Date: 14 September 2022

1. Info-graphs of BHRN’s Report
2. Editor's Review
3. Rohingya Issu
4. Rohingya in Banglades
5. Rakhine State
6. Violations of Freedom of Religious and Belief
7. Arrests and trials faced by NLD members
8. The activities of the CRPH and the NUG
9. Fighting between ethnic armies and junta forces
10. Internally Displaced People (IDPs)
11. Arson attacks on villages and homes
12. Statements issued by the junta (SAC) and its activities
13. Hate Speech

    13.1. Social Media Monitoring

    13.2. Offline Media Monitoring

 14. Human Rights Violations

     14.1.Rape as War Crime (committed by junta troops)

     14.2. Violation of Freedom of expression

         Arrest of Journalists

         Arrest of protesters

     14.3.Extra-judicial Punishment

         Arbitrary arrests

         Arrests of those who joined CDM activities

     14.4. Extra Judicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances

     14.5. Violence attacks by pro-junta thugs

         Pyu Saw Htee

        Thway Tauk, Sun Ye and other Patriotic Alliance

Methodology



Information in this document has been gathered by the BHRN team by primary and secondary research method. We employed local researchers and local informers across Burma including in Rakhine State, Thai-Burma border and the Bangladesh border monitoring, investigating and documenting incidents of human rights violations. Any information we receive is carefully checked for credibility and authenticity by experienced senior research officers in the organisation. Once the information is approved the editorial team prepares the final document.

The people of two regions in Myanmar, Sagaing and Magwe, are facing severe persecution at the hands of the junta. It comes as the junta is facing stiff resistance against its rule. There were reports of the factories in Yangon being forced to dismiss their workers from the two regions. The people from two regions are identified by the number of their citizenship identification cards. They face more scrutiny by the security forces. 

The junta killed at least 128 innocent civilians in August and the junta forces continued gender-based violence across the country. In August, five civilian women were raped by the junta forces across the country. 

The junta continued its bigoted attacks across the country with continuing attacks on religious buildings. One Buddhist monk and three Muslims were killed during the month. 

The junta also increased the arrests of persecuted Rohingya Muslims, with more than 200 Rohingya being arrested in August with the allegation of unauthorized travel outside of Rakhine State. 

The junta and its proxies are trying to create division among the activists who are fighting against the junta’s rule against the country. The crackdown against those who are part of the Spring Revolution has intensified. The ultra-nationalist groups continued to propagate racial and religious hatred on social media. They mostly target the members of minority religions,including Rohingya Muslims.

The number of attacks on civilian targets by the junta has also increased. They are using both aerial and ground troops to attack civilian targets has been continuing unabated. During August alone more than 4600 homes were destroyed across the country due to these attacks. Out of which, more than 3500 were in Sagaing Region and 750 homes in the Magwe region.

As a result of the attacks by the junta more than 48800 civilians were displaced in August alone. This includes more than 26,500 from the Sagaing Region and 10000 in the Magwe Region. 

2 August - An incident of rape and brutal murder of a 20-year-old Rohingya woman was reported in Gwa Township in Rakhine State. A 13-year-old Rohingya girl was injured in the same incident, the state government appointed by the military junta said. It said they were from Maungtaw Township. The body of the unnamed woman was found near Sha Phyu Kwin village along with the injured girl on 1 August. A source in Gwa hospital where the injured girl was admitted said they were both rapped and brutally beaten.  Ref: Arakan Express

2 August- A group of 19 Rohingya Muslims were arrested in Gwa Township in Rakhine State on 2 August, a local news agency, the Arakan Express News, reported. The report, quoting a statement issued by the state government appointed by the junta, said nine men and ten women, including three minors, were arrested while hiding from the security forces looking to arrest them on charges of traveling without official permission. They were arrested a day after the car they were traveling failed to stop at a security checkpoint in Gwa Township. The statement said they hid in a nearby forest in fear of being arrested. Among them, a 20-year-old woman was raped and murdered, and a 13-year-old girl was also raped. The 13-year-old girl was injured in the attack and is currently being treated at Gwa Township hospital. The Arakan Express News said it is still investigating the incident to uncover more details. - Ref: The Arakan Express News  

5 August- Three Rohingya Muslims were arrested in Sittwe Airport in Rakhine State on 4 August on allegation of traveling on forged citizenship identification cards. They were arrested before boarding a flight to Yangon. As their citizenship identification card showed their address as Taungpaw ward in Myaypone, where many Rohingya displaced people are being held, the airport immigration authorities counterchecked their citizenship IDs with the local immigration office and found out that they were using forged documents. The arrested Rohingya later told the police that they were from the refugee camp in Bangladesh. The authorities said they will take legal action against the three.  Ref: Narinjara

6 August- A group of 9 Rohingya Muslims were arrested in Gwa Township in Rakhine State. Five men and four women were arrested while traveling to Yangon from where they intended to migrate to Malaysia. They left their homes in different villages in Maungtaw and Kyauktaw townships on motorboats and later traveled on motorbikes as arranged for them by their traffickers. They traveled along the jungle route to avoid being arrested. However, they were finally arrested while waiting in the jungle to bypass a key security checkpoint in Gwa Township.  Ref: Narinjara

6 August- An independent human rights watchdog, the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA), said it has been able to collect evidence related to the genocidal killings of Rohingya Muslims by the Myanmar military. The CIJA includes international war crime investigators and criminal lawyers. The CIJA said the evidence it collected included proof of the forced eviction of Rohingya from northern Rakhine State as well as the plan by the Myanmar military to commit genocide and how the regime has tried to conceal the attacks on the Rohingya from the international community. The United Nations and the United States have declared that the killings of Rohingya Muslims amount to genocide.  Ref: Irrawaddy

9 August- The junta troops arrested a civilian in Ann Township in Rakhine State with the allegation of providing support to the Rohingya Muslims who tried to flee the state. 55-year-old U Tin Ohn (a.k.a) U Auk Aw was arrested from his home in Than Chaung village on 9 August. “The army major who came to arrest him (U Tin Ohn) said he is helping with transportation to Muslims to travel from Nyaung Change village to Than Chaung village (both villages situated in Ann Township),” said a local elder. Then Chaung village is situated about 8 miles from Ann Township, with only 100 households. Ref: DMG

10 August- A group of 18 Rohingya Muslims were arrested in Yekyi Township in Ayeyarwady Region on 10 August. A member of the police force involved in the arrest said a Rohingya boy was killed during the arrest. “We found 13 Rohingya men and five women in a forest in Set Set Yo village (situated in Yaekyi Township). There was a shootingt that broke out in which a 16-year-old boy was killed,” the police officer said. The incident happened as the security forces tried to stop a car carrying Rohingya Muslims on the Moneywa-Pathein highway. Those in the car ran into a jungle nearby to avoid arrest. An eyewitness said the cars the Rohingya Muslims were in belonged to the local military, and soldiers were involved in the trafficking. It is not known where the Rohingya Muslims are currently held.  Ref: Mizzima

