Myanmar 20251014
Mekong Memo Myanmar Weekly: Business, politics, finance, trade & legal news.
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Here is this week’s edition of the Mekong Memo for Myanmar.
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Headlines:
Junta Defends Deadly Paraglider Attack
Telenor In Hot Water Over Data Sharing
Rice Exports Restart With Limited Farmer Relief
War Leaves Kyaukme in Shambles
Voter Registration Plagued by Gaps and Errors
Junta Shores Up China and Russia Ties
Starlink Now Top Myanmar ISP
Junta Defends Deadly Paraglider Attack
The military confirmed it attacked a protest during the Thadingyut full moon festival on October 7, 2025, in Chaung U township, killing at least 25 and possibly up to 43 people, including a 2-year-old child. The junta claims rebel fighters from “PDF terrorist groups” were present and mixed in with other demonstrators and accuses them of coercing civilians to participate and then using them as human shields. A witness said that a motor-powered paraglider dropped bombs on the crowd, causing chaos and death.
Read more: Japan Times (Festival Attack), Digital Journal (Casualty Details), Caledonian Record (Rebel Presence)
Telenor In Hot Water Over Data Sharing
Norwegian telecom company Telenor now needs to defend itself against lawsuits from civil society groups for allowing human rights violations. The blockbuster claim is that by transferring user data to the military junta, they allowed for the arrest and persecution of thousands of citizens. Telenor claims it was legally obliged to hand over the traffic data, including call logs and location information for 18 million customers, to authorities before it sold its operations to a Lebanese investment firm in March 2022. The company says failure to comply would have been viewed by the junta as “terrorism and sabotage,” and would have put its employees in danger. Claimants from Defend Democracy and the Internet Project argue the sale gave the military unrestricted access to customer data.
Read more: Mobile World Live (Company Defense), Myanmar Now (Legal Action), Cryptopolitan (Data Impact)
Rice Exports Restart With Limited Farmer Relief
The junta’s trying to get more rice exports out the door as it tries to undo damage from price crashes earlier this year, but many farmers say the restart of exports has done little to provide them with financial relief. The junta’s export push is another attempt by the junta to stick-handle an economy that’s been battered by civil war and sanctions, but typically, the benefits appear to be flowing more to middlemen and traders than to farmers themselves.
Read more: Myanmar Now
War Leaves Kyaukme in Shambles
The military recaptured the town of Kyaukme on October 1, after a three-week battle with the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, leaving the town in ruins. The small city, which previously supported a population of 46,000, has seen most residents leave for safety. An AP journalist reported that although schools have reopened, the market remains mostly empty, indicative of a city that’s been hollowed out - locals are reluctant to come back because they remain fearful for their safety in areas where TNLA forces are still active. The military allowed limited access to foreign media, a rare exception to its normal restrictions on the press.
Read more: Los Angeles Times
Voter Registration Plagued by Gaps and Errors
Union Minister for Immigration and Population U Myint Kyaing reported that the first voter list release is incomplete and filled with bad data. Citizens are being told to verify their names on the voter list and report any mistakes. The Minister has told committees at all levels to review and validate voter information before the second voter list is released - if they can get it tidied up, they might save themselves from further embarrassment and more questions about their ability to run credible elections.
Read more: The Star
Junta Shores Up China and Russia Ties
The military junta continues to try to improve its relations with China and Russia. China’s investment in Myanmar is mostly in infrastructure, including railways and ports, as that country secures its own access to the Indian Ocean. Relations with China had cooled during the previous civilian government, particularly after the Myitsone Dam project was stopped in 2011, but for the moment things are more friendly. Min Aung Hlaing is also continuing his glad-handing of relations with Russia, as he works towards cooperation on nuclear power and new special economic zones.
Read more: Asian News Network
Starlink Now Top Myanmar ISP
New scam centers are being brought online in Myawaddy, near the Thailand border, with connections to Starlink, which is now, astonishingly, the country’s largest internet provider. The US Congress Joint Economic Committee is putting a microscope on Starlink’s relationship with these scam operations, and might even call on Elon Musk to testify. US authorities estimate that Americans lost approximately $10 billion to scams in 2024.
Read more: Straits Times
That’s it for this week… THANK YOU.
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