement at General Discussion of the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York on 14 March 2025.

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun stated that for more than 4 years since the illegal military coup, the military group, its armed forces and affiliates have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, perpetrating numerous atrocities against civilians across the country, including women and girls. Women, girls, and children are bearing the brunt of the military's brutal actions.

The ambassador emphasized that the 2021 military coup reversed progress made during Myanmar's democratic transition period when women's participation in all sectors was unprecedented. He reported that the military junta has used rape as a weapon of war, with victims ranging from 5 to 83 years old. Of the approximately 20 million people needing humanitarian assistance, 10.4 million are women and girls. Security problems in Myanmar have become enormously significant, with women and girls living under fear daily. He especially commended and honoured the resilience of women who are fighting against the military dictatorship.

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun outlined key points for international action that the coordinating with local resistance authorities to deliver aid; providing funding to ground workers; implementing sanctions and stopping arms flow to the military junta; and addressing the root cause by ending military dictatorship. Ambassador reiterated his appeal to the international community to help in their efforts for the complete end of military dictatorship in Myanmar and the establishment of a federal democratic union.

Response of the International Community

Canada Imposes New Sanctions on Military Junta Officials and Entities in Myanmar

Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced on 7 March 2025 that Canada has imposed targeted sanctions against 13 Myanmar senior military junta officials and 3 entities for undermining peace, security and stability in the country and contributing to gross human rights violations. The sanctions respond to systematic human rights violations committed by individuals in Myanmar's Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces, as well as the entrenched violence, repression, instability and overall worsening crisis in Myanmar.

The conflict has resulted in a deteriorating humanitarian crisis, with increased instability and violence against civilians. On 2 December 2024, the United Nations reported that more than 6,000 civilians were killed due to the military junta's increasing violence since the 2021 coup. In the first four months of 2024, military junta airstrikes killed more than 359 civilians, including 61 children, and injured 756 civilians. Canada continues to urge all countries to impose similar measures. The Canadian government is calling on the international community to suspend all operational and financial support to Myanmar's military junta and to cease the transfer of arms, materiel, dual-use equipment and technical assistance to the military junta and its agents.

Canada will continue to work with international partners to advance an inclusive and sustainable peace in Myanmar. This includes support to advance the restoration of democratic rule in Myanmar and increased pressure on malign actors, including through the continuing pursuit of accountability for human rights violations.

Rations for One Million Rohingya Refugees to be Halved Due to Funding Crisis

Rations will be halved for around one million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh from next month due to a lack of funds, the United Nations food agency has said. Huge numbers of the persecuted Rohingya community live in squalid relief camps in Bangladesh, most arriving after having fled from a 2017 military junta crackdown. Successive aid cuts have already caused severe hardship among Rohingya in the overcrowded settlements, who are reliant on aid and suffer from rampant malnutrition.

The UN World Food Program (WFP) said in a letter on 5 March that severe funding shortfalls had forced a cut in monthly food vouchers from $12.50 to $6.00 per person.

WFP Warns Over One Million People in Myanmar Face Food Aid Cuts Due to Funding Crisis

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that more than 1 million people in Myanmar will be cut off from its food assistance starting in April due to critical funding shortages, according to Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, during a daily press briefing on 14 March 2025. The spokesperson emphasized that these cuts come at a particularly challenging time as increased conflict, displacement, and access restrictions are already sharply driving up food needs across Myanmar.

Without immediate new funding, WFP will only be able to assist 35,000 of the most vulnerable people, including children under the age of 5, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people living with disabilities.

The cuts will also severely impact almost 100,000 internally displaced people in Rakhine State, who will have no access to food without WFP assistance, including Rohingya communities living in camps. According to the UN spokesperson, WFP urgently needs $60 million to maintain its life-saving food assistance to the people of Myanmar this year. This funding crisis comes amid ongoing violence and instability in Myanmar following the military junta's coup in February 2021, which has led to increased humanitarian needs throughout the country.

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Date: 15 March 2025

Permanent Mission of Myanmar to the United Nations, New York