December 2019 Monthly Atmospheric Report

The AA detains NLD chairman Ye Thein from Buthidaung Township, who later dies in detention. Conflict between ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and the Tatmadaw eases in Shan State, but civilians continue to suffer. Hundreds fled as the Tatmadaw and Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA) fought in early December, with conflict ending following negotiations between the two armies. The AA and Tatmadaw clashed in several townships, including Minbya, Mrauk-U, Paletwa, and Ponnagyun. An AA commander reported that fighting was particularly intense in Paletwa on December 10, when the Tatmadaw conducted three airstrikes against the AA. The Tatmadaw continued aerial attacks in Rathedaung and Minbya Townships, with a spokesperson stating that the Tatmadaw air force gained "invaluable" experience fighting EAOs in Myanmar's internal conflicts. The AA continued to attack vessels, releasing a travel alert on November 28 stating that vessels and travelers must communicate their itineraries and provide lists of travelers and cargo to the AA to help the EAO target boats carrying Tatmadaw troops and weapons. On November 29 and November 30, the AA attacked vessels traveling in Mrauk-U and Kyauktaw Townships, respectively. The Tatmadaw claimed the vessels were transporting construction materials for ongoing infrastructure projects, while the AA countered that the vessels were carrying Tatmadaw troops and weapons. The Tatmadaw continued to carry out arbitrary civilian arrests, detaining two Department of Education employees from Rathedaung Township, four civilians from Minbya Township, and five civilians, including a woman, from Kyaukpyu Township. On December 11, a village administrator and two civilians were killed in Sittaya Village, Minbya Township, with the Tatmadaw and civilian witnesses presenting conflicting accounts of the incident. Relatives of the deceased have filed complaints with the police, but the police have refused to accept the complaint, citing that the deceased was not abducted by the troops. The AA detained NLD chairman Ye Thein for trying to plan a rally to support the State Counselor's defense at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Almost two weeks after his arrest, chairman Ye Thein was killed, with the AA stating that he died when the Tatmadaw launched a response attack on an AA outpost in Buthidaaw, which also killed several AA fighters. The Tatmadaw denied that a clash took place and, along with the NLD, accused the AA of killing the chairman shortly after abducting him. It is unclear whether Ye Thein's death was intentional, with the Rakhine community leader who spoke with MAA researchers before Ye Thein's death thinking that Ye Thein would be released after being interrogated. The conflict between the AA and the Tatmadaw has resulted in significant civilian casualties, with details outlined in Table 1. The data covers December 1 through December 14, as ACLED had not yet released data for the second half of the month at the time of writing. The conflict has also led to the displacement of hundreds of civilians, with many fleeing their homes in search of safety. The situation remains volatile, with both sides continuing to engage in hostilities and civilians caught in the middle.