UN Special Envoy on Myanmar at General Assembly; Military regains control of Sagaing Region town

UN Special Envoy on Myanmar addresses General Assembly

The U.N. Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar, Julie Bishop, addressed the General Assembly on Friday. The speech coincided with the 81st birthday of jailed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, who’s been held by the regime since the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021. Bishop emphasized how she raised Aung San Suu Kyi’s case with regime leader Min Aung Hlaing during her recent visit to Naypyidaw in May.

“There have been no independent, verifiable, reports of her circumstances for years. Today, on her 81st birthday I urge others to join with me in calling for her release. In the eyes of many, there can be no progress to peace while State Counsellor Daw Suu is held prisoner. I reiterate the calls of this body for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained,” said Bishop at the U.N. Headquarters on June 19.

Bishop noted that U.N. Security Council Resolution 2669, which was adopted on Dec. 21, 2022, demands an immediate end to all violence in Burma. But this resolution has not been enforced by the Security Council ever since. Prior to her speech at the U.N. Bishop paid a visit to Canada’s capital Ottawa, where she met with Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Parliamentary Secretary Rob Oliphant. Read more

Military regains control of Sagaing Region town

Regime media reported that the People’s Defence Force (PDF) withdrew from Sagaing Region’s Khampat town after suffering “heavy” casualties–without disclosing an exact number—on Saturday, after the military regained control of the town on June 20. The regime in Naypyidaw doesn’t disclose its casualty figures. Khampat is located 176 miles (283 km) northwest of the Sagaing Region capital Monywa.

Regime media reported on June 14 that the regime counteroffensive aims to regain control over the 81-mile (130 km) long Kalay-Tamu road in Sagaing, which is a Burma-India vital trade route into Manipur State’s Moreh town. The PDF, under National Unity Government (NUG) command, seized control of Sagaing’s Khampat town on Nov. 3, 2023.

The Yinmabin-Salingyi Strike Force told DVB that the Kalay-Tamu road is “vital” to logistics for the PDF-led resistance forces under the NUG, which still administers Sagaing’s Shwe Pyi Aye, Myothit and Pinlebu towns, and controls parts of Tamu. Regime forces regained control of Mawlu town on May 5, and Indaw town on April 30 from the NUG/PDF.