Weekly Updates on Current Situation in Myanmar
(09-10-2022)
Over twenty months ago, on 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military attempted an illegal coup, toppled the civilian government, and unlawfully and unjustly 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 Myanmar military has ignored the will of the people of Myanmar, placed the country in turmoil, and made the people suffer with inhumane and disproportionate actions.
As of 7 October 2022, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), 2,338 people have been ruthlessly killed by the military, whereas 15,780 people have been arrested and a total of 126 individuals have been sentenced to death, of which 84 (including 2 children) are detained and 42 in absentia since 1 February 2021, when the military unleashed systematic and targeted attacks and violence against innocent civilians. Four democracy activists who were given to death sentence were executed by the military junta in July 2022.
Atrocities committed by the military
Killing innocent civilians
On 29 September 2022, junta forces shot to death a mentally-unwell man on the Ayetharyar-Taunggyi Road, in Shan State. According to the news report, he regularly hitchhiked on the road. He was killed because he happened to hitch a ride to go to work in Taunggyi Town while a VIP vehicle column of the junta forces was coming. His body was reportedly taken away by the junta forces.
On the night of 2 October 2022, junta soldiers and police shot to death Marang Sai Gu, who was riding a motorbike near Sone Si Yar Grocery Store in Klub Kone Ward, Hpakant Township, Kachin State. He was shot and killed for not stopping while junta forces were pulling over vehicles on the road for inspection. His body was reportedly taken away from the hospital that same night.
Killing individuals linked with the NLD political party in Mandalay Region
During the first week of October 2022, pro-junta forces killed a total of six people linked with the National League for Democracy (NLD) political party in Nyaung-U Township, Mandalay Region. Late at night on 2 October 2022, Kyaw Win, a member of the Nyaung-U District NLD, was taken from his home in Sal Ywar Village, Nyaung-U Township by men in plain clothes. According to the locals, his body was discovered on the side of a road on 3 October with many stabbed wounds and the handcuffs that had been placed on him when he was abducted. On 3 October 2022, two more abductions were reported in Nyaung-U Township. Residents said that Myint Zaw Linn, the 48-year-old younger brother of NLD Parliamentarian Myint Sein was surrounded by a mob of about 20 people at night and found dead near a rail line the next morning. Myint Kyaw, a 50-year-old resident of Taung Bi Village, near the old city of Bagan, was reportedly stabbed to death after being grabbed by a group of men on three motorcycles. His assailants were believed to be members of the pro-junta terror group Thwe Thout or the pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia.
According to the news, junta soldiers detained Win Aung Moe, 52; Nyein Chan Min, 42; and Thaw Mi Mi Win, 32, from their homes in Singu Village, Nyaung-U Township at midnight. They were found dead the next morning with their throats slashed. Local sources said that the soldiers were not in uniform and were driving a civilian vehicle. News reported that on 4 October 2022, a Telegram channel user “Bo Talk” claimed responsibility for the killings, saying that the victims were supporters of the deposed National League for Democracy (NLD) government and had backed “terrorist acts”. The channel is reportedly linked to Thwe Thout, a pro-junta terror group.
Abduction of local villagers as human shields
On 4 October 2022, a junta group consisting of 200 soldiers occupied Mingalar Thukha Village of Katha Township, Sagaing. When they left the village the following day, they took as hostages six villagers, who had been working on farms in the area.
Arbitrary arrests of healthcare workers in Rakhine State
According to Myanmar Now news report, on 25 September 2022, Dr. Win Naing Soe, a medical officer from Nga Pa Thone Village in Myebon Township, Rakhine State, was detained by navy forces while transporting medicine to a local hospital. News reported that he was bringing medicine back from Sittwe by motorboat when he was stopped, searched and abducted for interrogation after the medicines he brought back were found. Two days after the abduction, he was formally arrested. The family members were able to contact him by phone the next day. However, his location was unknown. According to local healthcare workers, since early September 2022, the junta has imposed restrictions on the transport of medicine and medical supplies. Since then, the military has been conducting searches at the main points of entry into the state to enforce the restrictions. As a result, many hospitals, especially those in Rathedaung, Buthidaung and Maungdaw Townships, are starting to run short of medical supplies.
