Hello everyone. From today onward, we’ll be bringing you m.CDM’s domestic news roundup.
The stories we’ll cover today are:
- Twenty-seven killed including one colonel in an ambush on a junta column in Chauk
- Kim Aris says Min Aung Hlaing’s reckless greed has dragged Myanmar into hell
- Tatmadaw’s Ka Pa Sa (12) factory in Thayet attacked with 75mm rockets
- UK, Canada, and Australia call for the release of all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and for an end to airstrikes
…and other related items.
1. Twenty-seven killed including one colonel in an ambush on a junta column in Chauk
m.CDM – February 1
A junta column was ambushed near Theinkan and Lwingyalkant villages in Chauk Township, Magway Region, killing 27 soldiers including a colonel (three-star rank), according to the Bamar Army (BAMAR ARMY).
At about 11:25 a.m. on January 28, a junta column of about 150 troops reportedly advanced into a minefield, where heavy explosions caused multiple deaths and injuries.
Then at around 11:40 a.m., resistance forces again attacked the column, forcing it into disarray. The column pulled back under cover of heavy weapons fire, and at about 6:35 p.m., soldiers allegedly burned down five civilian houses in Theinkan village.
On the morning of January 29, the same column reportedly killed one local resident from Theinkan and another villager who had been taken as a guide, and burned civilian motorcycles before retreating around 7:30 a.m.
According to subsequent information, 27 junta soldiers in total, including the three-star colonel, were killed in the fighting.
The attack was carried out jointly by Bamar Army (BAMAR ARMY) 3rd Command Region, Battalion 707, a commando unit and allied forces, who say they withdrew without casualties.
2. Six soldiers killed, two defect in mine attack on convoy; long-range shells fired at Kha La Ya-19 (Swa)
m.CDM – February 1
A military convoy transporting supplies and electric pylons from Seikphyu to Tanyoung sub-power station in Salin Township — consisting of a generator truck, a jammer vehicle, three Ford trucks and a 12-wheeler pylon carrier — was attacked with three large roadside mines on February 1 by a five-man team led by Lt. Tet Tu from Pakokku District 4th Battalion, 2nd Company, near Myingawa village in Seikphyu Township, according to a statement.
Six junta soldiers were reportedly killed in the attack. Two soldiers from the convoy, members of the People’s Military (People’s Army) who were unarmed, defected to the resistance. They are said to be from the Sagaing Special Training School, though details are still being verified. The statement says the resistance fighters withdrew safely without casualties.
In addition, at 10:45 a.m. on February 1, the fifth anniversary of the coup, Nay Pyi Taw Regional Command PDF Battalion 901 and NSA31 (Luu Baung Thit) fired 107 mm long-range shells at Kha La Ya-19 (Swa) base in Yedashe Township.
One of the short-range shells reportedly landed and exploded inside the base; the extent of the damage is still under investigation.
3. Ka Pa Sa (12) arms factory in Thayet attacked with 75mm rockets
m.CDM – February 1
Ka Pa Sa (12), a defense equipment factory under the junta in Thayet Township, Magway Region, was attacked with 75mm rockets, according to Thayet District 4th Battalion.
At about 4:30 a.m. on February 1, the factory — which produces 120 mm, 60 mm and 40 mm mortar rounds — was targeted with 14 handmade 75mm rockets.
The rockets were successfully fired and are believed to have hit designated structures inside the factory compound, likely causing damage, the group said.
Although junta troops responded with heavy artillery and short-range shells, fighters from Thayet District 4th Battalion say they withdrew without casualties.
4. 274 political prisoners die in prison in five years since the coup, mainly due to denial of medical care
m.CDM – February 1
Five years after the military coup on February 1, a total of 274 political prisoners have died in prisons, according to Myanmar Political Prisoners Watch (MPW).
Most of the deaths are attributed to inadequate medical care, torture and natural disasters.
MPW records show that from February 1, 2021 to February 1, 2026, deaths of political prisoners increased year by year: 25 in 2021, 29 in 2022, 55 in 2023, 52 in 2024 and 113 in 2025, making 2025 the deadliest year.
Major causes of death included untreated heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and related conditions, and cancer — illnesses that could have been managed with timely treatment, MPW said.
A total of 140 prisoners died for health-related reasons due to denial of medical care: 124 men, 15 women, one LGBTQ+ detainee and one girl under 18. One person also died from malnutrition.
Another 71 prisoners died as a result of being shot with live ammunition inside prisons, killed by landmines during prison transfers, or dying from injuries inflicted under torture. Five prisoners were killed when prison officials opened fire during fighting in front of Magway Prison.
Those executed after receiving death sentences include Phyo Zeya Thaw, Kyaw Min Yu (Jimmy), Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw, who were hanged in 2022.
On March 28, 2025, during a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Sagaing Region, buildings collapsed in Obo Prison (Mandalay), killing 59 detainees — 37 women (including two pregnant women) and two men.
