Hello and welcome. We will now present today’s domestic news from m.CDM.
Today’s main stories are:
- Five civilians were killed and nearly 30 others injured after the military bombed three towns in Rakhine State in a single day.
- Military columns withdrew from Indaw and Mawlu, while residents reported that drinking water and food had been poisoned. A base belonging to the Yesagyo Revolution Group was also hit by airstrikes.
- Political prisoner U Tun Myint died in Paungde Prison after allegedly being denied adequate medical treatment, bringing the number of political prisoners who have died since the coup to nearly 150.
- A gold shop was robbed in Mandalay, two sisters were killed during a robbery in Lashio, and the body of a child was found following flooding in Hpakant.
We will also present several other domestic stories.
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- Five civilians killed and nearly 30 injured in airstrikes on three Rakhine towns
m.CDM, July 20
The Arakan Army’s information office said the military carried out consecutive airstrikes on Ma-Ei, Thandwe and Ponnagyun in Rakhine State on July 19, killing five civilians and injuring nearly 30 people, including Buddhist monks.
The attacks targeted civilian areas in the three towns on the 79th anniversary of Martyrs’ Day.
At around 11:30 a.m., a military jet dropped three 300-pound bombs on Wards 2 and 3 in Ma-Ei, Taungup Township. Five civilians were killed and 22 people, including a monk and children, were injured. A Christian church and about 20 homes were also damaged.
Between approximately 4:00 and 4:30 p.m., military jets bombed Thandwe town five times and fired machine guns from the aircraft. Four civilians were injured and several homes were damaged.
At around 6:30 p.m., a jet dropped two 300-pound bombs near Taung Pauk, the Ye Pauk stream junction and Taung Pauk Monastery in Ponnagyun Township. Two monks and one civilian were injured.
The AA said the coordinated attacks on three towns in one day raised serious questions about recent peace invitations and meetings held during the military’s declared 100-day period.
The United League of Arakan/Arakan Army, or ULA/AA, said it would respond to every military offensive in cooperation with the people of Arakan, trusted organizations and individuals, and allied groups operating in neighboring areas.
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- Continued airstrikes in southern Chin State and Tanintharyi Region
m.CDM, July 20
The military carried out repeated airstrikes near Mindat in southern Chin State and in the Myeik-Dawei District of Tanintharyi Region, causing civilian injuries and damage to buildings, according to residents and local organizations.
At around 6:00 a.m. on July 20, Y-12 aircraft reportedly dropped more than 30 bombs near Mindat.
A jet had also dropped four bombs near the town on July 18. On July 17, two 500-pound bombs were reportedly dropped on two locations inside Mindat.
In Tanintharyi Region, the Karen Human Rights Group said the military attacked a village in the Le Nya village tract of Ler K’Saw Township, in KNU-controlled Myeik-Dawei District.
On the evening of June 20, despite there being no fighting in the area, a jet reportedly dropped two 120-millimeter bombs and fired machine guns.
One civilian was injured. Two school buildings, a betel plantation and two shops were damaged.
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- Military columns withdraw from Indaw and Mawlu; suspected poisoning reported and YRG base bombed
m.CDM, July 20
Military columns stationed near Indaw and Mawlu in Sagaing Region withdrew toward Katha on the night of July 18, according to residents and military sources.
After their withdrawal, residents reportedly found suspected chemicals or poison in drinking-water ponds, household water containers, bottled water and food supplies, including rice and beans, in the villages of Meza, Nant Thae, Thanbo, Naung Moe and Ale Seik.
No deaths have yet been reported. However, local public administration groups warned residents not to use the water or food until further notice.
Resistance groups said the military columns had returned to Light Infantry Battalion 309 in Katha and may have made only a temporary tactical withdrawal.
Tensions remain high in Indaw, Mawlu, Katha and nearby areas. Resistance groups warned residents to remain alert because air and drone attacks are continuing.
Separately, the military bombed a base belonging to the Yesagyo Revolution Group, or YRG, in Yesagyo Township, Magway Region, at around 3:30 p.m. on July 18.
According to YRG, four fighter aircraft dropped bombs, while an Mi-35 helicopter fired rockets and machine guns.
No resistance fighters were injured, but the base was heavily damaged.
YRG said it would continue the revolution despite the losses and appealed for public assistance to help rebuild the organization and its facilities.
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- NLD warns ASEAN not to recognize an administration formed through a sham election
m.CDM, July 20
The National League for Democracy warned ASEAN that although engagement may be a practical approach toward a political solution in Myanmar, it must not lead to recognition of an administration formed through what the party described as a sham election.
The NLD said the root cause of Myanmar’s political crisis was the military’s rejection of the 2020 election results and its seizure of power by force against the will of the people.
For that reason, it said State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who received a legitimate public mandate, must play an essential role in resolving the crisis.
In a statement issued on July 20, the NLD said any solution must include an end to violence against civilians, the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners, unrestricted humanitarian access to people in need and inclusive political dialogue.
The party welcomed constructive efforts by the United Nations, ASEAN and friendly countries to peacefully resolve the crisis. It also said ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus remained the central framework for addressing the Myanmar issue.
However, the NLD stressed that genuine inclusiveness must be based on the confidence of all stakeholders.
It said no political process would gain full public trust or cooperation without the meaningful participation of the NLD, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, representative political forces and ethnic organizations.
The party therefore warned ASEAN not to allow its engagement policy to become a means of legitimizing an administration created by the military’s planned election.
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- Political prisoner dies after inadequate medical treatment in Paungde Prison
m.CDM, July 20
The Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar, or PPNM, said 72-year-old political prisoner U Tun Myint died after receiving inadequate medical care in Paungde Prison.
His death brings the number of political prisoners who have died since the military coup to nearly 150, according to the organization.