11 August- The spokesperson of a rebel group Arakan Army (AA), Khine Thukha, said the junta is deliberately trying to instigate sectarian violence in Rakhine State. He said among the tactics used by the junta include arbitrary arrests of Muslims, forcing them to go on sentry duty, and extorting bribes from them. The spokesperson said the junta is putting up barricades near Muslim villages to prevent the people in the village from traveling. The junta is also accused of committing atrocities against civilians across the country, and reintroducing its famous “four-cuts strategy” in its long-standing anti-insurgency campaign. Ref: Khit Thit News

18 August- The junta has imposed a blockade on four Rohingya villages in Maungtaw Township in Rakhine State. The order issued on 18 August said the blockade was imposed on Pantaw Pyin, Nyaung Chaung, Padin, and Du Nyaungpin villages, saying that the measure was taken for the security of the villagers. The move comes five days after fierce fighting between the junta troops and Arakan Army (AA) in the region.  Ref: Narinjara

20 August- 25 Rohingya Muslims were arrested in Ngapali town in Rakhine State on 19 August, a police source said. It said they are from Maungtaw Township in Northern Rakhine State, and they were traveling to Yangon  and from therethey planned to travel to Malaysia. The Rohingya Muslims were abandoned in Ngapali by their trafficker after the boat they were traveling could not continue the voyage due to a storm. “We know that there were 50 Rohingya Muslims on the boat. We are still looking for the rest of the people,” the source said.  Ref: DMG

23 August- A group of 56 Rohingya Muslims were arrested in a village in Wakhema Township in Ayeyarwady Region on 21 August. A local source said 39 men and 26 females, including minors, were arrested at a tip-off by a local informant working for the junta. They were arrested while on the way to Yangon. Ref: RFA

25 August- The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his country stands together with the murdered and persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority in the fight for justice and holds the Myanmar military accountable for the atrocities it committed against them. He was speaking on 25 August, marking the fifth anniversary of the attacks on the Rohingya communities. The "area clearing" operations carried out by the Myanmar military in 2007 have forced more than 740 000 Rohingya people to flee to Bangladesh. Ref: DVB

27 August- The authorities failed to provide food to jailed Rohingya Muslims in several parts of Myanmar. A source said they are being taken care of by the mosques in the respective towns where they are held. He said the local mosques in Wakhema Township in the Ayeyarwady Region are providing food and other assistance to a group of 51 Rohingya Muslims who were arrested by the junta on 22 August. The junta has arrested hundreds of Rohingya Muslims who tried to flee persecution in Rakhine State, and they are given maximum prison terms under immigration charges.  Ref: Mizzima

31 August- The junta arrested 60 Rohingya Muslims in Ahmar Township in Ayeyarwady Region on 29 August, a local source said. The source said they were arrested with six dead bodies on the boat. The source said one child among them died after the group was arrested. Ref: Mizzima

3 August - The World Health Organization confirmed an outbreak of Dengue in the Rohingya refugee camps. At the end of July, the UN said there were 7,687 throughout the camps since January. They released their findings on August 3rd. According to the US Center For Disease Control, Dengue’s primary symptoms are fever, nausea, vomiting, rash, and aches and pain around the eyes, muscles, joints, and bones. Dengue is spread by mosquitos. The WHO warned that the community is at risk of secondary infection, which would put them at higher risk for severe disease. Ref: WHO 

8 August- China said it would assist Bangladesh in the repatriation of tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar. The Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, made the pledge during a talk in Dhaka with his Bangladeshi counterpart Me Abdul Momen. China has helped Myanmar in building more than 3000 homes in northern Rakhine State to accommodate repatriated Rohingya Muslims. Beijing said it would also provide food rations for the refugees after they are sent back to Myanmar.  Ref: RFA

15 August - Authorities in the camps have organized night watches following growing fears of arson attacks. Guards are selected from within the community and rotated throughout the month. Those who cannot serve as guards at their appointed time are fined between 150 and 200 Taka ($2). Authorities should work to properly train and employ refugees as night guards in the camps, and the international community should support the cost of doing so.  Ref: BHRN

17 August - Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, told UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, that the Rohingya must be returned to Burma when the two met in Dhaka. “The Rohingya are nationals of Myanmar and they have to be taken back,” Hasina was quoted as saying by her press secretary. Bangladesh is correct to say that the Rohingya must be returned, but they must present a plan for how that can be done while ensuring their safety and rights. While the military illegitimately clings to power, a safe and equitable return of the Rohingya is not possible.  Ref: AP 

18 August -  Police have increased stops of ordinary citizens traveling throughout the camps for routine errands. BHRN was informed of many such stops, including a man who was stopped on his way home from the Kutapalong Market and had his phone confiscated. Authorities found photos of the man outside of the camp on his phone and attempted to extort him of 50,000 Taka ($525). The man haggled and was able to pay them around $200 instead. According to locals, the police filmed the man as they forced him to deny he had been extorted. These recorded denials are said to be increasingly common. Ref: BHRN

20 August - Police increased their presence in the camps after fighting between two groups broke out in Camp-2. The fights (described as minor by witnesses) were between the Rohingya Solidarity Organization and a group known as the Muna Group (a group commonly described as a robber gang named after its leader). Police used the unrest to harass refugees without cause.Ref: BHRN

26 August- The Rohingya refugees in southern Bangladesh have been targeted by criminal gangs and an armed organisation the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) as a result they have to live in constant fear, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported on 26 August. The report said the leader of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH) Mohamed Jubiah, who is calling for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar is facing threats from these groups. More than 700 000 Rohingya Muslims were forced out of their homes during an attack by the Myanmar military five years ago. Ref: RFA

11 August – The spokesperson of the Arakan Army (AA) Khine Thukha said fierce fighting is expected to resume in Rakhine State between the AA and junta forces. He made the comment during a media conference held on 11 August. Khine Thu Kha added that the civilians should be more vigilant as the fighting between the two sides looms. Fighting erupted two days after the AA spokesperson’s comments. The latest clashes broke out between the two sides near Chai Khali village in Rathetaung Township. One civilian was killed and 300 others were forced to flee. The junta is accused of holding more than 100 civilians in the area of conflict, a local source said. He said among those detained,  50 were released.  Ref: BHRN

21 August- The junta has summoned 20 civil society organizations based in the Rakhine State capital Sittwe to warn them not to raise funds for displaced civilians. The CSOs were told that they needed approval from the junta for their work. A local CSO said the new procedure could cause a delay to the relief work amid urgent needs for support to the displaced people. The source said that currently more than 50 000 people are displaced in Rakhine State due to the resurgence of conflict in the region. Ref: RFA

16 August - The junta forces arrested a monk in a village in Ayeyartaw Township in Sagaing Region on 16 August, a local source said. He said the members of a pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee members were also involved in the arrest of U Dhamma Tharya from Ngwe Twin village.

