Lights go out as energy panel switched on
The military regime formed the Electricity and Energy Development Commission on Wednesday, vowing to accelerate efforts to develop the energy sector in Myanmar.
However, it ran into trouble immediately, with township electricity offices in Yangon announcing more power cuts the next day for a commercial capital plagued by blackouts since the coup.
In Yangon, power is rationed with a schedule of four hours off and four hours on during the day, though electricity is normally supplied throughout the night. However, the new schedule of power cuts means there won’t be full electricity at night anymore. People fear the power supply will dwindle even further in the hot season when the country’s hydropower dams, its major source of electricity, will have less water.
Meanwhile prices may spiral higher, as businesses rely more heavily on generators for production. Crime, already a problem in Myanmar’s war-torn economy, is also likely to worsen as power outages leave streets in darkness.
Myanmar people hoping for improvements under the newly launched commission will have despaired on discovering the name of its chairman. Taking the reins is former Navy chief Admiral Tin Aung San, who was recently demoted to the Prime Minister’s Office after losing nearly 90 towns to resistance forces in his capacity as defense minister. What can people expect from a loser?
Chief demands more lethal air campaign
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing marked the Air Force’s 77th anniversary at Meiktila Air Base in Mandalay Region last Sunday by signaling his regime’s campaign of airstrikes will continue despite its devastating toll on civilians rather than resistance groups.
In his speech at the event, the junta boss emphasized the critical role of air superiority in modern warfare, saying it can dominate the enemy while boosting the morale and combat capabilities of ground troops.
The regime has relied heavily on its air force to combat the popular armed uprising in the wake of the 2021 coup. However, a regular army backed by overwhelming air superiority has been unable to stop the advance of resistance forces.
Over the past year, junta forced have responded with daily airstrikes on territories lost to resistance groups in ethnic areas and central Myanmar, resulting in numerous civilian casualties and destruction of homes and property. In many cases, the regime deliberately targeted residential areas, venting its anger on unarmed civilians.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a staggering 237 civilians were killed by junta airstrikes in the four months from August 1 to November 30, including 88 in Rakhine and 43 in northern Shan State.
Despite the bombardment, the regime has failed to reclaim even one of the nearly 90 towns lost to resistance forces. Meanwhile, its grip is slipping on more towns in Rakhine and Kachin.
Has air superiority boosted the morale of junta soldiers? Regime troops periodically flee over the border to China, Thailand and India to escape resistance attacks. The air force has also been powerless to prevent mass surrenders of junta soldiers, including this week’s capitulation to the Arakan Army during fighting in Ann, Rakhine State.
Regime forces are also being depleted by defections. The civilian National Unity Government reported on Monday that 33 junta soldiers and police, including a major, defected in November alone.
Medics with machine guns?
The junta’s military was bolstered by several hundred new soldiers when cadets from the Defense Services Academy and Defence Services Medical Academy graduated earlier this month. But regime chief Min Aung Hlaing was far from happy. In his speech to medical military cadets on Wednesday, he highlighted the scale of depletion in the armed forces.
He warned new military doctors they might have to join infantry troops in combat as the Arakan Army (AA) advances toward Ayeyarwady Region, which has remained largely peaceful since the 2021 coup.
The AA has seized 12 of the 17 townships in Rakhine State and is poised to take Gwa Township, which borders Ayeyarwady Region. In response, the regime has tightened security and reinforced its positions along the road linking Gwa to Ayeyarwady while bolstering forces on the border.
Meanwhile, regime security forces are snatching young men from streets in many parts of the country, including major cities like Yangon and Mandalay, to prop up the army with conscripts. However, the conscription drive is floundering as large numbers of eligible men flee before, during and after military training.
No wonder, then, that the junta boss is now warning medics to prepare for battle alongside infantry troops.
Although fighting has subsided in northern Shan due to pressure from China, the junta is still struggling in ethnic areas like Rakhine, Kachin, Karen, and Chin states. In Rakhine, the military’s Western Command headquarters is on the brink of falling following a mass surrender of soldiers. In Karen State, the junta suffered a major blow this week as the Karen National Union recaptured Manerplaw, reclaiming its former headquarters after 30 years.
In Chin State, 123 junta soldiers and police officers recently surrendered to resistance forces with their weapons and ammunition.
Neighbors handed vague poll plan, no date
The Thai Foreign Ministry reports that the junta’s Foreign Minister Than Swe “very broadly” filled in diplomats on the election plans but gave no date or other specifics. Read more
Another Min Aung Hlaing loyalist rewarded
Lt-Gen Kyaw Swar Lin becomes Chief of General Staff (Army, Navy and Air Force); Gen. Maung Maung Aye and Gen. Tin Aung San have been moved to less critical posts. Read more