Obo Prison recorded 96 deaths, the highest number, followed by Insein Prison with 62, Daik-U Prison with 20, Kale Prison with 15 and Magway Prison with 13.
By age, 76 of the dead were between 18 and 34, 44 were 35–45, 40 were 46–59, and 29 were 60 and above; the ages of another 84 remain unconfirmed.
MPW says many of these deaths are the result of deliberate policies aimed at making political prisoners “disappear,” driven by hatred and revenge, and that the junta’s Prisons Department is violating the rights to life, to be free from inhuman treatment, and to health as guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
MPW called on the UN, ASEAN and international organizations to press for the immediate release of all political prisoners, to prosecute those responsible for torture and killings, to ensure basic healthcare in prisons, and to implement disaster-preparedness measures. It also urged civil society organizations to campaign for abolition of the death penalty and to systematically document and seek accountability for human rights violations.
5. On coup’s fifth anniversary, CRPH calls for junta-made political structures to be rejected and for tougher sanctions
m.CDM – February 1
On February 1, 2026, the fifth anniversary of the coup, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) called for all political arrangements and institutions fabricated by the junta to be formally rejected and for tougher sanctions on aviation fuel, financial channels and arms flows that enable violence.
CRPH also urged the international community to increase pressure on the military for the release of unlawfully detained figures including President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and to increase humanitarian and political support for the National Unity Government, ethnic revolutionary organizations and the courageous people of Myanmar.
During the five years of illegal rule, the junta has carried out airstrikes targeting civilians, tortured and killed political prisoners, and forced millions from their homes, the statement said.
It added that sham elections have been staged, along with a puppet parliament and government created to prolong military dictatorship, none of which have any legal legitimacy. CRPH reaffirmed that, as the committee representing the Union Parliament, it does not recognize them in any way.
The statement noted that these sham elections were held after dissolving major political parties, imprisoning democratic leaders including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and amid intense fighting across more than two-thirds of the country.
CRPH called on foreign governments and international organizations not to recognize the junta’s new political machinery and warned that granting legitimacy to the regime would amount to condoning mass killings and betraying the people’s democratic aspirations.
It reaffirmed its commitment to establishing an inclusive federal system and to building a genuine federal democratic union with sustainable peace, equality, inclusiveness, rule of law and human rights, free from military interference, pledging to continue fighting alongside the people until that goal is reached.
The CRPH also expressed deep gratitude to people from all walks of life — citizens, MPs, CDM civil servants, members of People’s Defense Forces, revolutionary artists, the new generation of youth, women, the Myanmar diaspora and all resistance forces — who have persevered for five years under extreme hardship to bring an end to the military dictatorship.
6. Junta’s unrecognized election will bring no change; greater unity and new members in the revolution needed, NUCC says
m.CDM – February 1
Because the junta-organized election, scripted with backing from China, has failed to win international recognition, it will not bring about meaningful change, said U Maung Maung Aye, a member of the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), at a press conference in Mae Sot, Thailand, on the fifth anniversary of the coup.
“The military staged a fake election. They will now keep trying to gain recognition. But as the leaders and media here can see with their own eyes, the junta’s sham election does not match even their own projections. It is clear that, even after the vote, they have not gained the international recognition they wanted,” he said.
He added that from the moment the election script was drafted under China’s guidance, it was evident the junta’s plan would fail, and that governments and international organizations are therefore continuing to refuse recognition of both the results and any junta-dominated government formed afterward.
NUCC said that through the Joint Working Committee (JWC) — a body jointly formed by NUCC and the National Unity Government to oppose the sham election — revolutionary allies, international organizations and the public had worked together to ensure the election was not recognized.
NUCC pledged that five years into the Spring Revolution it will strive to foster greater unity among resistance forces. In the current situation, it stressed, what matters is not only outward form but substantive, practical unity: building a unified leadership based on the Federal Democracy Charter, U Maung Maung Aye explained.
NUCC council member Zennar Oo added: “The organizations and leaders participating in the revolution need to hold fast to the pledges they have made and move forward together in unity.”
7. “Because of Min Aung Hlaing’s reckless greed, Myanmar has been dragged into hell,” says Kim Aris
m.CDM – February 1
Myanmar has been dragged into hell by Min Aung Hlaing’s reckless greed and pettiness, said Kim Aris (Ko Htein Lin), the son of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently imprisoned by the military.
He made the remarks on February 1, the fifth anniversary of the coup.
“It has now been five years since the military dictators robbed the people of their votes, their voice and their future. Over these five years, the junta has acted with relentless, inhuman brutality. They have killed innocent civilians and carried out such violence that communities live in terror. They have destroyed schools, homes and lives. This is not ‘governance’; it is the violent domination of an entire country.
“In just these five years, Myanmar has become a hub for transnational crime and massive fraud syndicates, threatening not only the people of Myanmar but global security as well,” Kim Aris said.
He noted that it has now been five years since his mother and many other political prisoners were unlawfully detained.
He said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi dedicated her entire life to ensuring that the people of Myanmar could live with dignity and enjoy improved living standards, health, education and opportunities, but that she is now completely cut off from the outside world.
