January 13

 

The more defeats the junta troops suffered, the more air strikes they launched in a desperate attempt to regain lost territories.

 

Last Sunday, junta aircrafts bombed Khampat town in Sagaing and Namhsan and Lashio towns in northern Shan State that killed more than three dozens people.

 

The junta aircrafts dropped three bombs in Kanan Sanpyan village near Khampat, which is under the control of allied revolutionary forces since November.

 

At least 17 people including 9 children were killed and around 20 people were injured in the bombing.

 

Likewise, in TNLA-controlled Myo Thit village in Namhsin township, five people were killed including two educational staffs due to air strikes. In Mongyawng village in Lashio township, five people including four children died in air strikes.

 

Myanmar classical singer Daw Mar Mar Aye dies in USA

 

Myanmar classical singer Daw Mar Mar Aye died on Tuesday. She passed away at her residence in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the United States at the age of 81.

 

Daw Mar Mar Aye was a deputy for programme in Myanmar Radio. She was also an executive member of Myanmar Modern Music Council and a committee member of Gita Padaytha Magazine. She was also a secretary of National League of Musicians and National Performing Arts Association. She left Myanmar since 1998 and settled down in US.

 

Documentary filmmaker Shin Daewe sentenced to life imprisonment

 

Documentary filmmaker Shin Daewe was sentenced to life imprisonment by a military court in Insein prison. She was detained while she taking the video drone, she ordered online in Aung Mingalar express gate in October.

 

She was convicted under two anti-terrorism laws.

 

Shin Daewe filmed saffron revolution in 2007, which exposed the brutal crackdown of Myanmar junta troops against monks to worldwide. She received many awards in international film festivals.

 

New ASEAN special envoy visited Myanmar

 

Alounkeo Kittikhoun, the new special envoy selected by rotating chair country, Laos visited Myanmar on Wednesday and met with Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing.

 

During their meeting, they discussed the implementation of five points consensus suggested by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to solve the Myanmar political situation.

 

Myanmar is well known for being the graveyard of diplomatic relations. Since the military takeover, three special envoys were appointed to solve domestic affairs in Myanmar but they failed to achieve a better outcome no matter how they tried.

 

The efforts put in by former deputy foreign affairs minister and permanent representative of UN and the diplomatic experience of ALounkeo Kittikhoun will be observed soon.

 

Myanmar junta and the Brotherhood allied forces agreed to ceasefire

 

The Myanmar junta said in a statement that it reached a temporary ceasefire agreement with the Brotherhood allied forces after three days dialogue in Kuming, China.

 

The agreed ceasefire should have started in December but was not successful. The two sides held another discussion in the last week of December but failed to reach an agreement. The current ceasefire agreement emerged after third political dialogue.

 

During the meeting, the Myanmar junta agreed not to launch air strikes and Brotherhood forces agreed not to initiate offensive attacks.

 

SAC made some changes in ministerial positions

 

The State Administration Council (SAC) appointed the chief of the Myanmar Navy, U Moe Aung as the National Security advisor and Union Minister of Ministry 4.

 

In the same manner, the Union Minister of International Cooperation, U Ko Ko Hlaing was replaced to become the Minister of Ministry at SAC chairman committee.

 

U Aung Naing Oo became minister of Ministry 2 at the SAC Chairman’s office.

 

The junta troops also made changes in positions after their defeats in military, political and other areas.

 

Burma Associated Press