The last time a cold breeze blows through the boiling weather in the southern part of Myanmar, the Karen people intuitively recognized the Karen New Year. Last year, the celebrations of the Karen New Year took place grandly in Karen, Ayeyarwaddy and other regions, but this year, the celebrations were held briefly under the worsening political situation.

 

 

The battles between Karen allied forces and junta troops were waged in the Kawtnwe and Ta Tan Ku near the Thai-Myanmar border trade hub, in the Asia Road, on the Thursday Dec. 22. One former boxer, who was a caretaker of a fishpond, was killed due to heavy artillery unleashed by junta troops.

 

 

An explosion at Pansodan-Dala passenger ferry

 

 

At least 17 people were injured because of a blast that occurred at Pansodan-Dala ferry late at night last Sunday.

 

 

It came a few months after a deadly explosion ripped the Bar Lan bus-stop in Yangon in May.

 

 

The injured people were taken to hospital by ambulance and the rescue workers said five people were in critical condition.

 

 

The junta claimed urban guerrilla forces perpetrated the attack. But the people defence forces (PDF) put the blame on the junta. The parallel National Unity Government (NUG) announced on Dec. 20 that they would conduct the perpetrators of the brutal attack.

 

 

The Pansodan-Dala commuter ferries plies to other coastal areas near the Yangon River, such as Dala, Twantay, Kawmhu, Kungyangon. Thousands of people use the Pansodan-Dala commuter ferries everyday.

 

Two gold and jewelry shops robbed in Mandalay

 

 

Two gold and jewelry shops in Pyigyidagun and Patheingyi townships in Mandalay were robbed by still unidentified suspects earlier in the week.

 

 

On Tuesday morning, while Maw Thit Shwe was opening his jewelry shop in Pyigyidagun township, two suspects barged into the shop and forcibly took two baskets full of gold and other jewelry. It was the third time the shop was robbed.

 

 

At the Aung Tha Pyay gold and jewelry shop in Patheingyi, around 50 ticals of gold and other jewelry were robbed snatched by unidentified suspects on Thursday afternoon.

 

 

Imprisonments of journalists

 

 

A junta court convicted several journalists who were arrested in December last year after they protested the illegal military takeover of the civilian government headed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

 

 

News reporters Ma Hmu Yadanar Khat Moet Moet Tun and Ko Kaung Sat Lin were detained since 5th December 2021 after joining an anti-junta protest along Pan Pin Kyi Road,Kyimyindaing township in Yangon. Both of them were sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment.

 

Ma Hmu Yadanar Khat Moet Moet Tun is facing another criminal case for allegedly violating

 

 

Section 50(j) of the country’s anti-terrorism law. Military courts have been imposing prison sentences to journalists including well-known journalist U Sithu Aung Myint, who is currently serving a 12 years jail sentence.

 

 

UNSC adopted a resolution on Myanmar after 74 years

 

The United Nations Security Council adopted its first resolution on Myanmar on Wednesday, the first in 74 years. The UNSC resolution calls for the immediate end to the junt's violence and release of democratically elected leaders and political prisoners.

 

 

In addition, the UNSC urged the junta to reconcile with the stakeholders and be respectful to human rights, basic freedom and rule of law. Moreover, the UN body also asked about the resolution of Rakhine crisis and resettlement of Rohingya. Wednesday’s UNSC resolution was voted by 12 out of 15 countries, excluding China, Russia and India.

 

 

Thailand hosts ASEAN informal meeting

 

 

The day after the UNSC resolution, Thailand invited the neighboring countries to an informal meeting on Myanmar. The meeting was attended by military-appointed foreign minister U Wunna Maung Lwin, as well as his counterparts from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Other member ASEAN countries, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines refused to attend the meeting.

 

 

According to announcement made by Friday, the informal meeting discussed about the five points consensus and the current situation in Myanmar.

 

 

The meeting also condemned the operations of people’s defence forces (PDF) under the national unity government (NUG) describing their activities as violent operations. But it did not judge the junta's brutality, such as burning villages, aircraft attacks on civilian targets and other human rights violations committed by junta troops.

 

Burma Associated Press