Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 4

(I know this seems trivial to some with the headline seemingly being updated quickly, but circulations of this original embed could still mislead those not aware of the situation.

also inb4 the junta at some point cites Reuters echoing of this as corroboration of their claim)

1

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 4

ugh… while I see it’s been updated now, here’s another case of a major outlet initially using a dangerously misleading headline that simply parrots junta claims, leaving out that there’s no evidence of their claims (& evidence in fact contrary to the regime’s response to the UN).

Reuters @reuters.com · Jul 4

Myanmar junta releases 93 child soldiers after UN criticism reut.rs/4lGcgTK

Myanmar junta releases 93 child soldiers after UN criticism

Myanmar's ruling junta said on Friday it has already discharged 93 minors from military service, responding to a United Nations report last month accusing it and its allies of recruiting over 400 children, many in combat roles.

reut.rs

1

Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡

Zachary Abuza @zachabuza.bsky.social · Jul 3

I am pleased to announce that my book on the Vietnamese military is finally out. It's been a long road. Thanks to all who have helped and encouraged me along the way for what was originally written as an in-house primer for my
National War College students.
www.rienner.com/title/The_Vi...

1 6

Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

CAMBODIA: beautiful doc from @mongabay.com to mark one year since 5 Mother Nature Cambodia activists were imprisoned.

the scene towards the end of Ly & Phuon playing, laughing, & joking together about scenarios of (again) being imprisoned somehow manages to be equally dark & heartwarming...

Young activists risk all to defend Cambodia’s environment

YouTube video by Mongabay

www.youtube.com

1 1 2

Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

MYANMAR: amidst reports of localized clashing between CNDF & CDF-Hualngoram over old territorial disputes, both Chin Brotherhood & Chinland Council have put out statements requesting peaceful resolution, condemning the use of violence to resolve their disputes, & advising no one else participate.

1 1

Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

MYANMAR: Unfortunately, as KNDF was able to capture Hpasawng in South Karenni (below post), reports indicate that the junta has meanwhile retaken control (after 9 months of efforts) of Moebye -- located near the Shan/Karenni border & on the road to Karenni's largest city, Loikaw.

1 1

Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

MYANMAR/CHINA: Reps of junta-partnered PNO (Pa'O National Org) are in China on apparent invite of the CPC, despite that their armed wing PNA seems guilty of more heinous war crimes than any other in Myanmar except the junta.

Arakan Front & Karen People's Party reps also visiting China.

1

Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

MYANMAR: an English transcription of a recent interview (by The Shanni Voice) with PLA's press secretary.

when asked about collaboration with other allies: "we understand each other’s perspectives, and there’s a shared understanding that we must fight this common enemy together..." (more in reply)

“Although this was the first time female comrades fought in an offensive on a junta position, women have also participated in other guerrilla-style battles. But this was a bigger battle, and more wome...

An interview with PLA General Secretary Comrade Ni Ni Kyaw on the hard-fought capture of Kan Daunt Police Station in Pale Township The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and allied resistance groups captu...

mmpeacemonitor.org

1 1

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 4

MYANMAR: I had forgotten, for obvious reasons, that both the junta & TNLA were, by declaration, in ceasefire until July 1.

Convenient that junta strikes escalated the past week alongside a renewed offensive on Nawnghkio...

also no joint talks reportedly until August, leaving much opening in July.

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

MYANMAR: Shan Human Rights Foundation's new report documenting incidents of regime airstrikes & shelling over the past week targeting within 3 townships under TNLA's control.

per SHRF, these strikes:
killed 8 civilians
injured 29 others
damaged 50+ buildings (inc. religious sites & a school)

SAC airstrikes and shelling kill 8 civilians, injure 29 in resistance-controlled areas of Kyaukme, Mogok and Nawngkhio - Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF)

Shan Human Rights Foundation July 2, 2025 Update: SAC airstrikes and shelling kill 8 civilians, injure 29 in resistance-controlled areas of Kyaukme, Mogok and Nawngkhio Between June 24 and July 1, 202...

shanhumanrights.org

Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

. @interpol.int reports of increasing globalization of "scam centres", with operations continuing to expand to the Middle East, West Africa, & Central America: www.interpol.int/en/News-and-...

they also note an increasing use of AI by scam operations.

1 3 2

Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

Cambodia: Stellar article as usual here from Sarah!

"In wet markets teeming with live birds, slaughterhouses butchering pigs and even limestone caves home to millions of bats, scientists are deploying air samplers to capture a snapshot of the pathogens lurking in the atmosphere..."

1 2 1

Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

Thailand/Myanmar: a "37th Thai-Myanmar Regional Border Committee" is being held July 2-4 to discuss "contamination of the Kok & Sai rivers [occurring from activity upstream in Myanmar]" & also discuss the matter of "cross-border call centre gangs".

www.nationthailand.com/news/general...

