NLD wants Aung San Suu Kyi included in Myanmar peace talks
The National League for Democracy (NLD) stated on Monday that jailed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi must be included in any political process aimed at resolving Burma’s crisis since the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021 that ousted her NLD administration, which governed the country from 2016 up until the coup in 2021. It added that any peace process that excludes Aung San Suu Kyi would not be accepted.
“Aung San Suu Kyi—who enjoys the trust of the people and holds the legitimate democratic mandate conferred by them—is indispensable to resolving the political crisis that has arisen as a consequence of the military coup,” the NLD stated in a press release on July 20. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is facing a backlash over its choice to meet with regime Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe.
The NLD welcomed efforts by the U.N. and others to support the ASEAN Five Point Consensus, a regional peace plan accepted by regime leader Min Aung Hlaing—who led the coup against Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD—but not implemented upon his return to Burma in April 2021. It calls for an end to violence against civilians, the release of all political prisoners, and dialogue among all stakeholders to Burma’s crisis.
ASEAN Special Envoy denounces critics of regime meeting
In a formal statement released from the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, ASEAN 2026 Chair Special Envoy on Myanmar, Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, called a recent public rebuke from the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M) “malicious and misleading” distortions of regional peace efforts.
The sudden escalation stems from an informal meeting convened on July 12 in Bangkok, Thailand, where ASEAN foreign ministers engaged directly with their “counterpart,” regime Foreign Affairs Minister Tin Maung Swe. The move for ASEAN to engage with a senior regime official from Naypyidaw triggered immediate outrage from SAC-M on July 18.
The advocacy group accused the ASEAN 2026 Chair, held by the Philippines, of “poor judgment,” timidity, and rewarding the military’s continuing internal atrocities. In her statement released on July 19, Lazaro categorically rejected the narrative that ASEAN is legitimizing the regime. Read more on our website
Residents in Karenni State connect to the internet, via satellite, on their mobile phones at an undisclosed location which advertises Starlink at 1,000 MMK ($0.23 USD) per hour in 2023. (Credit: Unknown)
SpaceX urged to halt Starlink satellite internet disruptions
A coalition of 255 Myanmar civil society organizations has issued an urgent appeal to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, warning that recent disruptions to the company’s Starlink satellite internet network are threatening the lives and education of millions living under military-imposed communication blackouts.
In a joint letter released on July 17, the organizations urged Musk’s company to allow civilians and pro-democracy groups in Myanmar to continue utilizing its satellite internet, even though the service is not officially licensed to operate in the country. According to the civil society statement, recent Starlink cutoffs have affected over 13 million people inside Myanmar.
The disruptions are described as a “matter of life and death” for nearly 800,000 students who rely on the satellite connections to attend approximately 6,000 virtual schools operated by the National Unity Government (NUG)—the interim administration formed by elected lawmakers ousted in the 2021 military coup. Read more on our website
News by Region
ARAKAN—Five civilians were killed and at least 29 others, including children, were injured during airstrikes in Taungup, Thandwe and Ponnagyun townships carried out by the Burma Air Force on Sunday. Over 20 homes and one church were destroyed during the airstrikes, residents told DVB.
A Thandwe resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that everyone is hiding inside their homes. The three townships, located 20-284 miles (32-457 km) northeast and south of the state capital Sittwe, were seized by the Arakan Army (AA) from March to November 2024.
MANDALAY/SAGAING—Residents in Mahlaing Township, located 75 miles (120 km) south of the region’s capital Mandalay, told DVB that a 70-year-old man was killed during Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), or drone strikes, July 18-19. Residents claimed that all telecommunication services had been cut before the attacks.
In neighbouring Sagaing Region’s Myaung and Chaung-U townships, residents told DVB that over 60 bombs were dropped on two villages by four fighter jets on July 19. No casualties were reported. The towns are located 16-36 miles (25-28 km) south of the region’s capital Monywa. Read more on our website
SHAN—The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) met with the regime’s National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) to discuss “cooperation in stability, development and healthcare” in Naypyidaw on July 19. It reportedly requested that the regime recognize territory under its control as a “Ta’ang State.”
The TNLA has seized control of Namhsang and Manton townships, which are constitutionally recognized as the Palaung Self-Administered Zone (SAZ), as well as Namtu, Namhkam, Mongngawt, and Monglon townships in northern Shan State since “Operation 1027” was launched on Oct. 27, 2023. Read more on our website
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