Spring Revolution – Mizzima Daily Notes

26 September 2026

Military tensions remained high in Hpapun Township, Karen State, on 25 September, between junta forces conducting a prolonged offensive for territorial control and joint forces led by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), as the military’s Deputy Defence Minister, Maj-Gen Aung Myo Thant, told a Pyithu Hluttaw session that artists, professionals, businesspeople and their children would also be required to perform military service under the conscription system when their turn comes.

Despite continued air support, junta troops have reportedly been unable to advance significantly in Hpapun, with most of their forces remaining north of Phalung Gyi village, more than 20 miles from the Hpapun strategic command.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) reported that 27 civilians, including 12 women and five children, were killed as a result of junta forces’ actions in Bago Region between July and 24 September.

A Myanmar-India border trade route near Khaikhy village in southern Mizoram State’s Siaha District reopened on the evening of 24 September after being closed for eight days, following the resolution of a dispute between Mara Thyutlia Py (MTP), a local Mara youth association, and Rakhine boat operators.

Three warships from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s 48th escort task force Tangshan, Daqing and Taihu arrived at Thilawa Port on 24 September for a five-day goodwill visit. Separately, Mizzima partner Lay Waddy FM reported on the widening area of military operations around Kyaukphyu, an influenza outbreak in displacement camps in Taungup, and the urgent need for humanitarian assistance in Rakhine State.

Domestic fuel prices rose sharply, with 92-octane petrol reaching 4,450 kyat per litre in Yangon, 95-octane petrol 4,600 kyat, diesel 4,790 kyat and premium diesel 5,795 kyat per litre.

More than 12 years after it was destroyed by fire, reconstruction of Taungoo Central Market remains pending; Bago Region’s 2026 municipal minister said the project could only be included in the 2029-2030 fiscal year, depending on available budget allocations.

Mizzima’s own fact-checking found that online claims alleging Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei and his family had died by suicide were false.

Cambodia has launched a large-scale crackdown on technology-enabled online scams, arresting 4,834 Cambodian and foreign nationals as of 18 September, while also taking action against 77 police officers linked to the criminal activity, according to the Interior Ministry.

Flooding across 12 Thai provinces has affected nearly 40,000 people; in Bangkok, rainfall exceeding 101.5 millimetres was recorded in districts including Min Buri, with flooding reported at 15 road locations. Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) is using satellite monitoring to track flood-risk areas.

Nine passengers were killed in India after an air-conditioned sleeper bus caught fire following an explosion in its AC system on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida.

At the UN General Assembly, an Israeli representative offered a Starlink device to an Iranian representative; separately, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader warned that if the United States launched further attacks, the conflict could expand as far as the Indian Ocean.

As China intensifies its anti-corruption campaign, demand for legal advisory services among government officials and businesspeople has reportedly increased. New Zealand’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said China poses a cyber threat targeting the health, education and information technology sectors.

Restrictions on pig and pork transport have been imposed across Laos following outbreaks of African swine fever, with pork shortages reported in Vientiane contributing to higher beef prices.

Danish intelligence assessed that Russia is unlikely to achieve a major breakthrough in the war in Ukraine over the next six months, while continuing to represent a growing security threat to NATO.

In South Korea, concerns are growing over increasing use of weight-loss drugs as extremely slim body types, such as that of IVE member Jang Won-young, are increasingly regarded as an ideal, raising fears about potential health risks.

Assessment

Friday’s developments show tightening pressure on civilians on two fronts: the junta’s expanding conscription net, now reaching artists and businesspeople, and continued military confrontation in Karen State, compounded by sharply rising fuel prices at home. Regionally, Cambodia’s scam crackdown and the Thilawa naval visit sit alongside broader diplomatic friction — from the Israel-Iran standoff at the UN to Western assessments of a grinding, unresolved war in Ukraine — underscoring how domestic hardship in Myanmar continues to unfold against a shifting regional and international backdrop.