Thailand raises river pollution and call centre gangs at RBC meeting

Thailand raised the issues of toxic contamination in the Kok and Sai rivers, as well as transnational call centre gangs, during the 37th Thai-Myanmar Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting in Chiang ...

www.nationthailand.com

1

Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

"According to the sources, the State Administration Council (SAC) urged Timor Leste to “refrain” from engaging with entities that are explicitly opposed to or in conflict with the positions of ASEAN member states."

world.thaipbs.or.th/detail/myanm...

Myanmar opposes Timor Leste’s ASEAN membership

Myanmar has officially informed Malaysia, the current ASEAN chair, that it will not support Timor Leste’s accession in October, according to informed sources.

world.thaipbs.or.th

2

Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡

Xun-ling Au 歐迅灵 🏴 @xunlingau.bsky.social · Jul 3

The resistances use of drones in Myanmar has been widespread & given them capabilities that they have been key to some of their successes.
The junta have also ramped up their use of drones in recent years...
Good piece from Su Mon on the drone war in Myanmar

The war from the sky: How drone warfare is shaping the conflict in Myanmar

acleddata.com

5 10

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

tacking on KNDF’s statement on the incident, where they claim to have “shot down” the plane (a Chinese-made FTC-2000G) & found two pilots dead within the wreckage.

no apparent specification on how it was “shot down”.

Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡

Saw Htee Hser စၤထံဆၢ @sawhteecher.bsky.social · Jul 3

Just to be clear, there is zero chance of credible elections in Myanmar. If any govt or agency is waiting to see what happens in the junta’s sham “election,” stop. No decision should be based on that.

1 3

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

MYANMAR/CHINA: a short peek at the very lucrative (for some) jade industry.

"According to Chinese media, a third of Ruili's population works in the jade industry."

"up to 90 percent of global supply of the precious stone is mined in the country's northern Kachin state"

China's love for jade: Coveted gemstones smuggled out of Myanmar • FRANCE 24 English

YouTube video by FRANCE 24 English

www.youtube.com

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

MYANMAR: to any who still expect "political solution" between the junta & NUG:

junta-"neutral" CNI argues the regime cannot negotiate with NUG on account of "NUG has demanded that the Tatmadaw must not participate in politics": cnimyanmar.com/index.php/en...

a point which NUG today reiterated:

1

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

meanwhile, junta-allied SNA posted days ago about holding a vaccination clinic in their territory, with one picture clearly showing a batch of polio vaccines.

(note: of course it's good vaccines are being administered here, but it insinuates possibility/likelihood of vaccines being weaponized)

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

CAMBODIA: b... but Samdech... what of this bomb which certainly remains at your feet (even if he thinks he's deflected it)?: www.amnesty.org/en/documents...

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

for more background, see the below piece from CamboJA (Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association)

"It has been one year since 5 youth activists from Mother Nature Cambodia ... were arrested on July 2, 2024, & sentenced between 6 & 8 years in prison for “plotting” & “insulting the King""...

One Year On, Mother Nature Cambodia Activists Remain Behind Bars as Families and NGOs Demand Their Release | CamboJA News

One year after five Mother Nature Cambodia activists were imprisoned, civil society groups and families are calling for their immediate release. To mark the anniversary of their detention, rights grou...

cambojanews.com

1

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

CAMBODIA: beautiful doc from @mongabay.com to mark one year since 5 Mother Nature Cambodia activists were imprisoned.

the scene towards the end of Ly & Phuon playing, laughing, & joking together about scenarios of (again) being imprisoned somehow manages to be equally dark & heartwarming...

Young activists risk all to defend Cambodia’s environment

YouTube video by Mongabay

www.youtube.com

1 1 2

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

MYANMAR: amidst reports of localized clashing between CNDF & CDF-Hualngoram over old territorial disputes, both Chin Brotherhood & Chinland Council have put out statements requesting peaceful resolution, condemning the use of violence to resolve their disputes, & advising no one else participate.

1 1

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

INDIA: sad to see apparent further dispossession & neglect of Assam's Tai Ahom people -- distantly related to those referred to as "Shan" in Myanmar (both of Tai descent).

“The situation is worsening every day. We've kept the authorities informed, but there’s been no action..."

Fresh encroachment in Jorhat's Dissoi forest: Student body warns of economic blockade

Assam govt’s inaction draws flak; union threatens economic blockade over unresolved Nagaland border issue

assamtribune.com

Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡 @sheehanistan.bsky.social · Jul 3

MYANMAR: Unfortunately, as KNDF was able to capture Hpasawng in South Karenni (below post), reports indicate that the junta has meanwhile retaken control (after 9 months of efforts) of Moebye -- located near the Shan/Karenni border & on the road to Karenni's largest city, Loikaw.

1 1