He said the monk U Dhamathara was defrocked and forced to wear a military uniform before being arrested. The source said the monk was also beaten up and his car and other properties in the monastery were looted by the junta and Pyu Saw Htee members who came to arrest him. In Ngwe village at least 22 civilians were abducted in August. – Ref: The Irrawaddy

28 August- The bodies of an Islamic religious leader and his son, who were arrested by the junta in Kyun Hla Township in Sagaing Region, were found a day after they were abducted. A member of a local activist group said the two were arrested on 25 August with the allegation of participating in training provided by the people's defence forces. In other incidents in Kyun Hla and Kanni Township, in Sagaing Region, the junta troops killed seven civilians, including an Islamic leader. The troops burned down their cars and motorbikes, the source said. Ref: Khit Thit Media

29 August - One Muslim man was killed at a military checkpoint in Pani village in Okkan Township in Yangon Region, a local source said. He said a 41-year-old man was killed after he and four other Muslim men were stopped at a security checkpoint. The source said they were first asked about their religion, and after they said they were Muslims, they were told to leave all their posessions by the security forces. Two in the groups were arrested and the remaining two managed to flee. The two arrested men were released after being asked to sign an undertaking not to mention the incident to the media. Ref:  BHRN

15 August- A special tribunal in Nay Pyi Taw has sentenced pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to six years in jail on a series of corruption charges filed against her by the junta. The 77-year-old former leader was accused of involvement in a land acquisition case in Nay Pyi Taw in the name of her family charity group, Daw Khin Kyi Foundation. She is currently serving 11 years in jail in the other six cases she was convicted of since her arrest in February last year. The junta has slapped a total of 19 cases against her. Ref: RFA

1 August- The National Unity Government (NUG) said it opened its representative office in Japan on 31 July. A NUG representative in Japan, U Saw Ba Hla Thein said he is holding talks with the officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Affairs of Japan. He added that the role of expatriate Myanmar in Japan would be important to consolidate NUG’s presence in the country. Ref: Khit Thit Media

21 August- An adviser of the National Unity Government (NUG) said the junta is continuing its abuse against the Rohingya Muslims and other minority groups in the country. The NUG adviser on the human rights issues, U Aung Kyaw Moe, said the junta would have to be accountable for the crimes against humanity it is committing against the minority groups. The junta arrested a group of 50 Rohingya Muslims in Ngapali town in Rakhine State, which U Aung Kyaw Moe said amounted to serious rights violations committed by the junta. Ref: RFA

30 August- The acting president of the National Unity Government (NUG), Duwah Lashi La, has expressed sorrow over the deaths and displacement of more than 1 million Rohingya people during an attack by the Myanmar military five years ago. He was speaking at a virtual meeting with the members of the Rohingya community in Bangladesh on 29 August. He said the NUG is working on three areas to help the displaced Rohingya community. He said they planned is to establish a justice and accountability mechanism, their repatriation to Myanmar, and to provide practical legal support for them.  Ref: DVB

3 August- Two students were killed, and three others were injured in an attack by the junta troops on a boat carrying students in Palatwa Township in Chin State on 2 August. The attack was carried out from a military base near Natmadaw village in Palatwa. The junta tried to justify the attack by saying that it suspected the boat belonged to the Arakan Army (AA). However, AA said its forces were not present in the area and accused the junta of deliberately targeting the civilians. Ref: BHRN 

9 August- The junta troops carried out a bombing of civilian targets in Kayah and Kachin states on 9 August, the Kayanni National Defense Force (KNDF), said. It said hundreds of civilians were forced to flee their homes due to the junta’s attack. Ref: Khit Thit Media

25 August- More than 80 members of the people's defence forces were killed in fighting with the junta troops across the country during the past month since 15 July, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported. A spokesperson of the National Unity Government (NUG), U Kyaw Zaw, said the regime forces killed the members of PDF in the place where they were arrested or killed after interrogating them. U Kyaw Zaw said the move is to frighten the supporters of the PDFs. He said to reduce the number of PDF casualties, the NUG is seeking help from military experts. It is also trying to bring all PDFs under the chain of command of the Defense Ministry of the NUG government. Ref:  RFA

27 August- At least 40 civilians were killed and 60 others were injured due to attacks by the junta troops on civilian targets in Kayah State, a civil society group, the Kayanni Human Rights Group (KnHRG) said. A spokesperson of KnHRG, Ko Bannya, told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the list of civilian casualties was recorded since May last year when the junta launched an attack on Kone Thar village in Kayah State’s Demorso Township in which four civilians were killed. He said the fighting erupted in Kayah State between the junta troops and the members of the people's defence forces in April last year, two months after the military coup. KnHRG said more than 200 000 people were displaced in Kayah State due to the conflict in the region.  Ref: RFA

3 August- An aid agency helping the displaced civilians in Tanintharyi Region said the number of IDPs has increased in the area as the junta steps up its attacks against civilian targets. A spokesperson of Dawna Tanintharyi aid group said on 3 August that the number of displaced people in the three townships in the region has increased to 8200. It said they include 6000 in Thayatchaung, 1800 in Pulaw, and 800 in Dawei townships. Ref:- BHRN  

5 August- An 11-year-old displaced civilian Maung Noe Noe La Pyae died in Yephyu Township in Tanintharyi Region as he could not reach treatment for his lung conditions. “His lungs conditions were not very good. He fell sick frequently,” a fellow displaced civilian said. He said about 1000 civilians had been displaced in the area due to the onslaught of junta troops. The aid agencies said the displaced people are forced to live in harsh conditions during the rainy season and they are running out of food and medical supplies. Ref: Khit Thit Media

14 August- The Kayin National Union (KNU) said more than 150 000 civilians were displaced due to fighting in Nyaung Lay Bin and Htoo Tha Thu areas in Bago and Mon State in the latest fighting between the rebel group and the junta troops. A statement issued by the KNU on 14 August said there is an urgent need for food and shelter for the displaced people. Ref: BHRN

22 August- The junta is planning to close down three camps for the displaced people in Namtu Township in northern Shan State, a local source said. He said the General Administration Department of Namgtu Townships has summoned the officials from the camp for Kachin displaced people as well as Kyusat camp and the camp for Lisu ethnic group, during the last week of June to inform them about its plan for the closure of the three camps. The source said the officials were told to close down the camps by 30 April next year at the latest. The three camps housed the civilians who were due to fighting that erupted in the area in 2016 between the junta troops and Kachin, Shan, and Ta’aung ethnic armies. Ref: Mizzima

