Myanmar Domestic News Updates – Oct 26, 2025 Morning
📌📌 1. National Unity Government Expresses Condolences on the Passing of Thailand’s Queen Mother, Queen Sirikit
October 25 — Radio NUG
The Royal Household of Thailand has announced that Queen Mother Sirikit, the Queen Consort of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and mother of King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X), passed away at 9:21 p.m. on October 24 at Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, aged 93.
Queen Mother Sirikit had been receiving medical treatment at Chulalongkorn Hospital since September 2019 and had suffered from sepsis (a blood infection) since October 17. Despite intensive medical care, her health failed to improve, and she peacefully passed away, according to the royal announcement.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the National Unity Government (NUG) issued an official statement expressing its deep condolences on the passing of Queen Mother Sirikit.
The statement highlighted Her Majesty’s lifelong dedication to the well-being of the Thai people, her unwavering commitment to social welfare, and her remarkable contributions to the preservation of Thailand’s cultural heritage and traditional arts.
It further noted that her devotion to national development and humanitarian causes would remain a respected legacy for generations to come.
Queen Sirikit married King Bhumibol in 1950 and became Queen Consort. They had four children, with their eldest son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, ascending to the throne as Rama X.
King Vajiralongkorn has instructed that Her Majesty’s funeral be conducted with full royal traditions, and her body will lie in state at the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall in Bangkok for public homage, according to the Royal Household Bureau.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who had been scheduled to attend the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, has canceled his trip due to the Queen Mother’s passing.
Queen Sirikit’s birthday, August 12, was designated as “Mother’s Day” in Thailand in 1976. After suffering from a stroke in 2012, she gradually withdrew from public life. She is survived by one son and three daughters.
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📌📌 2. Union-Level Natural Resource Management Committee Holds Its 12/2025 Meeting
October 25 — Radio NUG
The Union-Level Natural Resource Management Committee convened its 12/2025 meeting on October 24, 2025, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC).
The meeting was chaired by Union Prime Minister Mahn Win Khaing Than, with vice-chairs and members from the ministries of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Home Affairs and Immigration, Defense, Planning, Finance and Investment, and Electricity and Energy. Deputy ministers, officials from the Office of the Union Prime Minister, and the Committee’s Secretariat Office also attended.
In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Mahn Win Khaing Than emphasized the importance of effective natural resource governance. The Secretary of the Committee presented reports on the implementation status of resolutions from the 11/2025 meeting, as well as progress on ongoing and future initiatives.
Relevant officials presented updates on sectoral issues related to natural resource management, followed by discussions and recommendations from attending members.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of decisions and plans for future implementation, followed by a group photo session.
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📌📌 3. Gen. N’Ban La Warns That Junta’s Sham Election Will Prolong Civil War, Calls for Continued Unity Among Ethnic and Revolutionary Forces
October 25 — Radio NUG
At the commemoration of the 65th Anniversary of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO/KIA), Chairman Gen. N’Ban La expressed grave concern that the junta’s planned sham election in December would only prolong Myanmar’s civil war and further obstruct political dialogue.
In his address, Gen. N’Ban La stated that political dialogue remains the best way to end the ongoing civil war and armed conflict. However, the junta’s election plan would deepen divisions between supporters and opponents, making negotiations more difficult and extending the conflict.
He urged people living under the junta’s control to act with caution, emphasizing that participation in the junta’s coerced election could determine the destiny of the entire nation and all ethnic nationalities.
The KIO/KIA, he said, has been striving to balance political and military efforts toward genuine peace while promoting unity among ethnic groups, avoiding divisions, and transforming people power into revolutionary strength.
Founded on October 25, 1960, the KIO was established to pursue political rights and justice. From its humble beginnings with handmade firearms, it has now advanced to the stage of modern weaponry, continuing the revolution alongside allied forces without retreat in either military or political efforts.
Gen. N’Ban La paid tribute to all KIO/KIA members for their steadfast commitment and sacrifice, vowing to continue the struggle until victory is achieved so that the lives and sacrifices of fallen comrades would not be in vain.
He concluded by urging the Kachin people and all ethnic nationalities to stand united with solidarity, justice, and compassion — to continue fighting until the revolution prevails.
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📌📌 4. Young Man in Yangon Takes His Own Life After Accumulating Gambling Debt from Slot Games
October 25 — Radio NUG
A 22-year-old man residing in a dormitory in Meittar Nyunt Ward, Tamwe Township, Yangon, reportedly took his own life on October 23 after falling into severe debt from playing online slot games.
According to local sources, the young man had accumulated gambling debts exceeding several million kyats and was also struggling with employment issues.
On Thursday morning, he was found dead, having hanged himself with a rope in the dormitory hallway. His body was discovered by another tenant who had stepped out to use the bathroom.
Slot games have been linked to online fraud and scam operations (known locally as Kyarpyaint), and on October 23, the junta arrested 27 individuals in Yangon and Mandalay for operating online football betting activities.
Earlier, on October 8, an elderly man in the same neighborhood also died by hanging in his bathroom, according to local reports.
A UNDP survey released in June revealed that over 40% of Yangon’s population lives below the poverty line, reflecting worsening social and economic despair under junta rule.
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📌📌 5. Junta Exploiting Farmland Law in Collusion with Rice-Trading Cronies to Coerce Farmers into Forced Rice Cultivation
October 25
Radio NUG
According to Radio NUG correspondent Khur Shel, in Myanmar’s primary rice-producing regions — Yangon, Bago, and Ayeyarwaddy — the terrorist military council and rice-trading cronies are colluding to manipulate and misuse the Farmland Law in order to force farmers to grow low-priced rice against their will.
This coercive practice is reportedly intended to fulfill the junta’s urgent need for foreign currency, while intensifying the economic burden on farmers who are already struggling with mounting debts and agricultural pressures.
A farmer from Yangon Region stated that during the 2025 monsoon season, the continued decline in rice market prices has left many farmers unable to cover their debts. As a result, a growing number of farmlands remain uncultivated or have been abandoned altogether.
Local farmers also reported that the junta authorities have erected red signboards along rural roads, invoking the Farmland Law as a tool of intimidation to compel farmers to cultivate low-priced rice.
These signboards are said to prioritize the business interests of the junta-aligned rice-trading cronies and are part of a wider scheme to generate foreign revenue for the military regime. The rice-trading cronies — who have long exploited Myanmar’s agricultural economy for decades without accountability — are now collaborating with the junta to tighten control over farmers through coercion and fear.
Under the junta’s administration, poverty and hardship among farming communities have deepened significantly. According to a statement released by United Nations human rights experts, as of 2025, approximately one-third of Myanmar’s population (15.2 million people) is facing food insecurity as a result of ongoing military conflict. The experts further project that the prices of basic food staples, including rice, could increase by up to 30 percent this year.
Meanwhile, the junta has failed to implement any effective agricultural reform programs, such as farmland rehabilitation, seed quality improvement, agricultural credit access, or market regulation. Instead, its focus remains solely on extracting income from the sector.
Local farmers also reported that due to climate change, insect infestations, weed proliferation, rising input costs, and shortages of agricultural labor, rice yields have significantly declined, further worsening their financial burdens.
Under the junta’s rule, there has been no real progress in agricultural development. The occasional presence of tractors and harvesters in the fields merely reflects the adverse effects of worsening climate conditions and farmland abandonment, rather than genuine agricultural advancement.
All the above information was reported by Radio NUG correspondent Khur Shel.
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