Power cuts disrupt water supply in Yangon Region; Thailand urged to assist Myanmar Rohingya refugees

Power cuts disrupt water supply in Yangon Region

Residents of Yangon Region told DVB that they’ve been struggling with water shortages due to “frequent” power outages, which started on March 18 and are expected to continue until the end of June. The regime’s Ministry of Electric Power reported that electricity will be distributed in two groups on a rotating four-hour schedule between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. every day in Yangon Region.

“They say the power should come back at 5 p.m. but it doesn’t,” a resident in Mingalar Taungnyunt Township told DVB on the condition of anonymity, adding that residents must have power to pump water into their homes. Factory owners in Yangon told DVB that the ministry’s regular electricity supply, priced at 150–500 MMK ($0.03–0.11) per unit, is plagued by “frequent” power outages.

A “24-hour” power supply at a rate of 900 MMK ($0.21 USD) per unit was introduced on Feb. 1. Burma consumes 4,664 megawatts of electricity per day but can generate only 3,600 MW—about 77 per cent of demand—according to the regime. The Fire Services Department stated that it has donated water to residents of Mayangone, North Dagon, Pazuntaung, Kungyangone, East Dagon, Kyimyindaing, Thingangyun and Sanchaung townships.

Thailand urged to assist Rohingya refugees

Fortify Rights called on Bangkok to grant legal status and support third-country resettlement for 40 Rohingya refugees who arrived in Thailand in February after being “forcibly” returned to Burma by Indian authorities in May 2025. It warned that they now face detention, extortion, and the risk of further displacement, describing their ordeal as “chain refoulement,” or repeated forced returns across countries.

“Rohingya refugees are being pushed from one danger to another,” stated Puttanee Kangkun, the director at Fortify Rights, in a press release on April 8. She wants Thailand to ensure lawful pathways to protection that respect refugee rights. Puttanee also demanded that India investigate and hold its officials accountable for the forced deportation and reported abuse of the 40 Rohingya refugees.

Over one million Rohingya, many of whom fled Burma military operations in 2017, live in refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar District, as well as in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. An estimated 519,647 Rohingya remain in Arakan State, according to the U.N. In Burma, Rohingya face ongoing security risks and restrictions on basic rights, including freedom of movement and access to citizenship.