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US Meets Junta Again in Tokyo
The US has had a meeting with the military-backed government in Tokyo for the second time in a month. Michael Vance, the United States assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research, led more than a dozen US officials for that delegation, but it is unclear who represented the junta. Reuters says Washington wants action against scam centers that have taken billions of dollars from Americans in addition to discussions on rare earths and the possibility of sanctions relief. Trump ally Roger Stone has begun lobbying for the regime. Members of both parties in the House have urged Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, to block any junta attempt to replace Kyaw Moe Tun, the envoy appointed by the ousted elected government.
Read more: Reuters (talks), Asian News Network (Japan's role), The Guardian (analysis), Organiser (Congress letter)
Parliament Approves 2.1T Kyat of CB Borrowing
The junta's parliament has given its approval for up to 2.1 trillion kyats worth of central bank borrowing to cover the 2026-27 budget deficit. The same approval will also apply to loans of undisclosed size from two Belarusian banks that need to be spent on Belarusian goods. The regime has already raised nearly 14 trillion kyats by way of treasury bill and bond auctions. A dollar will now cost you 4,670 kyats on the black market, which is significantly more expensive than the official rate of 2,100. During previous currency slides, the regime has frequently taken the opportunity to blame traders and arrest them.
Read more: The Irrawaddy (kyat), The Irrawaddy (Belarus loans)
Migrants to Thailand Must Show Remittances to Get ID
Undocumented migrants in Thailand who want to get a Certificate of Identity are now required to prove that they sent 6,000 baht home through official channels and paid the mandated 2% income tax. The Certificate of Identity document costs about 3,600 baht, but agents are currently charging up to 15,000 baht (often deducting it from wages in installments) to arrange it. Five centers are issuing the certificates. Labor Minister Maung Myint doesn’t seem bothered, saying workers should consider the remittances "a donation" to the country.
Read more: The Irrawaddy
Junta Forms ASEAN Committee to Win Back Seat
The junta has formed an ASEAN Affairs Committee to "regain the country's original role and rights" in the bloc. Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe chaired the committee’s first meeting; the defense and home affairs ministries also joined. The effort is notable because the regime's parliament continues to make some show of rejecting the Five-Point Consensus, a peace plan that it ignored and which resulted in the barring from summits to begin with. Returning to the table will need all 11 members to agree. Singapore and Timor-Leste appear to remain opposed, while five other members have recently hosted Min Aung Hlaing.
Read more: The Irrawaddy (committee), The Diplomat (Philippines approach)
Arakan Army Seizes Outposts Near Sittwe HQ
The Arakan Army has taken control of two regime outposts about four miles from the military's regional command headquarters in Sittwe. It now holds 14 of Rakhine's 17 townships. Navy boats are trying to land troops on Ngapyi Island, about a mile from the Shwemingan naval base. An AA source claims at least 50 regime troops have been killed there, but neither side has gone public with confirmed casualties.
Read more: The Irrawaddy (fighting), DVB (airstrike)
Junta Restarts Refinery for Jet Fuel, Tanker Brings Iranian Relief
The regime has restarted the Chinese-made Thanlyin No. 1 refinery near Yangon to make jet fuel and sidestep sanctions. A Singapore-registered subsidiary of China's Peiyang Chemical Equipment got the rebuilding contract, and some parts made their way through Singapore to Thilawa Port. The first phase is expected to produce 150,000 metric tons a year, which is an amount roughly equal to the country's recent annual imports. The junta says the refinery will conserve foreign currency and steady the supply as it continues relying heavily on airstrikes to keep control. Separately, satellite images reviewed by Iran International appear to show a sanctioned tanker bringing Iranian jet fuel to Myanmar last month. The junta hasn’t said whether it got fuel or not and a US military official cautioned that the ship’s passage alone doesn’t prove that it evaded the US blockade.
Read more: The Irrawaddy
Junta Cuts Palm Oil Imports, Yangon Prices Rise
Cooking oil in Yangon now sells for 15,000 to 25,000 kyats per viss (a local unit of measure that’s about 1.6 kilograms) on the open market, up from a reported 12,000 in September. The junta has cut palm oil imports and cut the region's quota in half, squeezing supply of a product that is responsible for nearly half the country's edible oil. The dealers' association is offering subsidized oil at 8,000 kyats a viss, with weekly household limits, but shortages are pushing most buyers onto the open market.
Read more: DVB
Junta Delivers King Charles's Books to Suu Kyi
Home affairs officials have delivered two books about soil, a sealed envelope and a message from King Charles to Aung San Suu Kyi. Then they shared happy photos of the meeting. Officials say that they spent about 10 minutes with the 81-year-old, who is serving an 18-year sentence. The government's short account said that the meeting went down in Naypyitaw but gave no exact location and shared no real details about the correspondence.
Read more: Reuters (books), Hertsad (delivery), The Hindu (detention status)
That's all for this week, thanks for reading. Your voice matters to us. Feel we're missing something? Have additional sources to suggest? Don't hold back- hit reply and tell us what you think.
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