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Nicholas Kong The Five-Point Consensus (5PC) was collectively adopted at the emergency ASEAN Summit in Jakarta in April 2021 to restore stability through peaceful resolution following Myanmar’s 2021 coup. However, five y
At least 10 civilians were killed and eight others injured in the afternoon of 10 August when the military junta carried out an airstrike on Kyauk Gyi village in Thandwe Township, Rakhine State, according to the Arakan A
Investigations by the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (Mechanism), as detailed in its report released 11 August, show a pattern of deliberate aerial attacks on civilians, arbitrary detentions, torture and
Photo – A construction building at a Chinese-owned data center project in the Ban Chang sub-district, Ban Chang village group, Rayong district, Thailand. (August 12) Mizzima. Twenty Myanmar nationals and four Chinese nat
Mizzima The UN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) said in an annual report released 11 August that it has identified specific military airbases and their command structures behind aerial attacks on
Myanmar’s military has recaptured just 8.86 percent of the territory it lost since the 2021 coup, even as new analyses from two independent monitors show its offensives increasingly concentrated on roads, trade corridors
Photo Exhibition & Panel Discussion at the 5th International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies (ICBMS 5), Chiang Mai, Thailand on 14-16 August 2026 Mizzima invites conference participants and the public to explore the hidden human and environmental costs behind the global transition to clean energy. As global demand for rare earth and critical minerals continues to grow, communities and ecosystems in Chipwe and Panwa, Kachin State, Myanmar, are bearing consequences that remain largely unseen. At the 5th International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies (ICBMS 5) in Chiang Mai, Mizzima will present a three-day photo exhibition together with a special panel discussion examining the realities of rare earth extraction in conflict-affected northern Myanmar. Photo Exhibition Hidden Cost of the Green Transition The exhibition documents rare earth mining sites and extraction processes in Chipwe and Panwa, including deforestation, river pollution, the experiences of women working around mining sites, community hardship, and changes in local governance. Through photographs from the affected areas, the exhibition asks an important question: Who is paying the real price for the world’s transition to clean energy? 14–16 August 2026 8:30 am–4:30 pm 2nd Floor, UNISERV Building, Chiang Mai University, Thailand Panel Discussion Rare Earth Mining in Myanmar: Environmental Degradation, Gender-Based Exploitation, and Shifting Governance in Chipwe The panel will examine how rare earth extraction is reshaping the environment, livelihoods and everyday lives of ethnic communities in conflict-affected northern Myanmar. The discussion will focus on three interconnected dimensions: environmental degradation, gender-based exploitation, and changing governance in rare-earth-mining areas. The panel features: Zung Ting — Environmental impacts in the Chipwe region Cindy Aung — Women’s struggles at rare earth mining sites Seng Li — Governance changes in the Chipwe region since the end of 2024 16 August 2026 11:00 am–12:30 pm Section 69, Room 4 Mizzima welcomes conference participants, researchers, journalists, policymakers, environmental advocates, civil-society organizations and members of the public to visit the exhibition and join the discussion. The global transition to clean energy has a story that extends far beyond electric vehicles, batteries and new technologies. Come and discover the stories of the people, communities and environment behind the minerals powering that transition.