On the same day, the regime also arrested three charity workers in Rakhine State whose social welfare groups provide medical services to the poor. News reported that, Than Tun, the secretary of Nan Yeik Garuna, a group that provides free oxygen to patients in Mrauk-U Township, was arrested along with his brother, Kyaw Than Hlaing, while Than Shwe, the chair of the Thingaha Kann Latt Rakhitta group from Minbya, was charged with incitement.
Detained political prisoners diagnosed with COVID-19
On 29 September 2022, Sean Turnell, an Australian economist was handed a three-years sentence under the Official Secrets Act by a special court inside the Naypyitaw Detention Centre, along with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and three cabinet members. After that, he was diagnosed with Covid-19 and transferred to Yamethin Prison in Mandalay Region together with the three cabinet members. According to the reports, one of the cabinet members, Set Aung, former deputy minister of planning, finance and industry, also tested positive for Covid-19.
Actions taken against anti-military activists
On 30 September 2022, three young men, namely Min Thant Naing, Hein Zar Aung and Arkar Hein, were arrested in Myot Oo Ward, Mogaung Township, for protesting against the military coup. They were sentenced to serve two years each in prison, under the charge of Penal Code Section 505(A).
On 5 October 2022, four political prisoners in Dawei Prison in Tanintharyi Region, Tun Oo, Yar Zar Tun, Myat Kyaw Thu and Min Sett Hmue, were sentenced to serve an additional 20 years in prison under Counter-Terrorism Law Section-50(J) and 54 and Penal Code Section-302/32 by the Dawei District Court. Tun Oo, Yar Zar Tun, Myat Kyaw Thu and Min Sett Hmue were already serving 26, 21, nine and eight years of prison, respectively.
On the same day, six other political prisoners in Dawei Prison, namely Sai Min Thu, Thet Paing Oo, Saung Yu Tun, Linn Htet Ko Ko, Aung Aung Latt and Aung Aung were all sentenced to serve 10 more years in prison. They were already sentenced to twenty-one, nine, three, three, two and two years of prison, respectively.
Actions taken against NLD members
According to Radio Free Asia News Channel, on 30 September 2022, under Counter-Terrorism Law, a total of 20 members of the NLD party from Pwintbyu Township and Sidoktaya Township, Magway Region, were sentenced to long prison terms by the court in Daung Nay Prison, Magway Region. Among them, Executive Member Win Zaw Oo and ten other NLD members from Pwintbyu Township were each sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. Eight other members of the NLD party from Pwintbyu Township were also sentenced to 20 years imprisonment each. Aye Aye Aung, Chair of the Women’s Committee of the NLD party from Sidoktaya Township, who had already been sentenced to 20-years imprisonment, was additionally sentenced to 20 years imprisonment under Counter-Terrorism Law 50(a) and 52(a).
Actions taken against the imprisoned CDM staff
On 29 September 2022, Dr. Htar Htar Linn, director of the Department of Public Health in the Ministry of Health who participated in the CDM, was sentenced to two years imprisonment under Sections 17(1) and 17(2) of the Unlawful Associations Act and another two years imprisonment under Section 505(A) of the Penal Code by the Nay Pyi Taw Prison court. She had already been sentenced to three years in prison with hard labor under the Anti-Corruption Law on 20 April 2022.
On 30 September 2022, Soe Mya Mya, a CDM teacher, was sentenced to five years imprisonment under Counter-Terrorism Law Section 52(A) by Mogaung Township Court in Kachin State. She was arrested in her house by the junta forces on 13 July 2022, for teaching at Kaung For You free online school.
Action taken against arrested journalists
On 30 September 2022, Myanmar Pressphoto Agency reporter Mue Yadanar Khet Moh Moh Tun, who was previously charged under Section 505(A) of the Penal Code, was additionally charged under Counter-Terrorism Law 50(J) by an officer at the Tamwe Township police station as a plaintiff. On 5 December 2021, Mue Yadanar Khet Moh Moh Tun was reporting news when she was hit by a car and severely injured then subsequently arrested. This occurred while people who protested on Pan Pin Gyi Road in Kyeemyindaing Township, Yangon Region, were also hit by a car and arrested by the junta forces.
