The Myanmar Military is preparing to file another lawsuit against deposed President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has lodged a complaint with the police station in Naypyidaw's Zabu Thiri township alleging that the two leaders were involved in corruption over new land plots in Naypyidaw during the National League for Democracy (NLD)’s rule. The legal defense team of ousted State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint will ask permission to meet with them, as they have not for six weeks now since their trials were suspended until early September due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

The junta also charged former Kachin State Chief Minister Dr. Khet Aung and other ministers under the anti-corruption law. Former Yangon Region’s Social Affairs Minister U Naing Ngan Linn and wife Daw Khin Sandar Win, as well as 12 parliamentary representatives of the NLD, were charged for supporting civil service personnel in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and People’s Defence Forces (PDF).

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said that he is considering changing the country’s electoral system from the existing first-past-the-post model and toward a form of Proportional Representation (PR) in a meeting with the military council. Also in a junta’s press conference, Zaw Min Tun, junta spokesman, said that they would not take on responsibilities of the State for long. He further mentioned that the junta would govern the country until August 2023 and that a “multi-party democratic general election” would be held after that. State responsibilities will be handed over to the party that wins the general election in accordance with democratic norms.

Media reported that China has voiced concern over the junta’s plan to dissolve the National League for Democracy (NLD), which had a landslide victory in the annulled 2020 general elections. Chinese officials have conveyed to the junta Beijing’s message that it wants to see the NLD continue to exist as a political party.

The National Unity Government of Myanmar said that almost 410,000 government staff have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) so far.

The junta has added the genocide law to the Penal Code a move being seen as an attempt to ease international pressure on the regime as it faces a genocide charge at International Criminal Court for its atrocities against the Rohingya.

Two journalists detained by the junta in early August have been hit with fresh charges for criticising the coup regime and supporting the underground National Unity Government (NUG). A former community journalist of Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) was also arrested in Salingyi township of Sagaing region. 

Protests continued in different parts of Myanmar despite the crackdown by the junta over the week. The clashes between the junta forces and the civil resistance fighters or Ethnic Armed Organizations also emerged across Myanmar particularly in Shan, Kayin, Kachin, Chin, Kayah, Mon States and Sagaing, Mandalay, Yangon, Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway Regions.

According to the information compiled by ANFREL, at least 27 bomb blasts happened across Myanmar in the past week. It was reported that at least 6 people were injured. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) reported that, as of 28 August, 1,026 people have been killed by the junta. 6,005 people are currently under detention and 258 are sentenced. 65 have been sentenced to death and 1,984 are evading arrest warrants.

Download the full update here: Myanmar Situation Update (23-29 August 2021)