U Tun Myint, who was being held in Ward 3 of Paungde Prison, died at Paungde General Hospital at around 11:00 a.m. on July 12.
He had previously worked in farming and hillside cultivation. After the coup, he was arrested on allegations of supporting the People’s Defence Force.
On November 21, 2022, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison under Section 50(i) of the Counter-Terrorism Law.
PPNM said he had been healthy and had no major underlying illness before his arrest. His health reportedly deteriorated after imprisonment.
At around 10:30 p.m. on July 7, he lost consciousness and was sent to Paungde Hospital. He suffered paralysis on the right side of his body and severe symptoms, including blood in his urine, before his death.
PPNM said poor prison living conditions, inadequate medical treatment and delays in providing care were serious human-rights violations that contributed to his death.
Another political prisoner, Ko Hla Min, who was serving a 10-year sentence under Section 50(j), also died in Paungde Prison last year after allegedly receiving inadequate medical care.
PPNM strongly condemned the military authorities, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Prisons Department for violating prisoners’ rights and failing to provide adequate health care.
According to data collected by PPNM, 148 political prisoners died in 32 prisons across Myanmar between July 2021 and May 2026 because of inadequate medical treatment or while being unlawfully detained.
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- ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting begins with Myanmar and regional security on agenda
m.CDM, July 20
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting began in Manila, the Philippines, and is being held from July 20 to 24.
Myanmar’s political crisis is among the main issues to be discussed.
Foreign ministers and senior representatives from ASEAN member states, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, India and the European Union are expected to attend.
The meeting is also expected to discuss the political and armed-conflict situation in Myanmar, the effects of the Iran war, disputes in the South China Sea and wider regional and global security issues.
ASEAN special envoy and Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro recently held separate meetings with the military authorities, ethnic resistance organizations, the National Unity Government and other stakeholders.
The results of those discussions are expected to be presented at the meeting.
Participants are also expected to review implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus, which was agreed upon in 2021, as well as diplomatic approaches to restoring inclusive political dialogue in Myanmar.
The Philippine government reaffirmed that ASEAN would continue restricting Myanmar’s political representation at high-level meetings because no meaningful progress had been made in implementing the Five-Point Consensus.
The Philippine Foreign Ministry also responded to criticism from the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, or SAC-M, saying the criticism contained inaccuracies and that ASEAN had not abandoned the consensus.
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- Myanmar resistance organizations in South Korea hold political forum
m.CDM, July 20
Myanmar resistance organizations based in South Korea held the third “Political Forum 2026” in Cheonan on July 18.
Participants agreed to strengthen cooperation and maintain the momentum of the revolution.
The forum was organized by the NUG Representative Office in the Republic of Korea.
NUG Foreign Minister Daw Zin Mar Aung delivered the opening remarks online. She said the revolution was facing new political challenges and that resistance forces were working to build more unified leadership and a long-term political framework through a combined military and political approach.
NUG representative to South Korea U Yan Naing Tun said the revolution’s greatest strength was not weapons but the trust and unity of the people.
He said the purpose of the meeting was not to decide who was right or wrong, but to explore how different groups could cooperate to achieve the revolution’s goals.
Representatives from more than 10 resistance and support organizations attended, including the Anti-Military Coup Committee, MFDMC, NLD-OC Korea, CYOSK, GMSR Korea, MRS, We Love Mother Land and the group known as “Overthrow the Age of Fear.”
The meeting lasted from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Participants discussed seven main policy papers covering Myanmar’s political situation, fundraising policies, the impact of the military-conscription law on Myanmar citizens abroad, conflict resolution among resistance groups, military codes of conduct, expansion of international alliances and systematic organizational development.
The forum’s proposals, agreements and recommendations will be compiled and submitted to the NUG and other relevant organizations.
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- Gold shop robbed in Mandalay, two sisters killed in Lashio, child’s body found after Hpakant flooding
m.CDM, July 20
A gold shop in Chanmyathazi Township, Mandalay, was robbed by five armed men who arrived on three motorcycles on the afternoon of July 20.
At around 3:00 p.m., the men entered the Millionaire Gold Shop on 100th Street between 62nd and 63rd streets and threatened staff with firearms.
Although the exact amount has not been officially confirmed, residents estimated that between 50 ticals and one viss of gold may have been taken.
CCTV footage circulated online showed the robbers wearing masks and motorcycle helmets. They pointed guns at employees, took valuables and quickly fled. One male employee was also beaten.
Residents said 100th Street is a busy area where military-backed Pyu Saw Htee members and criminal gangs are reportedly influential.
At least seven gold-shop robberies have occurred in Mandalay since the coup, and the authorities have reportedly failed to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators in any of the cases.
In Lashio, northern Shan State, two sisters who owned the “Kyeizu Shin” grocery shop in Ward 10 were killed during a robbery on July 19.
The attack occurred at around 8:00 p.m. while they were working in the shop.
The sisters, aged approximately 60 and 40, were found dead with knife wounds to their necks.
Residents said theft, robbery, looting, kidnapping and murder have increased since the military regained control of Lashio, causing growing fear among local people.
Meanwhile, in Hpakant, Kachin State, the body of a boy believed to be around five years old was found inside a house in Ngapyaw Taw Ward after being swept away by floodwaters.
The body was discovered at around 3:00 p.m. on July 20 while residents were cleaning their homes as the water began to recede.
People seeking further information were advised to contact local organizations, including Sein Nan Palae Pharmacy and the Koon Foundation.
Floodwaters have started to fall in parts of Hpakant Township, but rescue and relief work is continuing. Flood-affected residents still urgently need food, drinking water and other basic supplies.
This concludes today’s m.CDM domestic news program. The reports presented today were contributed by Ko Thit and Lu Lay.
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