29 August- The Kayin National Union (KNU) said more than 1000 civilians were displaced in Mone Township in Bago Region. KNU said the civilians fled their homes as the junta troops are preparing for an offensive in the area, which is under the control of the KNU’s Brigade 3. It said the junta was pointing its weapons, including the howitzers, in the direction of a village in Mone Township, which prompted the civilians in the area to flee to safer places.  Ref: DVB

6 August- An elderly civilian was killed, and more than 350 homes were destroyed in a series of raids by the junta troops on Min Ywa Kyi Ywa village in Ayattaw Township in Sagaing Region on 5 and 6 August, a local source said. He said the junta troops raided the village, which has around 1000 households, three times during the two days. He said an 80-year-old woman was killed in the raid. Ref: RFA

7 August- More displacements were reported in the Sagaing Region during the first week of August due to the relentless ground and aerial attacks carried out by the junta troops in the region, aid agencies said. They said there is an urgent need for food and medicines for the displaced people. According to a statistics released on 7 June by a Data for Myanmar, more than 13,000 homes were destroyed in Sagaing Region due to attacks conducted by the junta troops. The group said the figure represents the number of houses destroyed in the region from February 2021 until 31 March. The group said the number of homes destroyed in the Sagaing Region is the highest in the country. The Data for Myanmar said more than 18,000 homes were destroyed by the junta across Myanmar during the same reporting period.  Ref: RFA  

9 August- More than 4,000 people were displaced due to a series of attacks by the junta troops in Depaeyin Township in the Sagaing Region since January this year. An aid organization, the Depayin Brothers, said 700 homes in 30 villages in the township were targeted by the junta. It said urgent supplies of food and medicine are required for the displaced people. The Depayin Brothers said it had provided Kyat 30,000 to each household in 17 villages covering 346 households. However, it said the need for assistance for the displaced people is rising. Ref: RFA    

21 August- Two elderly women were killed in an attack by the junta troops on the villages in Yesagyo Township in Magwe Region on 15 August. A local source said that more than 600 homes in the village were burned down during the raids by the junta troops along with its ally Pyu Saw Htee militia group. He said at least 100 junta troops and the Pyu Saw Htee members were involved in the raids. Ref: Mizzima

30 August- More than 28,000 homes homes were destroyed in a series of attacks by the junta troops across the country, statistics released Data for Myanmar said. The group said in a report published on 25 August that the largest number of homes were destroyed in the Sagaing Region, where more than 20,000 homes were demolished. Data for Myanmar said more than 5,000 homes in Mage Region were also destroyed, which is the second largest in the report. It said at least 1474 homes in Chin State were also destroyed. Data for Myanmar said that many homes were also destroyed by the junta in Kachin, Kayin, Kayah, Southern Shan and the Mon States as well as in Bago, Tanintharyi and Mandalay regions.  Ref: RFA

1 August- The junta said it established a people’s militia group in Mandalay on 30 July and the group was provided with military uniforms and arms, a local source told Myanmar Now news agency. “I heard that the militia group was provided ten pistols and 70 rounds of bullets,” The source said adding that the militia group was established in Mandalay’s Mahar Aung Myay Township. The junta is facing resistance against its rule across Myanmar since it staged a coup in February last year. The junta targets have come under attack across Myanmar, including in the major cities like Yangon and Mandalay. In Mandalay, the largest number of attacks against the junta was reported in Mahar Aung Myay Township. The junta is reacting strongly against its opponents in the township and it has blatantly established a militia group in a major city, the source said. Ref: Myanmar Now  

11 August- The deputy head of the junta, Soe Win, said the regime is planning to establish local militia groups across Myanmar to ensure peace and stability of civilians. Speaking on 10 August, Soe Win alleged that the anti-junta groups were killing security, administrative, education, and health department staff, as well as Buddhist monks and nuns. He added that the militia groups the junta will establish would help prevent such attacks. The junta is currently providing trainings to the members of a pro-military political party as well as the nationalist groups such as Ma Ba Tha to fight the pro-democracy forces. The junta sponsored the establishment of militant groups such as Tway Tauk and Pyu Saw Htee who are targeting civilian targets across Myanmar in collaboration with the junta troops.  Ref: Mizzima

12 August- The junta is planning to repatriate political activists who fled to India to avoid the crackdown on their pro-democracy activities. A confidential document communicated between the two governments which was leaked to the media said the Indian Ambassador to Myanmar had met recently with the junta-appointed foreign minister Wunna Maung Lwin to discuss the repatriation process. Even though the junta said it is repatriating activists on humanitarian grounds, those who have return were detained.  Ref: Khit Thit Media

12 August- The junta-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) said in an announcement released on 11 August that the members of political parties need permission from the commission to meet a foreign entity or an individual. The letter from the commission sent to the political parties on 11 August said meeting the foreigners without permission of the commission is against the political party registration law. The letter said the UEC would review the applications from the political parties and approve them if they are in line with the party registration law.  Ref: RFA

17 August- A junta spokesperson, Zaw Min Tun said Russian military is due to open two representative offices in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw. He said the junta would also open two counsellor offices in Russia. Zaw Min Tun said the members of the Russian and Myanmar military would serve in these representative offices.  Ref: Khit Thit Media

17 August- The junta has issued an order to the telecommunication operators to collect the personal details of the people using online money transfers by mobile phones such as Wave money and KPay. The order from the junta asked the operators to upgrade their mobile apps by including the telephone number of the recipient. The order is linked to the junta’s continued crackdown on the financing of the groups opposing the military rule in Myanmar. The crackdown includes closing down bank accounts and strict monitoring of online mobile financial transactions. Ref: Irrawaddy   

17 August- The junta head, Min Aung Hlaing, said his regime grants federal rights to the state and regional chief ministers. Speaking on 16 August, Min Aung Hlaing said the states and regions in Myanmar will be granted the right to self-determination after the elections. The junta promised to hold fresh elections next year. It said the proportional representation electoral system will be used in the next elections, which the junta said would pave the way for the ethnic parties to gain more seats in the new parliament. Ref: DVB

17 August- A junta spokesperson, Zaw Min Tun, said the former ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), had provoked the military to take over power. Speaking at a media conference held in Nay Pyi Taw on 17 August, Zaw Min Tun said, “you must have heard from them (NLD) challenging the military by challenging us to stage a coup if we dare. They said the military could only collect trash, not power. These words are seen by us as provocative,” he said. Zaw Min Tun also accused the NLD of not agreeing to a call by the military to settle the allegation of vote fraud through dialogue in the last election held in November 2020.  Ref: DVB

17 August- Junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun said the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, arrived in Myanmar on 16 August to meet the junta leaders. This visit is the first by the Singaporean senior UN official to visit Myanmar following her appointment to the position as the special envoy last October. Ref: DVB

