Myanmar Spring Chronicle – July 16 Scenes
MoeMaKa, July 17, 2023
A bomb fell in the market of Shwebo; Attack on military bases of border guard forces near Myawaddy
The next day after the bomb explosion occurred in the market of Lashio, northern Shan State, injuring more than 1 dozen gold shop employees, 2 bombs exploded in the market of Shwebo, Sagaing Division, injuring around 8 shoppers and vendors, according to reports. In a news article, some local residents believe that the culprit of the bomb explosion in the market is the military from U Aung Zeya Palace in the city. There was no specific proof or response from the military council, and it can be seen that there was no denial or admission from the military council.
Shwebo is a city controlled by the military council where armed attacks are taking place. Shwebo City is also one of the cities controlled by the military council because of the military battalions at the township level and capital level, such as Monywa, Khin-U, Ye-U, and Yinmarbin in Sagaing Division, where military council battalions are based.
People’s Defense Forces and Village Defense Forces have been formed in the villages in the townships, and in some villages, the People’s Defense Forces called “PaKaFa” under the NUG are based. They are now working on administration, defense, education and tax collection issues.
Sagaing Division is the region where the armed attacks against the military council are the most widespread, and the region where the resistance attacks occur the most. It is also one of the regions most affected by the destruction of the military council troops. Before the military coup and before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sagaing Division was a large region with strong agricultural, livestock and manufacturing industries. For smallholders and middle-class cultivators in the region, they earn income from the export of rice, beans and crops to other countries such as China and India. It was also a region where most people went to work in border areas and neighboring countries.
Now, there is regional unrest to do agriculture, human resources such as young and middle-aged people are joining the armed struggle, those who have not participated are leaving abroad to work, and so the social status and stability of Sagaing Region are greatly deteriorating. Due to these conditions, those who can afford money in the villages have moved to cities like Shwebo, Mandalay, and Monywa. Sagaing is one of the regions most affected by the killings and destruction by the military council troops, and if the non-NUG-affiliated PDF forces and the NUG-affiliated PaKaFa groups are added together, they will definitely outnumber the military council troops. However, on the side of the anti-military council forces, it is not a situation where they operate with a single unified command system, and they do not yet have the mechanisms, weapons, and techniques to wage a positional war at the level of guerilla military weapons such as guns and hand-made launchers.
They believe that in order to advance from the stage of defensive attack and sneak attack to the next level, they must be able to acquire weapons, political organization, and build unified command systems. They may have already thought that if these requirements and these facts can be met, the result of the fight against the military council will be significantly changed. Although it can be predicted that there will be challenges and difficulties in obtaining the things that need to be fulfilled above and things that need to be built politically, there is a point to note that it will not be easy for civilians to be able to endure for many years in a situation where they are no longer able to do agriculture and produce food for their livelihood while running and evading. Rather than a war in which both sides will fight fiercely, it is likely that they will hold on to the current situation and hope that their side will win at a time when the military council cannot replenish resources such as manpower and weaponry.
The next news item for today is the news that the KNU and PDF joint forces are attacking an important base near Myawaddy, where the Border Guard Forces are stationed. It is stated in the news that they are fighting fiercely to get the camp hill called Lat Khat Kone, which is not far from Myawaddy, where the BGF are stationed, and that the military council troops are also firing heavy weapons from nearby camp hills.
While fighting is raging in Myawaddy Township, fighting is also taking place in Kyainseikgyi Township, bordering Karen State and Mon State, as well as in Nyaunglebin District of Bago Region.