Mizzima The following is an open letter sent on the 11 August from 155 organizations concerning the ICRC mandate in Myanmar:To the Leadership and Representatives of the ICRC, We, the undersigned 155 Myanmar, regional and international civil society organizations, write to you today with a profound sense of urgency and deep frustration regarding the 3 August 2026 meeting between your resident representative, Arnaud de Baecque, and Myanmar’s State Counsellor, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. While any contact with the State Counsellor, who is being unlawfully imprisoned by the illegal military junta in Myanmar, is a matter of intense public interest, the sequence of events surrounding this visit illustrates our greatest fear: the ICRC’s mandate is being actively exploited by the military junta. The meeting demonstrated how humanitarian engagement in Myanmar is increasingly vulnerable to political instrumentalization by the military junta, thereby aiding them to advance their political aims, and in turn prolonging the suffering of the Myanmar people and undermining their expressed democratic will and aspirations. The junta first publicized the meeting, releasing carefully curated photographs of handshakes and a birthday cake to project an illusion of normalcy and cooperation to the international community as it desperately seeks legitimacy for its violently imposed rule. Only after this propaganda was disseminated did the ICRC issue a brief, reactionary confirmation. In your statement, you noted that the visit followed “established guidelines” and permitted a “private conversation,” and you added that, per your standard procedures, all observations regarding her condition are kept strictly confidential and shared only with detaining authorities. You disclosed nothing regarding her health, her whereabouts, or the reality of her captivity. A short, sanitized announcement is NOT enough. When the ICRC allows the military junta to exploit its presence as a credible international humanitarian organization for propaganda to advance its political agenda while remaining silent about the realities of the situation, the ICRC is no longer practicing neutrality. The ICRC is instead complicit in the military junta’s theater and blatant violations of international humanitarian law. We anticipate the ICRC’s defence. We know it will rest upon the Fundamental Principles of the ICRC Movement, particularly neutrality, independence and confidentiality. We recognize that confidential dialogue is intended to secure humanitarian access and protect those deprived of their liberty. However, humanitarian engagement also carries a responsibility to safeguard its integrity from political exploitation. The political instrumentalization of this visit was entirely foreseeable. The military junta has, for more than five years, consistently exploited humanitarian and diplomatic engagement to extract legitimacy and project an image of normalcy. Given this well-established pattern, the ICRC had a responsibility to anticipate and actively prevent such exploitation. The public dissemination of carefully staged photographs and messaging by the junta was not an unforeseeable consequence—it was an entirely predictable outcome. Against this backdrop, we must ask: was the ICRC protecting its humanitarian mandate, or merely accommodating the military junta’s need in turn to protect the ICRC? An honest examination of your own doctrine reveals that your current approach is failing the very principles you claim to uphold: Humanity is the Supreme Principle; Neutrality is a Tool: The first principle of your movement is to prevent and alleviate human suffering. Neutrality is not an end in itself. It exists to advance the principle of humanity by enabling access to those in need. When neutrality is repeatedly exploited to generate political legitimacy for violators of international law without extracting corresponding humanitarian gains from them, the relationship between means and ends deserves urgent reassessment. The Premise of Confidential Dialogue has been Destroyed: The ICRC’s doctrine of confidentiality assumes good faith, that private dialogue with authorities will lead to tangible improvements for detainees. After more than five years of widespread arbitrary detention, torture, incommunicado detention and denial of independent monitoring, what measurable humanitarian improvements has confidential dialogue achieved for twenty thousand political detainees in Myanmar?
August 12 The Kachin Human Rights Watch (KHRW) has urged the public not to participate in mobilization activities aimed at resuming the Myitsone Dam project, as the military junta continues its efforts to rally support f
The junta stepped up its airstrikes and other crimes against civilians in the lead-up to its military-controlled elections completed in January, and these strikes have since “continued unabated,” the United Nations’ Inde
The Thantlang Township Council / Chin Defense Force-Thantlang (CDF-Thantlang) issued a directive on 10 August instructing individuals to surrender any military-grade weapons, explosives, and related materials found in Th
The Myanmar Air Force carried out three airstrikes on Khin-U Township in Sagaing Region on Tuesday, targeting an area already reeling from serious flooding. While no casualties were reported from the Khin-U strikes, thre
Clashes have been reported recently between advancing junta troops and revolutionary forces in Myaing Township, Magway Region. The junta column stationed in Ya Gyi Pyin village advanced into Hman Yin village, triggering
(August 12) MAZIMA. The Karen National Union (KNU) Central announced today (August 12) that three civilians were killed and eight were injured due to an airstrike by the military junta within Ledo Township, Nyaunglaypin
Myanmar’s military has increasingly used low-cost aircraft such as motorized paragliders and gyrocopters in escalating aerial attacks that kill civilians in its conflict with armed resistance groups, a U.N. investigation
(August 12) Mizzima. The Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) has sent a message on the occasion of the 76th Karen Martyrs' Day, which falls on August 12. The CRPH's message stated that through Karen Martyrs'
Aid workers criticize response to nationwide floods Aid workers and residents in Ayeyarwady and Mandalay regions told DVB that the regime in Naypyidaw is failing to provide emergency relief assistance and effective aid t
Nai Min Lwin / Irrawaddy Times August 11 The National Unity Government (NUG) forces are preparing to reinforce with the 101st Division, conducting ground offensives and airstrikes to regain control of Indaw Township in S
THE Department of Rural Development, under the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development, conducted a field inspection yesterday to review the progress of household income-generating activities implemented under the
It is completely untrue that female soldiers are being recruited and trained under the People’s Military Service Law, said Dr. Khin Khin Soe, spokesperson for the State Administration Council. Dr. Khin Khin Soe, spokespe
■ The State Administration Council Chairman explained the conditions under which ethnic armed groups can participate in the interests of the nation and region, and the conditions under which the state government will pro
"Recently, the water level has started to recede slightly. However, people have not yet returned home from the evacuation camps." Flooding has occurred in many villages, including Lemyethna Township in Ayeyarwady Region, due to the rising water level of the Ayeyarwady River and a dike breach. The flood has affected nearly 30,000 people in Lemyethna Township, and nearly 30,000 acres of farmland have been submerged. We present the details of our interview with Ko Aung Kyaw Myo, a reporter from Eleven Media Group in Ayeyarwady Region, regarding the flood situation. ■ Q: What is the current flood situation like? A: Currently, initially, the dike broke, and water flowed in. It entered the villages connected to the broken dike. The town is also not very far from the broken dike, only about one and a half to two miles. Therefore, water entered the town as well, submerging houses, including schools and hospitals, as well as offices. Furthermore, thousands of acres of farmland were submerged. After submergence, the water flowed further towards the Aiyethapyu area, which is connected. Currently, it can be said that the water has reached the Ngathinechaung area. The flow towards Henzada is closest to Talutaw, but it has not yet reached Talutaw. It is flowing only towards the fields in between. ■ Q: What is the water level situation?