19 August- Min Aung Hlaing said he is eligible to assume the role of Myanmar’s president for two five-year terms. He commented during a meeting with the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on Myanmar in Nay Pyi Taw on 17 August, the junta’s mouthpiece media reported. However, the report published on 19 August did not mention that the country’s Constitution only allows the president to take up two terms if elected. Ref: Khit Thit Media

20 August- Min Aung Hlaing denied accusations of arson attacks by his troops on civilian targets across Myanmar. He made the claim during a meeting with the Special Envoy of the United Nations Special envoy on Myanmar Ms. Noeleen Heyzer, in Nay Pyi Taw on 17 August, the transcript of the meeting said. The meeting transcripts were published in the junta’s mouthpiece media two days after the media. The junta said it took an unusual move to publish the transcript, to refute the claims made by the special envoy on the meeting in a statement issued by the UN earlier. The special envoy said she warned the junta not to attack civilian targets, including to stop the aerial bombardment. Ref: Mizzima

23 August- Min Aung Hlaing invited the members of the ethnic armies to join the Myanmar army if they continue to engage in military operations after a nationwide ceasefire agreement has been finalized. In a comment made on 22 August, the junta head also said that the regime will grant business opportunities if they would like to engage in business activities after the peace deal is struck. He also said the members of the ethnic armies could join the election and serve as parliamentarians. Currently, 10 ethnic armed organizations have signed a nationwide ceasefire agreement, however, some groups have threatened to quit the deal after the junta staged a coup against an elected government last year. Ref: Khit Thit Media

26 August- The junta’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly criticized a series of statements issued by the United Nations and the international community in marking the fifth anniversary of the genocidal attacks by the Myanmar military on the Rohingya Muslim minority in the Northern Rakhine State. A statement issued by the ministry on 25 August said the comments in the statements by the international community, which were strongly critical of the regime, were factually incorrect. The junta came under criticism from the European Union, the governments of Australia, Canada, Norway, Britain, and the United State, which highlighted the decades-long persecution of Rohingya and other minority groups in Myanmar, by the successive regimes mostly dominated by the military. Ref: DVB

27 August- Min Aung Hlaing, said the publications under the government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) were poisonous to the country. Speaking in an address on 26 August, Min Aung Hlaing said these publications had led to division among the people of Myanmar. A junta’s mouthpiece newspaper reported that the junta has been providing financial support to the writers and literary groups since it came to power. The report said the junta donated Kyat 200 million to individual writers. Ref: Myanmar Now

28 August- The pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has rejected a request by the junta to disown the statements critical to the military coup issued by her party, a report in Myanmar Now newspaper said. It said the request was made a week after the coup in February last year. A source close to the NLD leader said the junta wanted Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to read out a one-page statement, which called on the NLD to stop issuing statements opposing the coup and to give a message that her health conditions were good. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested after the coup, and the junta slapped 19 lawsuits against her. She is currently serving 19 years prison sentence after being found guilty in 10 cases, which include corruption and criminal defamation. Ref: Myanmar Now

●     Social Media Monitoring

1 August - A post on the social media site Facebook suggested that a Muslim commander of a people defense force in Moneywa in the Sagaing Region has ordered the killing of monks. The post appeared on 1 August on the page of Targyi Kankoung and was seen by many as an attempt to create tension between Muslims and Buddhists in the country. The post is based on unsubstantiated facts.

 The post was featured with a picture of the members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), who belong to the Hindu community in Mandalay. The post said they were providing training to the people’s defense forces to kill Buddhist monks. The caption of the picture said a group of “non-pork eaters” (a veiled reference to Muslims who avoid eating pork based on their religious beliefs) intend to kill monks.  

The fabricated post by Targyi Kankaung was liked by 61 users on Facebook and shared among 62 users of the social media site.  

6 August - A post on the social media site Facebook has used derogatory words against the Islamic faith. The post that appeared on the Mahar Thway page on 6 August said she does not hate Muslims for their practice of growing beards but because of their cunningness and accused Muslim men of being overtly sexually active. 

The page belongs to a member of an ultra-nationalist organization the Association for Protection of Race and Religion (Ma Ba Tha in Myanmar acronym). Her real name is Ma Putu, and she is a supporter of the junta. She earned notoriety for her anti-Muslim posts, which were frequently seen on social media. 

The post said she hates Muslims because they are not religious, not because of the color of their skin. She also called Muslim rapists. The post said she did not hate Muslims because they are aliens but because most of them are rapists.  The post is seen as an attempt to incite religious violence in Myanmar and attempt to divert the attention of the people from the extreme economic woes due to mismanagement by the junta. 

The derogatory post by Ma Putu was liked by 452 Facebook users and it was shared among 63 users of the social media site. 

9 August - A post on the social media site Facebook accused the Western countries of trying to spread Islam across the world by promoting democracy. The post by Mahar Thway said the strategy of the global community is to promote Islamisation under the guise of spreading democracy. Mahar Thway is a pseudonym used by a pro-junta lobbyist Ma Putu. 

She is a member of the ultranationalist organization, the Association for Protection and Promotion of Race and Religion (Ma Ba Tha in Myanmar acronym). She earned notoriety for posting anti-Muslim hate messages on her Facebook site. 

The post is seen as an attempt to discredit the tens of thousands of Myanmar people who are calling for democracy and the end of the military dictatorship. 

The post by an extremist Ma Putu was liked by 630 Facebook users and it was shared among 120 users of the social media site. 

15 August - A post on the social media site Facebook has criticized a female schoolteacher for wearing a head scarf during a class. The post by Myint Myat May said wearing a scarf in schools is banned in Myanmar. The post appeared on 15 August and used a picture of a teacher wearing a scarf while she was teaching in a class. It calls to protest the teacher, saying that she is taking benefit out of her religious belief.  

It should be known that the teachers operate with the permission of the head of the respective school. And wearing a scarf in school does not violate anyone’s rights or harm anyone. The post was just to spread anti-Muslim hate messages at a time when members of all religions in Myanmar are joining hands in the fight against the brutal regime. 

The fabricated post was liked by 602 Facebook users and shared among 337 users of the social media site. 

16 August - A post on the social media site Facebook said more than 1.6 million Muslims live in Myanmar and there are a total of 2266 mosques that exist across the country. It added that there are more than 300 mosques in Yangon alone. The post by Min Htet San called on other social media users to advise how to act against the growing numbers of Muslims and mosques in Myanmar. 

The figure provided in the post by Min Htet San is seen as fabricated. The post counted mosques that are not exited. For example, the post said there were two mosques in Lanmadaw and Lathar townships in Yangon, where only handful of Muslims live. The post is seen as calling for violent actions against Muslims and their mosques in the country. 

The fabricated post was liked by 66 Facebook users and shared among 72 users of the social media site. 

