Myanmar or Burma

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/35417209

A powerful ethnic armed group in western Myanmar claimed Friday to have scored a major victory in the war against the ruling military, even as neighboring nations at a meeting in Thailand were discussing efforts to end the conflict peacefully.

The Arakan Army (AA) has reportedly captured the Western Region Military Command headquarters in Ann Township, Rakhine State, marking a significant development in the ongoing conflict in the region. A military source close to the AA confirmed the capture on 16 December, stating that many personnel surrendered and raised white flags.

“The AA’s capture of the Western Command signals a weakening of the Military Council’s position in Rakhine State,” said U Myat Tun, director of the Rakhine Human Rights Defenders Association.

He added that simultaneous attacks on other key locations like Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Myanaung could further shift the balance of power, allowing the Rakhine people to pursue their long-awaited [goal of] self-determination.

Myanmar’s military has been destroying entire villages in northern Mandalay Region since recapturing them late last month, according to locals and resistance forces operating in the area.

MAL has become quite the comedian. In yet another comedic turn, in a message commemorating the 50th anniversary of Arakan State Day on December 15, junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing urged for the cessation of the armed conflict (in Arakan State where he has lost most of its territory save for state capital and a Chinese sea port).

An anonymous expert on China indicated that the meeting probably centered on peacebuilding efforts, ceasefire talks, and security concerns tied to Chinese projects in the area.

The KNDF stated that on December 7 and 8, troops from Battalion 422, based near Moebye, launched drone strikes with bombs containing S-PHOS (560) chemical agents in Moebye and its surroundings.

“A chemical agent was used in attacks. As a result, revolutionary fighters experienced symptoms such as dizziness and vomiting,” said Ta Eh Soe, a KNDF spokesperson.

There has been a slight drop in the production of opium in Myanmar, the world’s biggest source of the illicit drug from which heroin is derived, experts from the United Nations said Thursday, while warning of strong prospects for future expansion of the deadly trade.