Union Solidarity and Development Party ready for elections
The chairperson of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) Khin Yi said that he is ready for the upcoming elections despite the fact that the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which governed Burma from 2016-21, was dissolved by the regime Union Election Commission (UEC) for not re-registering following the 2021 military coup.
“There are many NLD party members in the country who want to compete in the elections,” Khin Yi told the Popular Journal, a pro-regime media operating inside the country. “The UEC will approve those members who want to form a new party in accordance with the election law. They [UEC] still welcome new party registration,” he added.
A total of 53 political parties have re-registered for the upcoming election. Only nine, including the USDP, will compete nationwide. Human Rights Watch called on the U.N., Japan, South Korea, India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to “defiantly oppose” any election that would legitimize military rule in Burma. Read more.
Regime pushes for polls by January 2026
Min Aung Hlaing urged regions and states to emphasize security measures for a multiparty “democratic” election to take place by January at a meeting in Naypyidaw on Monday, regime media reported. This is the second time the regime leader has mentioned an election timeline publicly since his announcement during a visit to Belarus on March 7.
“[H]olding national elections while there has been no political progress, such as the release of those detained, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and dialogue to break through the current situation, will only invite more resistance from the people,” Takeshi Iwaya, Japan’s Foreign Minister, told the Japanese parliament on Friday.
Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said that the priority of ASEAN was to end the violence in Burma, not to support a regime-planned election, at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in January. The UEC reported that polls will be held in 110 out of 330 townships. Forty political parties, including the NLD, refused to re-register under the regime.
Kachin Independence Army denies talks with Naypyidaw
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) denied rumours circulating online about meeting with the regime in Kunming, China. Fighting between the KIA and regime forces over control of the Military Operations Command (MOC) 21 resumed in Bhamo Township on Saturday, ending a week of relative calm in southern Kachin State.
“Our central committee didn’t say anything about negotiations [with the regime],” Naw Bu, the KIA spokesperson, told DVB. He added that KIA troops were engaging regime forces in Waingmaw Township in response to a military operation on Monday. Waingmaw is located 130 miles (209 km) north of Bhamo and 30 miles (48 km) east of the Kachin State capital Myitkyina.
The KIA political wing, Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) Chairperson General N’Ban La met with the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in December as fighting was underway in Bhamo and Mansi townships, located 120-127 miles (193-204 km) from Myitkyina. The KIA seized Mansi on Jan. 8. It controls 14 townships in Kachin, including Mabein Township in northern Shan State.
News by Region
ARAKAN—Three members of a family were killed and six others were injured by an airstrike carried out by the Burma Air Force on a monastery in Aung Phyu Pyin Village of Ponnagyun Township on Tuesday. Ponnagyun is located 21 miles (33 km) northeast of the state capital Sittwe. It was seized by the Arakan Army (AA) last March.
“A fighter jet dropped a bomb on the monastery where displaced villagers were sheltering. Three were killed instantly,” a resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity. About 3,000 residents have been displaced from their homes. A previous airstrike hit a nearby village on March 22. The AA now controls 14 out of 17 townships across the state.
BAGO—Twelve regime troops and one People’s Defence Force (PDF) member were killed during fighting over a military outpost in Kyauktaga Township on Tuesday, a source on the frontline told DVB on the condition of anonymity. Kyauktaga is located 77 miles (124 km) north of the region’s capital Bago.
“We’ve captured two-thirds of sentry posts but have yet to seize the outpost,” a resistance member told DVB. The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Brigade 9 joined in the attack. KNLA-led resistance forces seized the regime’s Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 73 Thabyaynyunt outpost located near Karen State on March 8.
NAYPYIDAW—The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) announced that its foreign exchange trading platform placed $35 million USD and 10 million CNY on sale for fuel business owners and importers. Around $100 million USD has been offered to the market since earlier this month.
The CBM previously stated it was liquidating nearly $2.2 million USD on average daily with incomes from the garment sector to importers. The regime wants to stop currency appreciation by selling off its foreign reserves. The CBM market rate is $1 USD to 4,450 MMK.
SHAN—The Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) told local media that the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) expelled its members from two villages in Mongmit Township on Monday. Mongmit is located 171 miles (275 km) northeast of Lashio. It was seized by the TNLA in July 2023.
“They came to tell us to remove our group from this village,” the SSA told SHAN News. A previous dispute between the TNLA and SSA last year was mediated by the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), which is led by the United Wa State Army (UWSA).
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