On 5 October 2022, a Myanmar military tribunal sentenced Japanese journalist Toru Kubota to seven years in prison for violating the electronic transactions law and three years for incitement. Kubota had entered Myanmar in mid-July 2022 to shoot a documentary. On 30 July 2022, he was detained in Yangon by security forces in plain clothes while he was filming a demonstration against the military coup. According to diplomatic sources, the court ruling had been made “behind closed doors” and Kubota’s lawyer was not allowed to be present.
Deaths of anti-military activists in prison
News reported that in mid-September 2022, some political prisoners in Obo and Meiktila prisons of Mandalay Region have died after being refused access to healthcare. One of them was Zaw La Pyae, a young railroad worker who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement. He was sentenced to seven years in prison on terrorism charges in July 2022. On 18 September 2022, he died in Meiktila Prison after experiencing shortness of breath and fatigue for three days. According to news reports, after he received an unidentified injection and medication from the prison clinic on 17 September, his symptoms did not improve and seemed even worse. His request for medical attention on 18 September was refused by the clinic staff. Reports said that when he collapsed two hours later and following the pleading of other political prisoners, the clinic doctor finally agreed to have him admitted to the outside hospital. However, they did not transport him until hours later. About 30 minutes after arriving the hospital, he died with the cause of heart valve failure.
Similarly, according to the anonymous handwritten letter that has been smuggled out of the Obo prison in late September, a political prisoner died on the evening of 17 September 2022 after being refused a medical intervention for an undisclosed condition. The name of the deceased was not identified but as having been held in Cell 6 of the third ward. The letter also described various forms of torture that political prisoners are subjected to, including solitary confinement. Although the death of the individual in prison hasn’t been confirmed, a Mandalay-based lawyer said that there are “several” cases in which prisoners have died after being denied medical interventions, or in which the prison authorities have cremated the bodies of deceased inmates without notifying their families.
Airstrikes and heavy artillery targeting civilian areas
On 29 September 2022, junta forces from Baw Ka Htar Base, Kyaukkyi Township, Bago Region, fired heavy weaponry into Baw Ka Htar Village. As a result, locals Pauk Sa and Nyar Ma Aye were killed, while five other people were injured.
On 6 October 2022, airstrikes carried out by Myanmar’s military destroyed a monastery and several houses in Mekatha Village, Kyainseikgyi Township, Kayin State. Due to this attack, at least one of the 50 monks staying at the monastery was injured. According to a statement released by the Karen National Union (KNU), the airstrikes were carried out by three fighter jets from the military’s air force base in Hmawbi, Yangon Region.
Cutting off the links between Monywa and remote villages in Sagaing Region
News reported that the junta has tightened the security around Monywa, the largest city of Sagaing Region, by cutting off access from nearby villages. According to the residents, since 3 October 2022 the junta troops have destroyed several roads linking Monywa to remote villages. On 4 October, a section of the road to Amyint Village was reportedly demolished. On 5 October 2022, the junta forces bulldozed the road connecting Monywa’s industrial zone to Lezin Village. According to residents, the roads that have been destroyed and closed were often used by the locals to bypass the military’s checkpoints. Those roads were important for local farmers to bring their crops into the city and to access the markets. The locals said that the roads repaired by the locals were demolished again the following day.
Activities of the National Unity Government
On 3 October 2022, the National Unity Government issued Weekly Newsletter No. 23/2022, which contained articles relating to the NUG’s activities. Those articles included how the protestors in Kalay have organized the protests against the military for 600 consecutive days; data presented by the Ministry of Women, Youths and Children’s Affairs regarding the number of children killed and abducted by the terrorist junta within one year of illegal coup; and the Ministry of Labour helping secure compensation for migrant workers.
On 4 October 2022, at the General Debate of the Second Committee of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations, delivered a statement. In the statement, he mentioned that to create a better world everyone must maintain a sensible and harmonious environment conducive to peace and progress. He stressed that the world has not only suffered tremendous socio-economic deprivations along with a decline in the global economy due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also the natural disasters in various parts of the world due to climate change. He added that those challenges have been exacerbated by man-made disasters including the war of aggression in Ukraine. He said that in order to overcome those challenges, member states must work together to achieve SDGs that leave no one behind. He presented the efforts of the civilian government in Myanmar in establishing and implementing transparent and concrete policies, rapid progress of Myanmar’s economy, improving the education and healthcare sectors, etc. He underlined that the civilian government’s efforts were prevented by the illegal military coup. He explained that while the fascist military is trying to terrorize the Myanmar people into submission, these same people’s economic life and livelihoods in every corner of the country have been made worse by the junta’s illegitimacy. Concluding that the military junta is not in a position to revitalize the economy or ensure the stability of the country, he reminded that the solution - to recover the economy and support people in lifting themselves from poverty - will only be possible with the ending of this military dictatorship and restoration of democracy. He highlighted that for as long as Myanmar remains under this unloved military junta, it will be impossible to achieve peace, and therefore impossible to implement the 2030 Agenda successfully. He appealed to the international community to extend now that effective support towards the Myanmar people, enabling Myanmar to achieve the SDGs for the good of the people, and for the sake of peace.