21 August  - A post on the social media site Facebook said the Organization of the Islamic State (OiC) is trying to transform Myanmar into an Islamic country. The post by Man Shin Nwe appeared on the site on 21 August and said Myanmar would face a similar fate to Afghanistan, which was also a Buddhist country in the past. The post is seen as an attempt to defame Muslims in Myanmar and OiC. The facts in the post are widely seen as fabricated. 

Man Shin Nwe called on nationalists in Myanmar to value and cherish the country and the Buddhist religion. “You should never give priority to the respect of human rights.” Many analysts believe that Muslims in Myanmar have nothing to do with Afghanistan calling itself an Islamic country. They said the fact that the post call not to respect human rights implies that the post was to incite religious violence.  

The post which promotes hate and violence against Muslims in Myanmar was liked by about 1500 Facebook users and shared among the 854 users of the social media site. 

●      Hate Speech - Offline Media Monitoring

August A - A commentary in a local publication has criticized Bangladesh for harboring Islamic terrorists who are fighting against the regime in Myanmar. The commentary in Guardian Journal said Dhaka’s aim to harbor Islamic terrorists was to create an Islamic State in northern Rakhine State, where the majority of Rohingya Muslims live. The commentary by Nay Win Than was published after the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry hailed a decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to dismiss four petitions filed by Myanmar with an aim to quash the lawsuit against Myanmar in the ICJ alleging the junta of committing of genocidal killings of Rohingya Muslims. “Bangladesh is harboring terrorists and it is using refugees to gain support from the international community,” the commentary said. 

The commentary added that no matter if Myanmar provides strong evidence in its defense, the ICJ will only favor the complaint of the Gambia, which is accused of being linked with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OiC). The ICJ will rule only in favor of the Gambia as it has been bribed by the OiC. The commentary is based on unsubstantiated facts to promote hatred against Muslims and OiC among the majority of Buddhists in Myanmar. Reference: Guardian Journal (Volume-1, number-38 )

August B - A commentary published in a local publication Guardian said the government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) had tried to appease Muslims. The columnist U Win Kyi (Sint Kiang) wrote that a ceremony for interfaith harmony was organized by the NLD in a famous pagoda in Sagaing at the time the party was in power. He said allowing Muslim religious leaders to preach their religion in a pagoda was an insult to Buddhism. 

The commentary said the terrorists are only killing Buddhist monks but no other religious leaders. The commentary is seen as incitement to kill the leaders of the other religions and to incite hatred against Muslims. Reference: Guardian Journal (Volume-1, number-39)

August C - A commentary published in a local publication Bullet Journal said Bangladesh, as a Muslim majority country poses the biggest security threat to Myanmar. The commentary by Hla Tint Swe (Pine Zaloak) said among Myanmar’s neighbors Bangladesh is the only country with a majority Buddhist population. 

He said 98 percent of the people in Bangladesh are Muslims, while other neighboring countries are either Buddhist or Hindu countries. He said Laos and Thailand are the same as Myanmar, where the majority of the population are followers of Theravada Buddhism.   

The columnist said Myanmar has many Muslim neighbors like Bangladesh r as well as other neighbors like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand’s Southern provinces. “If Muslims from these countries/provinces gradually penetrate Myanmar, the Bamar race and Buddhist religion would be disappeared.” The commentary also cautioned against allowing the Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh who are originally from northern Rakhine State to return to their homes. It said that in such an event, Northern Rakhine State would become a Muslim state. Reference: Bullet Journal(Volume4, number-22)

August D  - A commentary in a local publication has accused Rohingya refugees of being illegal immigrants. The commentary by Naung Taw Lay (Bogalay) in the Bullet Journal said they called themselves Rohingya which does not exist in Myanmar. The commentary said the creation of a new race for Bengali is an outcome of the democratic transition in Myanmar. It said the word Rohingya was used in a lawsuit filed against Myanmar by an African State, Gambia in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The lawsuit alleges the Myanmar military of committing genocide against Rohingya Muslims. “We will only call them by their original name which is Bengali,” the columnist wrote. 

It said the military regime that took overpower has to handle the case against Myanmar in the ICJ after a former ruling party the National League for Democracy (NLD) was toppled from power in a military coup. It accused the western powers and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation(OiC) of colluding in filing a fabricated lawsuit against Myanmar in the ICJ.

“We believe one day the truth will emerge, and their cunningness will be known to the world,” it said. Naungtaw Lay is a pro-junta journalist who regularly joins the media conferences organized by the junta. He is a member of an ultra-nationalist organization, the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion (Ma Ba Tha in Burmese acronym). He also earned notoriety for his anti-Muslim articles published in several local publications. Reference: Bullet Journal (Volume4, number-22)

August E   - A commentary in a local publication has accused the Muslim organizations and entrepreneurs in Myanmar of helping the people of Bangladesh to migrate into Myanmar illegally. The commentary by Hla Tint Swe (Paine Zaloak) said the mosques in Myanmar, as well as Maulvis and Muslim Businessmen, are creating business opportunities for Bengali people to come into Myanmar and establish their business inside the country. The article gave no evidence of what kinds of support are being granted to the people of Bangladesh by the Muslims in Myanmar.  The facts in the report are seen as fabricated. 

The commentary said as Bangladesh is facing an economic downturn, population explosion, and natural disasters many people in the country are trying to migrate to Myanmar. And they are provided support by the traitors inside the country. The commentary is seen as an attempt to incite hatred against Myanmar and create religious tension in the country. Reference: Bullet Journal (Volume4, number-23)

2 August- Several employees from the Sagaing and Magwe regions working in factories in Yangon were dismissed without any explanation. The development comes as the junta is facing growing resistance in the two regions. A source told the Yangon Khitthi Media that the workers in several factories who are holding the citizenship identification card number starting with 5 and 8  were dismissed starting on 1 August. For those who are from Sagaing Region, the number of their citizenship identification card starts with 5 and 8 for those from Magwe. “They were dismissed starting from 1 August. It was done at a junta’s order to factory owners. The junta officials have threatened to shut down the factories if the order is not followed,” the source said. “There is no official explanation provided on the dismissal of the workers. The number of employees from the two regions dismissed could be in the hundreds, he said. The junta is scrutinizing the people from the two regions more closely across the country. Ref: Khit Thit Media

5 August- A political prisoner in Dawei prison in Tanintharyi Region was beaten up and sent to solitary confinement. The penalty was imposed on the unnamed inmate after he was accused of communicating with a source outside of the prison. An eyewitness said the prisoner got several wounds on his body due to the attack by the prison guard. Some of his close family members are held in the same prison. Ref: Ref: BHRN

