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. 

Tin Nyunt speaking at the opening ceremony of a library in Pyimana Township, Naypyidaw Region, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Credit: Tin Nyunt)

Award-winning author sentenced to three years for ‘sedition’

A military court inside Yangon’s Insein Prison has sentenced 71-year-old National Literature Award-winning author Tin Nyunt and his son, Nay Tun, to three years in prison for “incitement” and “sedition.” The verdict, handed down on Thursday marks another escalation in the regime’s campaign to eradicate intellectual freedom and criminalize political satire from the pre-2021 coup democratic era.

Tin Nyunt and his son were abruptly arrested on April 23 during an early morning raid at their family residence in Yangon’s Thanlyin Township.
According to literary sources and local reports, the arrests were triggered after an online book vendor promoted the sale of three of Tin Nyunt’s older satirical books during a live TikTok broadcast. 

The three targeted titles include: “Bogyoke Twe Ko Kyanaw Nyar Kae Thi” (I Lied to the Generals) “Kway Htain Ngata” (Dog Trainer Ngata)
“U Than Shwe Ai Yadayar Myar” (U Than Shwe’s Ritual Performances)
All three books were published 2014-20—prior to the 2021 coup—during Burma’s democratic transition under the National League for Democracy (NLD) party administration. Read more

News by Region

NAYPYIDAW—Over 20,000 people have been charged over the past three years for “inciting violence” or “spreading misinformation” online under the Counter-Terrorism Law and Section 505(a) of the Penal Code, which penalizes “incitement” against the military, according to regime Deputy Home Affairs Minister Min Thu.

He added that a parliamentary committee was formed in April by the Pyithu Hluttaw, or lower house of parliament, to monitor “fake news” and conduct online surveillance. It’s also tasked with taking legal action, including deactivating mobile phone numbers and freezing bank accounts. 

SAGAING—At least 10 Monywa residents were arrested for participating in the “Flower Strike” for jailed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s 81st birthday on Friday. Every June 19 over the last five years, pro-democracy activists have raised awareness of Aung San Suu Kyi’s isolation since the 2021 coup.

A Monywa resident told DVB that the owners of two shops were arrested for offering roses to Buddha images and an unknown number of people were arrested for wearing or selling roses. Sources close to the police told DVB that plainclothes officers were deployed to monitor and question anyone with flowers.

YANGON—Sixteen people who were arrested in a raid on a home in Kamayut Township on Wednesday were allegedly running a cyber scam operation since September 2025, according to police. A source told DVB that all 16 confessed that they were trying to shut down the operation before the raid.

Police seized an unlicensed vehicle containing two satellite internet routers, four laptops, 175 mobile phones–linked to the operation–in Bahan Township on June 16. Those arrested told police they abandoned the vehicle with all the electronics inside. Bahan is located two miles (3 km) north of Kamayut. 

(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,260 MMK) 

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