On 6 October 2022, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations, delivered a statement under Agenda Item 17: Follow-up to and Implementation of the Outcomes of the International Conferences on Financing for Development at the Second Committee of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. During his statement, he said Myanmar views that financing for development saves countless millions of lives from suffering daily deprivations and human rights violations due to insufficient financial resources. He also explained that in order to successfully implement policies of sustainable development for a resilient and sustainable recovery from the economic shocks caused by the COVID - 19 pandemic and conflicts, the least developed countries require a fair financial system and an equitable multilateral trading system in addition to ensuring adequate liquidity, debt relief, official development assistance (ODA) commitments and availability of fiscal space. Explaining a solid foundation for the economic sector initiated by the elected civilian government since 2016, he mentioned the prominent indicators of economic development under the elected government. As the Ambassador underlined the fact that all those achievements of the civilian government were overturned by the illegal military coup in Myanmar, he presented the declining economic situation in Myanmar since 2021. He emphasized that there is no other way to solve Myanmar's crisis except by ending the unwanted military dictatorship. By reiterating that the people of Myanmar are resolute, whatever cost there will be, to end the military dictatorship and restore democracy in Myanmar, he stressed that the international community can and must play an important and effective role to realize this legitimate and proper desire of the Myanmar people in a successful and timely manner.
On 6 October 2022, at the General Discussion on Advancement of Women of the Third committee of the 77th session of UN General Assembly in New York, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations, delivered a statement. In his statement, the Ambassador stated that despite the global progress on the full enjoyment of women’s rights and gender equality, some countries are lagging woefully behind and it is even worse when a country that had been progressing on its own track finds itself driven back. He stressed that the progress and developments on the rights of women and girls under the elected civilian government have been destroyed by the illegal coup in February 2021. He underlined that the rights of women are now being systematically denied by the junta. He further added that since early days of the coup, the military has detained, tortured and killed several women and girls who exercised their right of freedom of expression against the illegal coup at the forefront of the democratic movement. He also mentioned that the junta has used its old tactics and arrested innocent women and children as hostages when they cannot find the targeted person in a household. Abducted women and children have often been used as human shields in further operations, against the clearly established international laws of war. He also explained that since the coup, the junta soldiers are committing rape and other sexual violence more blatantly in every place of their presence; in cities, villages, detention centres and prisons. Not only do they commit such violence, they also talk about it as a matter of pride. He said that with complete lack of respect for the rule of law, the people have no option other than to protect themselves, and must remain silent when any kind of violence is perpetrated against them. He explained that urgent and decisive actions must come from the international community in order to stop violations against international law and crimes against women. He finally appealed to the international community and the United Nations to help the people of Myanmar before any further loss of lives and brutal incidents to the people in particular women and girls and children.
On 7 October 2022, the Ministry of Education officially launched the Myanmar Nway-Oo University (MNOU). It is a public and autonomous university jointly established by the temporary University Councils (UCs) and the discipline groups. The MNOU offers formal courses, cores curriculum courses and short courses for all students who are resisting against the regime’s education system.
On 7 October 2022, the National Unity Government published a “Report on the one-year analytical review and planned future endeavours of the People’s Defensive Revolution”. In the report, the situation and progress made during the one-year period since the declaration of the People’s Defensive Revolution were presented. Topics included and discussed in the report are warfare, control of territory, governance and the rule of law, public participation, future endeavours, forming alliances, international relations, and finance.
