17th February 2021
In Mandalay, railway workers joined the CDM (Civil Disobedience Movement) and refused to man a train taking troops and supplies up to the Tatmadaw in Myitkyina in Kachin state. The roads to Myitkyina are still dangerous because of a possible ambush by the KIA (Kachin Independence Army). That is why foreigners are only allowed to fly into Myitkyina.
At round about 17 seconds, I am assured that Chinese language can be heard giving instructions in Mandarin – 1,2,3,4. The clip shows troops/police shooting at the railway workers as an incentive to go back to work.
In Mandalay, railway workers joined the CDM and refused to man a train taking troops and supplies up to the Tatmadaw in Myitkyina in Kachin state. The roads to Myitkyina are still dangerous because of possible ambush by the KIA (Kachin Independence Army). That is why foreigners are only allowed to fly into Myitkyina.
A strange thing is happening in China, the Chinese are still allowed to search Myanmar on Weibo. They are seeing pictures from Myanmar and are making comments adding emojis that have secret meanings and comments that don’t mean anything but can be interpreted as being angled at the CCP. They are using the opportunity to comment on Myanmar as a chance to show dissent (covertly).
News Snippets
In Yangon, there has been an outburst of car breakdowns. Apparently, many cars have been breaking down in Yangon and parked with the bonnet up. The unfortunate side effect of this is that it has restricted access along some routes for the police vehicles.
The deputy governor of the Central bank has gone missing.
Covid testing is running at about 2,000 per day, about 10% of the pre-coup level.
An 11-year girl was riding her bike and was run down and killed in Yangon by a military truck. Pictures are available, but they are too distressing to show.
Street artists are roaming Yangon after curfew and projecting artwork onto the sides of buildings.
The police are frantically running around Yangon trying to track down the perpetrators. Whilst they are doing that, it means fewer police roaming the streets and brutalising the inhabitants.
There is a direct result of the severe crackdown in Myitkyina, Kachin state. The Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) has taken offence at this and is pulling back from the peace process. The Kachin Independence Army is looking to intensify its military action against the Tatmadaw. They are increasingly angry with the opium fields under the control of the Border Guard Force and the Tatmadaw. The KIO claims that the army controls 4,615 hectares of opium fields. The army is also alleged to control large fields in Northern Shan state, bordering Kachin. There is drug trafficking both ways across the Chinese border with Kachin and the army controls the “tax” or bribes on the traffickers. Token arrests of users and retailers of drugs are occasionally happening, but the Chinese drug kingpins tend to go free.
The KIA is well armed and well versed in Guerrilla warfare. They are very upset about the action in Myitkyina. Apparently talks are taking place between Shan state rebels and Kachin rebel representatives.
The demonstrations are getting bigger.
The military are in danger of doing something never before achieved in Myanmar. Muslims in Yangon are joining in the protests and there are signs from Rakhine state (where Rohingyas live(d)) that there is joint opposition to the military forming.
To finish, the Burmese have always had a sense of humour, so here are two jokes from Myanmar. The moustache brothers were a subversive comedy act from Mandalay and one of them told how he went to the dentist in Bangkok. “Why are you having your teeth fixed here?” the dentist asked, “it’s much cheaper in Myanmar”. “Ah” said the moustache brother, “it’s because in Bangkok I can open my mouth.” That dates from the dictatorship of old and won him 6 months in Insein prison.
And finally, a joke from today, Burma is not ruled by a dictator, it is now ruled by a triumvirate, General Incompetence, General Mayhem and General Brutality.
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