12 August- A student activist was seriously injured due to attacks by prison guards in Oh Bo prison in Mandalay, a student source said. He said Ko Naung Htet, who is the treasurer of the All Burma Student League, was attacked after he staged a hunger strike in protest against the hanging of four political activists by the junta last month. The source said he is currently at the hospital in the prison. Ko Naung Htet is among the 19 students who joined the hunger strike in the prison on 1 August. The source said those who are on strike were sent to solitary confinement and beaten up by the prison guards.  Ref: RFA

19 August- More than 100 workers from a textile factory in Yangon owned by a popular international apparel brand H&M were dismissed, a spokesperson of the Myanmar General Workers Union League said on 19 August. The union said those workers who were dismissed were residents of Sagaing and Magwe regions, where the junta is facing fierce resistance from the local militias. The union also said the workers were dismissed without any compensation. Ref: Khit Thit Media

11 August- A woman was raped and killed by junta troops in Seikphyu village in Magwe Region on 9 August. The victim's husband, Ma Hnin Wai, told Yangon Khit Thit Media. A spokesperson of a local militia group People Power Coalition (PPC), operating in the region, said she was also tortured before being killed. The spokesperson said injuries believed to be from burning were found on Ma Hnin Wai’s body. Ref: Khit Thit Media

19 August- The junta troops allegedly raped and killed a woman and a girl in Yinmapin Township in Sagaing Region, a spokesperson of a local resistance group, the Chindwin Yoma Alliance Force, said. He said the bodies of two unknown women one aged 20 and the other 16 were found along with other 16 bodies in Yin Paung Taike village in Yinmarpin Township on 18 August. The civilians were killed during attacks by the junta’s fighter jet and raids by the ground troops on the village. Ref: Mizzima

25 August- A local military commander in Sagaing Region has been accused of sexually exploiting women, including a female commander of the local people's defence force. According to a statement by four deserted soldiers, the commander of the no 361 Light Infantry Division, Major Kyaw Naing, committed rape during raids on the villages in the area, a deserted soldier who served under him said. In fighting in Ye U Township in Sagaing Region on 20 August, four junta soldiers were captured alive by the local people's defense forces. Ref: DVB

10 August- A special tribunal set up in Pathein Prison in Ayeyarwady Region has sentenced a senior journalist, Ko Myo Min Tun, to two years imprisonment under an incitement charge. Ko Myo Min, who worked as an editor of the Ayeyarwady Times, was arrested from his home in Pathein last October. Ref: Mizzima

25 August- A former journalist of Irrawaddy news agency, Ko Zaw Zaw, was sentenced to three years in jail under a criminal defamation charge. Ko Zaw Zaw, who worked as a photojournalist with Irrawaddy, was arrested in April. Ref: Myanmar Now

4 August- The junta arrested a 14-year-old boy in Pyay Township, in Bago Region, after he attacked a soldier guarding the school he attends. A local source said Maung Aung Myint Myat was shot before he was arrested for attacking a soldier at the Hmawzar high school. The source said the youth got gunshot wounds, and he is held in a military hospital. The source said he is also undergoing interrogation in the hospital. The source said Maung Aung Myint Myat could be sent to a juvenile detention center after he recovered. The source said his family and locals are praying for his safety while he is held in the military hospital. Ref: Khit Thit Media

4 August- The junta has imposed charges of violation of immigration regulations and incitement on a Japanese filmmaker who was arrested in Yangon on 30 July. The 26-year-old Mr. Toyo Kubota could face up to 5 years imprisonment if he is convicted under the immigration charge he is facing and two years for the incitement charge. Mr. Kubota has previously filmed a documentary on the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, the AFP news agency reported. Ref: Myanmar Now

8 August- A special tribunal set up inside Yangon’s Insein prison has sentenced 4 student activists to three years imprisonment each. The activists, two of whom were studying at the University of Economics in Yangon and one each from Yangon’s Western University and the University of Economics of Monewya, are facing additional terrorism charges. They were arrested from an apartment on 45th Street in Bothatung Township in Yangon on 12 March. The Association for Assistance of Political Prisoners in Myanmar (AAPP) said more than 1300 political prisoners were arrested by the junta since it came to power in a coup in February last year.  Ref: RFA

13 August- A political activist, Ko Wai Moe Naing, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by a special court set up inside the Monywa jail in Sagaing Region, where he has been held since April last year. He is facing a series of charges, and the sentence was related to five charges of criminal deformation he was facing. He is also facing an additional four charges which include murder. Ko Wai Moe Naing, a Muslim, has led protests against the junta in Moneywa before his arrest. Ref: RFA  

25 August- The junta arrested A former British Ambassador to Myanmar, Vicky Bowman, and her husband Ko Htein Linn. They were produced in court on 25 August, and both of them were charged with an immigration offence, which carries maximum five-year imprisonment. Ms. Bowmen served as Britain’s Ambassador to Myanmar more than a decade ago. And she is based in Myanmar together with her husband, a well-known artist. The political analysts said the arrest of Ms. Bowmen was to put diplomatic pressure on the British government, which is strongly critical of the regime. They said Ms. Bowman is being used as a hostage by the regime. Ref: Myanmar Now

29 August- Junta troops arrested more than 100 civilians in a raid on a village in Kani Township in Sagaing Region on 28 August, a local source said. He said it was not clear why the civilians in Thayatpin village were arrested. The troops abducted three civilians in nearby Thint Wint village and one in Minma Kyay village. They are used as human shields in the fighting against the local people's defence forces. Ref: DVB

7 August- At least 50 civilians were arrested in a raid by the junta troops on Laungpyae village in Sagaing Region’s Minkin Township. Among the arrested civilians, three were taken away on a helicopter, an eyewitness said. He said the rest of the arrested civilians were detained in a monastery in the village and were not given food. The junta is asking them to persuade the members of the people’s defense forces fighting the junta to surrender. He said the junta offered to release them if the PDF forces surrendered.  Ref: DVB

8 August- At least 20 civilians were arrested in a village in Myan Aung Township in Ayeyarwady Region on 6 August, a local source said. He said they were arrested in connection with a killing of a woman who is well known for her role as a military informant. Two local militia groups fighting the junta in the region, Ngagarni and Yoma Ayeyarwady, said they had carried out the killing of the junta’s informant. Ref:BHRN

19 August- The junta troops arrested more than 50 civilians in a raid on a village in Kathar Township in Sagaing Region on 19 August. A local source said the troops also burned down homes in Kyaukthone Gyi village during the raid. The village has 1500 homes, out of which families from 1000 homes have fled due to the threat of junta troops. The source said at least 3000 people were displaced during the latest raid by the junta troops.  Ref: RFA

6 August- A group of 24 employees of a government-owned paper mill in Singkaing Township in Mandalay Region who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), were arrested on 30 July. They were arrested after a tip-off by the General Manager of the factory. At least 75 staff of the factory joined the CDM movement in defiance of the junta’s coup in February last year. The arrested civil servants are asked to pay a kyat amount in the millions in return for their release. Ref: Khit Thit Media