On 7 October 2022, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to United Nations, delivered a statement under agenda Item 84: The Rule of Law at the National and International Levels, at the Sixth Committee of the 77th session of UN General Assembly. In the statement, he explained that the consequences of the destruction of the rule of law at the national level transcend borders and can undermine the rule of law at the regional and international levels. He also highlighted that it is crucial for the international community to promote and strengthen the rule of law, especially in conflict and post-conflict situations. Explaining the situation in Myanmar and mentioning that the illegal junta has neither legal basis nor legitimacy, he emphasized that the rule of law in Myanmar is being buried, and tremendous injustice is being inflicted on the people. He further added that the military junta’s continued violations of domestic laws and international law have serious implications on regional peace and stability, causing the displacement of more than 1 million people and making many women and children vulnerable to transnational crimes such as human trafficking. He called on the international community, including ASEAN and the United Nations, to stand firm with the people of Myanmar and work with their elected National Unity Government and ethnic resistance organizations in order to restore democracy, justice and the rule of law in Myanmar.
Actions and Remarks by the International Community in response to the Military Coup d’état
On 3 October 2022, at the United Nations daily press briefing, Mr. Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said that the colleagues in Myanmar are concerned that ongoing hostilities across the country continue to endanger the lives and well-being of civilians. He mentioned that more than a million people have now been displaced by conflict and insecurity since the military takeover in February of last year. He explained that in Rakhine, indiscriminate attacks, the use of landmines and mortar shelling, as well as tight security measures and access constraints, are putting people’s lives in danger and preventing assistance from reaching those who actually need it. He added that nationwide, landmines and explosive remnants of war continue to claim lives and endanger civilians. He further mentioned that food security is also a major concern, as many families are not able to buy enough food due to a spike in prices and of basic commodities.
On 4 October 2022, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees published a press release announcing that Meikswe Myanmar, a civil society organization in Myanmar won the regional Nansen Refugee Award for the Asia region, having been selected by an independent selection committee. It was explained that “Meikswe Myanmar” is a CSO operating in several states and regions in Myanmar, and it serves a diverse range of vulnerable groups from people living with HIV to internally displaced people and their host communities. UNHCR further stated that Meikswe Myanmar has been named a regional winner of the award in recognition of their longstanding commitment to aiding and empowering communities uprooted by conflict. It also acknowledges their contributions in supporting and building the capacity of local organizations to effectively respond to the needs of displaced populations and host communities.
At the United Nations’ daily press briefing on 6 October 2022, Mr. Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, provided a quick update from Myanmar, where the team is concerned about the safety of journalists. He mentioned that according to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), as of this week, at least 170 journalists have been arrested since the military takeover in February of last year. Nearly 70 journalists, including 12 women, remain under detention. He added that UNESCO has also recorded over 200 incidents of media repression, including killings, arrests, detention, criminal cases, imprisonments, and raids of editorial offices, and forty-four journalists, which include seven women, have been sentenced for criminal offences by local courts. He said that media workers experience digital surveillance of mobile phones and social media platforms, and UNESCO remains committed to protecting and defending their press freedom. He further mentioned aid workers have continued to respond to new needs, reaching 3.1 million people with at least one form of assistance in the first half of the year. He said that however, a shortfall in funding and heavy access constraints have hindered them from delivering the full range of relief required by people in need. He said that the response also remains drastically underfunded. As of 29 September, the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan was only 20 per cent funded, leaving a gap of $680 million. He said that this situation is forcing partners to make tough decisions about prioritization of assistance at a time when needs are growing and scaling up is required.