“As of today, no one knows where my mother is being held. Our family, as well as her lawyers and doctors, are denied access, and all communication with the outside world has been severed,” he said.
8. There must never be impunity for the junta’s war crimes, NUG human rights minister says
m.CDM – February 1
The five years since the coup have brought the worst suffering in living memory to the entire country, and there must never be “impunity” for the war crimes committed by the junta, said U Aung Myo Min, Minister for Human Rights in the National Unity Government.
He said the ongoing proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are evidence that a process has begun to hold the entire junta system accountable, and pledged that, no matter how long it takes or how difficult the path, the perpetrators will be forced to kneel before the truth and international law and be held responsible for all of their crimes.
According to the Ministry of Human Rights, in the five years since 2021 the junta has carried out 501 mass-killing incidents, killing 5,188 civilians. There were 159 such incidents in 2025 alone, making it the deadliest year.
The regime has also conducted 4,750 airstrikes, damaging or destroying 1,272 hospitals, schools and religious buildings (excluding private homes). Even during the 2025 earthquake disaster, the junta carried out 297 air attacks.
Similarly, in December 2025 alone — while preparing to hold the sham election — the junta carried out 289 airstrikes with clear intent, the ministry said.
The ministry called on the international community to value the blood and tears of the Myanmar people, to step up efforts to cut off aviation fuel so as to stop the bombs falling on civilians, and to move beyond expressions of sympathy to concrete, practical measures against the junta, which continues to commit war crimes with impunity.
9. UK calls for release of all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and an end to airstrikes
m.CDM – February 1
The UK government has called on Myanmar’s junta to release all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; to stop airstrikes; to allow unhindered humanitarian access; and to engage in genuine dialogue for a peaceful, democratic transition.
On February 1, the fifth anniversary of the attempted coup, the UK’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Development and Cooperation, Yvette Cooper, issued a statement on behalf of the British government.
“The military overthrew the democratically elected government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, thereby trampling on the people’s will and political freedoms. Over the five years since the coup, the people of Myanmar have faced severe and worsening crisis,” she said.
She added that the UK will continue to stand firmly with the people of Myanmar and will keep supporting efforts to build a stable future for them.
According to the British Embassy in Yangon, in the past year the UK has provided humanitarian assistance to over 1.4 million people in Myanmar, including essential health services for 1.3 million.
“Even so, conditions on the ground are dire. Around half of all children in Myanmar are out of school, and women and girls continue to face high levels of violence,” Cooper said.
The UK government also stated that the junta’s election was neither free nor fair and lacked legitimacy.
Because actions still need to be taken that align with the will of the people of Myanmar, the UK called on all relevant actors to protect civilians and to act in line with the people’s aspirations.
10. Canada and Australia urge release of all remaining political prisoners
m.CDM – February 1
Canada and Australia have called on the junta to release all remaining political prisoners being unlawfully detained.
Marking the fifth anniversary of the coup in Myanmar, the two governments issued separate statements.
They said that since February 1, 2021, the people of Myanmar have faced violence, human rights abuses and a severe humanitarian crisis.
They added that crimes such as drug trafficking and online scam operations have increased since the coup, undermining regional stability.
The statements also stressed that the junta’s election, held amid violence and repression, was not free, fair or genuinely inclusive.
Another common point in both statements is that Canada and Australia will continue to stand with the people of Myanmar.
They urged an immediate end to violence, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law, and unobstructed passage for humanitarian aid workers, and called for full implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus.
11. EU says junta’s election fails to meet standards of a free and fair vote and lacks transparency and credibility
m.CDM – February 1
The election held by Myanmar’s military regime was not in line with the standards of a free and fair vote and lacked inclusiveness, transparency and credibility, the European Union has declared.
On February 1, the fifth anniversary of the coup, the EU’s High Representative and senior representatives issued a statement.
They said the EU closely monitored the electoral process in December 2025 and January 2026 and found that it fell far short of the basic conditions needed for a genuinely free and fair election.
In particular, there was no reliable, transparent and inclusive electoral process in line with international standards, the EU said.
The EU reiterated its strong condemnation of the 2021 military coup that overturned the free and fair 2020 election and called for the release of all those arbitrarily detained, including those jailed under laws used to obstruct and disrupt elections.
The EU statement said that five years after the coup, Myanmar remains trapped in conflict and that millions of people are facing poverty and hardship.
Myanmar’s humanitarian situation remains extremely grave, it added, with more than 16 million people in need of emergency assistance, over 3.6 million internally displaced, and many others forced to seek refuge in neighboring countries.
The EU pledged to continue development and humanitarian assistance for the people of Myanmar and, as the largest donor responding to the emergency, to seek effective ways to deliver aid to those most in need.
It reaffirmed support for ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and said the EU continues to stand with the people of Myanmar in their desire for democracy and peace.
Today’s news package was compiled and sent by Ko Thit, Lulay and Khur Shel.