It is known that the main building of Mandalay University, which was destroyed and burned down by a strong earthquake, is being restored while maintaining its original form. The strong earthquake that occurred on March 2
At least 160 residents in Maesu Taung village, Pekon Township, have fallen ill with flu-like symptoms as persistent monsoon rain and rising floodwaters continue to submerge southern Shan State. The illness, characterized
Myanmar’s military stepped up aerial attacks on civilians before an election held last December and January, and all sides in the country’s civil war committed war crimes and serious abuses including torture and sexual
Amidst continuous price hikes due to flawed economic policies, including the 100-day plan by the interim president, Min Aung Hlaing, and the resulting difficulties faced by the public in their daily lives, the interim president has urged citizens to eat a complete diet of five types of food, from childhood to throughout their lives. According to the latest reports from the World Bank and the International Labour Organization (ILO), the interim president made these remarks at a time when the public in Myanmar is unable to consume adequate nutrition due to a lack of employment opportunities and the imbalance between wages and commodity prices. "Look at the prices too. An egg has gone from hundreds of kyats to 700 kyats. A bunch of vegetables costs at least 1,000 kyats, an apple 5,000 kyats, chicken 10 ticals 3,500 kyats, and fish 10 ticals 4,000 kyats. How can we eat? Even a glass of milk for 2,500 kyats is diluted with water and has no taste. Where is the money to eat nutritiously?
AYEYARWADDY TIMES (Paletwa), August 11 Two Khumi young women sustained injuries when the military junta's forces carried out an airstrike within Paletwa Township, Chin State, according to local residents. Around 7:30 AM
AYEYARWADDY TIMES August 11 It has been learned that four new soldiers from the military under the junta government surrendered to the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) with their weapons in the Ledu (Kyaukgyi) Towns
In the Nat Chaung front within Padang Township, Magway Region, the military junta has been continuously carrying out troop movements and reinforcements, and is reportedly relying solely on air support for its ground troo
Ayeyarwaddy Times August 11 While the provisional military government has neglected rescue operations amidst widespread flooding and distress for citizens in various regions, including Sagaing Region and Hlegyun Township
It has been learned from military sources that the provisional government army is expanding defensive bases around and at the entrances of Sittwe city, Rakhine State, and is tightening security on land and sea routes, fe
Ayeyarwaddy Times August 11 It has been learned that Acting President Min Aung Hlaing, who has changed from his military uniform to civilian attire under the interim government, met with Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of t
Ayeyarwaddy Times, August 11 The coup government should review its actions, which are not accepted by the public, and make necessary amends before it is too late, and avoid targeting and taking shelter behind the people,
State Supreme Leader Min Aung Hlaing met with a delegation led by National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) Chairman U Tin Lin at the reception hall of the State Supreme Leader's Office in Nay Pyi Taw on the afternoon of
More than 10 diarrhea and vomiting patients have been found in Latha Township, Yangon Region, according to an official from the Latha Township General Administration Department. These diarrhea and vomiting patients have
It is known that repair and blocking operations are continuing at the Ngwun River embankment locations experiencing overtopping in Le Myat Nar Township by the Myanmar Fire Brigade and joint teams. Due to water flowing th