On 6 October 2022, the U.S. States Department issued a press statement by Antony J. Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, titled “Designations of Burmese Targets to Promote Justice and Accountability”. In the statement, the Secretary of State said that since the military coup in Burma over 18 months ago, the Burmese military regime has perpetrated violence against Burma’s people, killing thousands, displacing more than a million people, and detaining pro-democracy advocates, political opposition leaders, members of civil society, and journalists all in a brutal attempt to consolidate its control. He explained that the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating three individuals, Aung Moe Myint, Hlaing Moe Myint, and Myo Thitsar, for their roles related to the procurement of Russian-produced military arms from Belarus for the Burmese regime, as well as Dynasty International Company Limited, under Executive Order 14014. He added that these designations follow the regime’s executions of pro-democracy activists and elected leaders Ko Jimmy, Phyo Zeya Thaw, Hla Myo Aung, and Aung Thura Zaw and aim to target those abetting the military’s ability to carry out human rights abuses, including the September 16 assault helicopter attack on a school that killed at least 11 children. He also explained that these designations also implicate the Burmese military’s long-time ties to the Russian and Belarusian militaries. The U.S. will continue to use sanctions authorities to target those in Burma and elsewhere supporting Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine, as well as Russia and Belarus’ facilitation of the Burmese regime’s violence against its own people. He further mentioned that in conjunction with these sanctions, the Department of State is also designating former Burma police chief and deputy Home Affairs Minister Than Hlaing under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2022, for his involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely the extrajudicial killing of peaceful protestors following the military coup in February 2021. He emphasized that the U.S. will continue to work with the partners to promote justice and accountability for atrocities and human rights violations and abuses in Burma, including in connection with the military coup and the ongoing violence perpetrated by the regime. The U.S. remains committed to supporting the people of Burma and call for the protection of human rights, unhindered humanitarian access, and return to inclusive, multiparty democracy in Burma.
On 6 October 2022, the UNHCR published “Highlights of Myanmar Emergency Update (as of 3 October 2022)”. In the highlights, it stated that the security situation in Myanmar continued to deteriorate during the reporting period, resulting in new displacements. As of 3 October 2022, there were an estimated 1,349,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) across the country, including 1,019,00 people who have been newly displaced within the country since 1 February 2021. In Rakhine and Chin (South) States, the security situation has progressively worsened with increased clashes reported in northern Maungdaw, northern Rathedaung, southern Buthidaung and Kyauktaw, Minbya and Paletwa Townships. Since August 2022, some 18,417 have been newly displaced due to conflict, according to the latest UN figures. Increased checkpoints on roads and waterways continue to impact communities’ security and freedom of movement. Stricter restrictions on the transportation of goods in villages in Maungdaw, Rakhine State (North), were also reported, resulting in shortages of food, medicine and other essential items. Non-displaced communities, notably the Rohingya, face further movement restrictions and barriers to assistance, including access to life-saving healthcare and livelihoods. On 15 September, de facto authorities issued instructions calling for humanitarian actors and service providers to suspend activities in Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Rathedaung, MraukU, Minbya and Myebon. This recent development is likely to exacerbate existing vulnerabilities caused by the increased security and limited freedom of movement.
In the South-East, armed clashes continued to generate displacement, largely due to the deterioration of the security situation in Mon, Kayah and Kayin States and Bago (East) and Tanintharyi Regions. A lack of food and essential medicine remain a concern in Kayah State. Security checks and roadblocks continue to impact freedom of movement. In the North-West, the situation remains volatile. The use of artillery fire, aerial attacks and landmines continue to pose risks to civilian safety in Chin State, Magway and Sagaing Regions. The movement of people and transportation of various goods, including food, medicine and fuel, across main roads has also been affected due to the presence of security checkpoints, active armed conflict and landmines. The price of fuel and other basic commodities have also risen as many people become more isolated because of the limited freedom of movement caused by the heightened insecurity. In Kachin and Shan (North), tensions were high. Theft, robbery, extortion, indiscriminate attacks, including explosions in public areas or buildings, pose risks to displaced populations and host communities.
On 6 October 2022, the UNICEF published Humanitarian Situation Report No. 8 for 1 to 30 September 2022. In the highlights of the report, it mentioned that as of 26 September, the number of internally displaced people has reached 1,347,400, including 1,017,000 displaced since the military takeover in February 2021 and 330,400 living in protracted displacement prior to the coup. It pointed out that on 16 September, at least 11 children died as a result of an air strike and indiscriminate fire in civilian areas, including a school, in Tabayin Township, in the Sagaing region. It also explained that in Rakhine, the security situation continues to deteriorate and movement restrictions are being imposed as a result of continuing clashes between the Arakan Army and Myanmar Armed Forces, severely affecting humanitarian interventions and the ability of aid workers to reach the affected population. It further referred the report of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) that almost 13,400 people have been newly displaced in the region as of 26 September. Although the UNICEF nutrition programme is facing a funding gap of 85 per cent, implementing partners have been able to reach 32,119 children aged 6–59 months (15,821 girls) with preventive nutrition services, including multiple micronutrient powder and vitamin A supplementation.
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Date: 09 October 2022
Permanent Mission of Myanmar, New York