Spring Revolution – Mizzima Daily Notes

25 September 2026

The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) said international crimes continue to be committed across the country and that ongoing armed conflict means displaced people are still unable to return safely to Rakhine State, as a military jet dropped at least six bombs on a National Unity Government (NUG) military command post in Karen State on 24 September.

According to the IIMM, local communities in Rakhine continue to face airstrikes, artillery attacks, drone strikes, arbitrary arrests and sexual violence, while humanitarian access remains restricted.

The military carried out the airstrike in Kyaikto Township, within Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 1 territory, at around 11:00 a.m., with a jet fighter dropping at least six bombs on a Ministry of Defence (MOD) command headquarters belonging to the opposition National Unity Government (NUG).

As the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly continues in New York, attention has focused on Myanmar’s official UN representation and credentials, as well as security arrangements for Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun amid reported Interpol-related threats from the military authorities. Separately, Dr. Khalilur Rahman, president of the 81st UN General Assembly, wrote on social media that the Rohingya crisis remains unresolved and that international attention must not fade from efforts to secure their safe and dignified return.

On Mizzima’s Morning Radio program, newsroom management editor U Sein Win and reporter Yoon discussed a military flotilla’s attempt to advance and reinforce forces toward Bhamo along the Ayeyarwady River, reporting that around 20 military and civilian vessels had been destroyed or sunk, along with developments on the Bhamo-Momauk front and the financial and equipment pressures facing the military.

More than 470,000 mobile SIM cards allegedly used for online scam and gambling operations in Mandalay Region have been permanently deactivated, according to a parliamentary response from military official Colonel Nay Lin Soe, who said authorities were also working to disrupt financial flows linked to such operations.

Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand continue to send most of their money through informal hundi networks and brokers, according to an ISP report. ISP and the Nelson Mandela Center called for reforms going beyond relaxed banking rules, including easier legal labour migration and an integrated overhaul of migration and remittance systems.

Some Japanese, Korean and Chinese vehicles assembled domestically under Myanmar’s Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) system are reportedly being resold on the open market for MMK 100 million to MMK 300 million above factory prices roughly two to three times the original cost in some cases.

The Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar (PPNM) reported that prisoners at Kale Prison are being required to pay bribes of MMK 1 million to MMK 1.5 million to staff and authorities to secure permission for treatment at outside hospitals; specialist medical assessments found around 80 prisoners currently require such outside care.

The National Unity Party marked its 38th anniversary at its Central Committee headquarters on University Avenue in Yangon, and is planning to hold its party congress in December.

Argentine President Javier Milei sharply criticized the United Nations in his address to the General Assembly, calling it a “useless organization” run by “fatally arrogant parasites.” On the sidelines of the same gathering in New York, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave a brief response when a journalist from Russian state broadcaster VGTRK asked when he would visit Moscow; Zelenskyy also said Russia was using fighters from 47 third countries and that two captured North Korean soldiers had been sent to South Korea.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called on the UN to remove the World War II-era “enemy state” clauses from its Charter, describing Japan as a “peace-loving nation.” Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the United States and was greeted by President Donald Trump near his aircraft, with the two countries agreeing to extend their trade truce until January. Following overnight Russian attacks involving 161 drones and cruise missiles, NATO military aircraft were deployed in Polish and Romanian airspace.

Thailand is preparing to introduce a tourist fee to fund traveller protection, cover state medical costs and improve tourism infrastructure. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Thai rock singer Nene Royal (Rattikarn Amloy) won America’s Got Talent, taking home the US$1 million prize.

Debate has emerged in China over calls to reduce or eliminate English-language education in schools and universities, with critics invoking the idiom “ke zhou qiu jian” (“marking the boat to look for a lost sword”) to describe the push as outdated, even as China’s military expands and intensifies its maritime patrol activities.

Assessment

Wednesday ‘s developments show continued military pressure on multiple fronts from the Karen State airstrike on an NUG command post to the ongoing IIMM findings on Rakhine displacement even as diplomatic attention concentrated on the UN General Assembly, where Myanmar’s credentials, the Rohingya crisis, and Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun’s security featured prominently. Beyond Myanmar, the session underscored deepening global fault lines, from Milei’s broadside against the UN to the US-China trade truce extension and intensifying Russia-Ukraine strikes near NATO airspace.