Beaten fleet?
Vice Admiral Zwe Win Myint told junior naval officers at a Yangon graduation ceremony on Jan. 25 that the Myanmar Navy was risking life and limb to fulfill military objectives together with the army and air force. In modern warfare, victories can only be achieved by the army, navy and air force working closely together, the Navy chief said.
Either he was talking rubbish or the Navy is simply incapable.
The Navy had seen little combat action in the three years since the coup until last November, when the Arakan Army (AA) launched a western offensive in coastal Rakhine State.
On Jan. 24, Pauktaw town, close to the Rakhine State capital of Sittwe, fell despite a regime defensive effort that involved not only infantry and artillery but also warplanes and warships.
Before Pauktaw, the regime had lost Paletwa in southern Chin State. Paletwa is the northern node of the Kaladan River, which the Navy uses to transport troops and supplies from Sittwe. The AA is now attacking Kyauktaw – which lies further down the Kaladan River – as it advances towards the state capital.
Zwe Win Myint was promoted to vice admiral earlier this month after his predecessor, Moe Aung, was appointed national security advisor and minister of State Administration Office No. 4.
The new naval chief has arrived in office with his force apparently powerless to halt the AA’s advance in Rakhine, the Navy’s only theatre of combat in the civil war that has engulfed Myanmar.
The ethnic army is even attacking Danyawaddy naval base in Rakhine’s Kyaukphyu Township, part of the deep-sea port and special economic zone being developed by China.
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The Border Guard Force, heavily relied upon by the regime, has declared itself neutral in the Karen conflict despite a personal visit by deputy junta chief Soe Win. Read more:
Death sentences for defeated generals
Three brigadier generals who surrendered Laukkai this month have been given death sentences and the other three have been jailed for life. Read more:
Min Aung Hlaing talks up election as battlefield losses mount
After losing control of so much territory, however, it remains to be seen how his regime would be able to hold such a poll. Read more:
