Myanmar Military News Updates – Jul 16, 2025 Evening
๐ฉ๐ฉ 1. KNU Chairperson Urges Unity with All Forces Opposing Dictatorship
July 16
Karen National Union (KNU) Chairperson Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win has called for solidarity and joint action with all entities resisting military dictatorship—this includes ethnic revolutionary organizations, democratic forces, women’s and youth organizations.
His call was issued through a formal message commemorating the 78th Anniversary of the Karen National Defence Organization (KNDO), observed on July 16.
He emphasized that the KNDO and other Karen revolutionary forces must fulfill their responsibilities in building a Federal Democratic Union, especially as the military junta continues to target civilians not only in Karen State but across the country.
He further urged all Karen people and all Karen organizations, not only the revolutionary forces, to collaborate in achieving the political goals of the Karen people.
He also addressed junta defectors who have fled military conscription: those wishing to join Karen resistance groups must follow organizational policies, and cooperation with KNU administrative departments will be required within KNU-controlled areas to ensure rule of law.
Moreover, the KNU Chairperson encouraged joint efforts with other ethnic revolutionary organizations, democratic allies, activist movements, independent media, and international actors who support federalism in Myanmar.
The Karen National Defence Organization (KNDO) is known as the first armed Karen resistance force, established to defend the rights, lives, homes, and properties of the Karen people as part of the Karen revolutionary struggle.
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๐ฉ๐ฉ 2. Karen People Inside and Outside Myanmar Share Responsibility in Achieving the Karen National Vision: KNDO Commander-in-Chief
July 16
Colonel Saw Shee Lay, Commander-in-Chief of the Karen National Defence Organization (KNDO), stated that not only the Karen National Union (KNU) but all Karen people inside and outside the country bear responsibility in achieving the national aspirations of the Karen people.
He made this remark during the 78th Anniversary of the KNDO, observed on July 16.
Colonel Saw Shee Lay noted that from the time of KNU's founding, the Karen people have strived to attain the right to self-determination and self-governance within the broader political landscape of Myanmar, where they are one of the major ethnic groups.
He outlined three primary missions for the KNDO:
- To protect the lives and property of the Karen people;
- To support the efforts of the KNU to achieve the political aspirations of the Karen liberation movement;
- To defend against violent repression if the enemy employs force.
He affirmed that the KNDO will continue to exist because the goal of establishing an independent Karen State and ensuring the destiny of the Karen people has not yet been fully realized.
Even after achieving national aspirations, he added, responsibilities will remain to protect and defend the people.
He emphasized the need for unity, shared purpose, and collective action among all Karen people to reach their common goals. Therefore, he urged Karen communities worldwide to unite and work together to safeguard the Karen State and to achieve national objectives.
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๐ฉ๐ฉ 3. Burmese Army (BA) Claims Valuable Strategic Insights and Battlefield Experience from Kachin Special Operations
July 16
The Burmese Army (BA) has publicly stated today that it gained valuable strategic insights and practical combat experience through joint military operations during the major special offensives in Kachin territory.
This statement was issued in reference to the documented operations in which the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and allied forces launched a major offensive starting on July 3, 2024.
The BA said it participated in these offensives under the code name “Moekyoe Pyaukkyar Task Force” (Lightning Panther Task Force).
According to the release, the BA joined forces with the KIA in coordinated attacks against key military junta outposts and bases—successfully capturing not only major regional command centers but also numerous smaller bases.
Among the major strategic points reportedly seized were:
- Bawm Yebawm–Point-771,
- Ponpyaingbawm–Thangkamauk Hill,
- Gagam Bawm, and
- Tawatai Hill,
all of which had posed artillery-supported threats to the KIA headquarters in Laiza. Several other security outposts were also taken.
Additionally, BA reports that along the Bhamo–Myitkyina highway, they jointly captured significant junta-controlled command centers, including:
- Artillery Battalion 370 Headquarters,
- Missile Battalion 601,
- SAC Light Infantry Battalion 237,
- SAC Infantry Battalion 437,
under the control of SAC Military Operations Command 21 based in Bhamo.
The BA said it was honored to have taken part in these victorious offensives alongside the KIA, and acknowledged that its soldiers gained essential combat training and skills thanks to the KIA’s effective military strategies and experience.
As a gesture of gratitude, the BA released this joint combat record to inform “the revolutionary public,” highlighting the role the KIA played in helping develop the BA's tactical capabilities.
The BA reiterated that it is an armed force that respects the essence of the 1947 Panglong Agreement.
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๐ฉ๐ฉ 4. Political Prisoner Brutally Beaten by Prison Staff in Thayawaddy Prison, Left Without Medical Aid for Hours
July 16
A prison staff member at Thayawaddy Prison in Bago Region reportedly violently assaulted political prisoner Ko Aung Thu Htet, dislocating his shoulder and placing him in solitary confinement, according to a statement released today by the Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar (PPNM).
The network said this information was confirmed through their own investigation.
The incident occurred on the morning of July 6, when prison staff member Soe Min accused Ko Aung Thu Htet of having a dispute with another inmate in the ward warden’s office. The inmate involved was not a political prisoner and was allegedly working on an administrative task at the time.
Soe Min is known to have a history of frequent physical abuse toward political prisoners, and he had previously been the subject of complaints for beating newly transferred political inmates at Thayawaddy Prison, according to PPNM.
After the assault, Ko Aung Thu Htet was left untreated for several hours, despite having a dislocated shoulder. It was only after repeated demands by fellow political prisoners that he was finally allowed medical care at around 2:00 PM on the same day. However, he was placed in solitary confinement afterward.
According to PPNM, prison authorities took no disciplinary action against Soe Min, merely reassigning him to a different position within the prison while continuing to shield him from accountability.
The organization strongly condemned the ongoing human rights violations within Myanmar’s prisons, where political prisoners are subjected to beatings and repression by prison staff without consequence. It emphasized that the lack of appropriate punishment has emboldened prison personnel to further escalate their abuse.
PPNM called on prison authorities to immediately end unlawful beatings of political detainees and to take swift and proper action against staff who commit such abuses.
It further stated that this and similar abuses have been systematically documented with evidence and witness testimonies, and that perpetrators will be held accountable in the future during the course of justice.
This report was submitted by Radio NUG correspondent Ko Khant.
#SpringRevolution
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