22 August- A police officer who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) against the junta was sentenced to 26 years imprisonment. A source close to Police Captain Han Lin Myint said he was found guilty of the three charges slapped against him by the junta. Captain Han Linn Myint previously served in the security force for the country’s senior leaders. He was arrested in May last year for his anti-junta activities.  Ref: Irrawaddy   

23 August- The junta has arrested five employees of the Yadanarpone University in Mandalay for participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) against the junta, a spokesperson of the University’s Student Union said. The Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners (AAPP) said the junta has arrested more than 12000 government employees who participated in the CDM since the junta took overpower in a coup against the elected government in February last year. Ref: RFA

3 August- The junta troops shot dead three civilians in a village in Yephyu Township in Tanintharyi on 31 July. The bodies of the three unnamed civilians were found in a rubber plantation in Pu Gaw Zun village two days after the incident, a local source said. He said they were among the civilians who tried to flee after the raid by the junta troops on the village.  Ref: Mizzima

15 August- A group of 7 youths were brutally murdered by the junta troops in a village in Khin U Township in Sagaing Region on 14 August. A local source said their bodies were found a few hours after their arrest at a security checkpoint. He said gunshot wounds were found on the bodies. According to statistics released by the Association for Assistance of Political Prisoners (AAPP),  at least 2200 civilians were killed by the junta since it came to power in February last year. Ref: RFA

16 August- The junta troops brutally murdered two teenage siblings in a village in Tidim Township in Chin State on 14 August. A local source said their bodies were found shortly after they were arrested by the junta troops. He said the junta tried to hide their bodies by burying them. He said the members of the local community have exhumed the bodies and given burial according to their traditional beliefs. Ref: Khit Thit Media   

16 August -The junta troops brutally murdered 23 civilians in a village in Yinmarpin Township in Sagaing Region from 11 to 14 August. An eyewitness said that among the dead bodies, five were with injuries due to burning. The bodies were found after the junta troops raided the villages in the region. The raid also caused the displacement of 300 civilians in the eight villages in the area. Ref: DVB

2 August- A pro-junta militia group, Pyu Saw Htee, abducted nine displaced women in Kanbalu Township in Sagaing Region, a local source said. He said the group asked for Kyat 200 000 for the release of each woman. The incident follows an attack by the junta troops on Kyee Su village in the same township on 18 and 19 July using military helicopters. The bodies of 12 civilians were found after the attack. More than 300 homes, as well as a monastery and two mosques in the village, were destroyed in the attack. Ref: Irrawaddy    

5 August- A pro-junta militia group Pyu Saw Htee led by a monk U Witha Wa in Sagaing Region, has been collaborating with the military junta’s no 367 light infantry division as well as no 10 Tactical Command in unleashing atrocities against the civilian population in the region. A local source said U Witha Wa along with other ultra-nationalist monks, have been campaigning the civilians in the region to kill and arrest the members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the People Defense Forces operating in the region. The monks belonged to the now-defunct the Association for Protection of Race and Religion (Ma Ba Tha in Myanmar acronym). U Witha Wa, who is also a member of 550 monks, a group that earned notoriety for their anti-Muslim sentiment, is colluding with the junta and he is also campaigning for the establishment of the Pyu Saw Htee militia groups in the region. Ref: Irrawaddy

13 August- A civilian was killed in an attack by pro-military Pyu Saw Htee militant groups in Tamu Township in Sagaing Region on 10 August. 38-year-old Ko Min Lun (a.k.a) Ko Pin Pine was killed as the Pyu Saw Htee troops tried to loot his motorbike, a local political group Kuki Student Democratic Front, said in a statement issued on 13 August. The victim was a daily wage laborer and he was survived by wife and three young children. At least seven people were killed due to the attack by Pyu Saw Htee in Sagaing Region during the second week of August. Ref: Mizzima

19 August - A Muslim man, Maung Myo Kyaw Khaing (a.k.a) Ahmed, was arrested in Sing Gaing Township in Mandalay Region, a local source said. He said Ahmed, a butcher, was arrested after he was accused of being a member of a local people’s defense force. He was arrested at a tip-off by a couple living in the same town, who are members of the pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee group. 

Ahamed was detained at a detention center, and another 19 civilians were arrested after his detention. A source close to the family said the junta has threatened to cancel his butcher license and asked Kyat for 40 million as a bribe to secure his release. Ref:  BHRN

19 August- The members of a pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia group arrested 22 civilians, including a monk, in Ngwe Twin village in Sagaing Region’s Ayartaw Township, in separate incidents during the month of August. A family member of the arrested person said they were asked to pay Kyat 2.5 million for the release of each abductee. Ngwe Twin village has more than 900 households. Ref: Irrawaddy   

29 August- The pro-junta groups are involved in surveillance of civilians in Kalay Township in Sagaing Region, a local source said. He said they are conducting the search on cars, motorbikes, and mobile phones and committing other kinds of abuse, he said. The source said those involved in the abuse of the rights of civilians include members of the pro-junta people’s militia group. The people militia group include the members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), members of Pyu Saw Htee and Swan Ah Shin vigilante groups, war veterans, as well as members of the fire brigade, and unemployed people. The junta transformed Pyu Saw Htee into a People militia group in July. There are about 200 members of Pyu Saw Htee based in Kalay Township, and they are particularly strong in the southern parts of the town. Ref: Mizzima

31 August- The junta and its ally Pyu Saw Htee group killed 13 civilians in raids on two villages in Mawleik Township in Sagaing Region on 21 August, a local source said. He said among the dead included a woman who was raped before being killed. The source said the junta troops from no 363 and 366 light infantry division, which are based in Kalay Township, and members of the pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee group were involved in the raid on Kong Khar Tun and Ye Khwa Tun, villages which are situated on the bank of Chindwin River. Ref: Khit Thit Media

2 August- A former senior member of the pro-Buddhist Ma Ba Tha group said the military in Myanmar has planned to stage a coup since 2012 when the pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party the National League for Democracy (NLD) made a major political comeback. Ko Hein Wai Yan who was known for his close link with the Ma Ba Tha and other pro-Buddhist national groups said the military has instigated a series of sectarian violence across Myanmar since 2012 as a part of its preparation to stage a coup. Ko Hein Wai Yan has abandoned Ma Ba Tha since 2019. Since then, he has been working to expose the financial scandals involving the members of Ma Ba Tha and the group’s collusion with the military to undermine the authorities of the elected NLD government. He said the junta used Ma Ba Tha as its puppet organization. He said since its establishment, Ma Ba Tha has vowed not to join politics but focused on religious activities. However, it changed its position after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD party were elected to the parliament in 2012. Ref: Khit Thit Media

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