Myanmar Domestic News Updates – Oct 18, 2025 Evening
📌📌 1. U Kyaw Moe Tun: The international community must not remain idle while the military junta deliberately starves and impoverishes the Myanmar people
October 18
U Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated that the international community should not stand idly by while the military junta deliberately starves and suppresses the Myanmar people through cruel and inhumane tactics.
He made this remark during discussions on the Right to Food at the United Nations General Assembly’s Third Committee, which covers Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Affairs.
The Ambassador explained to the attendees that the consequences of the unlawful military coup of February 2021 have been devastating, including the collapse of people’s right to access adequate food.
He further noted that, as of 2025, approximately 15.2 million people in Myanmar are facing acute food insecurity, while 3.5 million have been forcibly displaced and are currently living as internally displaced persons (IDPs).
In such dire circumstances, he said, the military junta has blocked and restricted humanitarian aid deliveries, obstructed humanitarian workers, and launched airstrikes that destroyed farmlands and agricultural equipment—further worsening the suffering of civilians.
The Ambassador pointed out that the junta is diverting the country’s revenue for the purchase of weapons and ammunition, and has allowed its network of cronies to profit from the artificial control and restriction of goods and trade under the pretext of “shortages.”
This systematic policy, he said, is a deliberate strategy by the junta to deprive Myanmar citizens of their basic right to food. Therefore, the Ambassador urged the United Nations and the international community to take immediate and concrete action instead of remaining silent or passive in the face of such violations.
During the same session, Mr. Michael Fakhri, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, also presented his report, highlighting the negative global impacts caused by monopolization and control over food systems. He emphasized that perpetrators must be held accountable under relevant international laws and urged all nations to respect and uphold the people’s right to adequate food.
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📌📌 2. U Kyaw Moe Tun urges sufficient budget allocation for UN offices in the 2026 fiscal year
October 18
U Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, urged the UN Administrative and Budgetary Committee to ensure that sufficient funding is allocated to relevant UN offices in the 2026 budget.
He made the statement during the general debate under the agenda item on the UN Regular Budget for 2026 at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly’s Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary Committee).
The Ambassador stated that over the four years since the illegal military coup, the junta has committed some of the most heinous and brutal atrocities, destroying more than 100,000 civilian buildings, including schools, hospitals, and places of worship.
He added that there have been 452 documented incidents of mass killings, resulting in the deaths of 4,763 civilians, including children, based on verified records.
According to the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), the junta’s actions amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes, which the Mechanism highlighted in its latest report.
He also emphasized the crucial roles of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, and the IIMM, noting that their work and voices are vital for maintaining global attention on the ongoing crisis.
The Ambassador extended his gratitude to these UN mechanisms and their members for their continued efforts in documenting violations and advocating for justice for the people of Myanmar.
However, he stressed that to save lives and protect civilians, the United Nations must go beyond expressions of concern and adopt effective, immediate, and coordinated measures to hold the junta accountable and prevent further atrocities.
He concluded by urging the UN Administrative and Budgetary Committee to ensure that sufficient and sustained funding is allocated in the 2026 UN budget to support these key offices and mechanisms, so that their mandates can be implemented effectively and without interruption.
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📌📌 3. EAR releases report on Myanmar military’s most dangerous air bases and aircraft types
October 18
The aviation monitoring group EAR (Eyes for the People Air Recon) released a detailed report today identifying the most dangerous air force bases and types of aircraft used by the Myanmar military.
The report includes photographic evidence and lists air bases and aircraft by region and military division, compiled from over four years of continuous air surveillance and verified through cooperation with local ground-based observation networks.
According to EAR, this information is not intended solely for experts involved in air monitoring operations, but also for ordinary civilians, especially those with limited knowledge or experience regarding airstrikes and aircraft recognition. The purpose is to help them understand where attacks are likely to originate and how to minimize risks.
The report aims to inform the public which air bases operate in each state and region, which cities are potential launch points for attacks, and what types of aircraft are most commonly deployed in each area—so that civilians can better prepare for or avoid imminent air assaults.
It highlights that Myanmar’s central dry zone—including Sagaing, Magway, and Mandalay Regions—is geographically one of the most dangerous areas because it hosts key air bases that serve as strategic lifelines for the junta.
Unlike mountainous regions, these flat plains offer little natural cover, meaning local residents have only a few minutes to react once aircraft are airborne, making them especially vulnerable to deadly airstrikes.
Since 2021, these regions have also become strongholds of the Spring Revolution, where resistance forces remain highly active. As the junta’s territorial control and influence continue to shrink, it has intensified its air raids against these very regions—often targeting civilian sites such as schools, hospitals, refugee camps, monasteries, and seasonal festivals in an effort to terrorize the population.
EAR’s findings also show that, among all states, Karenni, Southern Shan, Northern Shan, Chin, and Rakhine States have recorded the highest civilian casualties from airstrikes.
This report was submitted to Radio NUG by correspondent Ko Khant.
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