12 May 2026 By Min AB KAWKAREIK, Myanmar — The Myanmar military junta is using a combination of threats and meager material incentives to pressure thousands of displaced residents into returning to the ruins of Kawkareik, a town largely destroyed by military shelling and arson attacks. Locals from the Kayin State town report that ward administrators are contacting families who fled the conflict, offering...

12 May 2026 By Mon Lay NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar — In a move described by critics as a "dark historical irony," the Myanmar military junta has launched a UN Peacekeeping training course in the capital, Naypyidaw, even as its forces face daily accusations of crimes against humanity across the country. The training, which commenced on 11 May, is a joint initiative between the Myanmar military...

11 May 2026 By Nway KALAY, Myanmar — Displaced residents attempting to return to the town of Falam in Chin State are facing a crippling financial barrier as Myanmar military forces impose "road fees" reaching into the thousands of dollars at newly established checkpoints. Following the military’s reoccupation of Falam on 25 April, junta troops have seized control of the vital Kalay-Falam highway. Since...

12 May 2026 By Ko Myo/MPA Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) has issued a stern call to ASEAN, the United Nations, and the broader international community to withhold any form of political recognition from the military junta, accusing the generals of seeking legitimacy without accountability. In a recently released statement, the NUG—the administration representing the ousted civilian government—asserted that Myanmar’s deep-seated political crisis cannot...

12 May 2026 By Mon Lay YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG) has issued a sharp rebuttal to the latest ASEAN summit outcomes, warning that delivering humanitarian aid through the military junta is tantamount to handing a political victory to "the very people dropping the bombs." In a formal statement (4/2026) issued on Tuesday following the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu,...