Myanmar ethnic armed group seizes more ground
Bangkok, Dec 20: An ethnic armed group in northeastern Myanmar has seized a major crossing point for trade along the Chinese border, residents and media reports said. The border gate in Laukkaing township, the capital of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone in the northern part of Shan state, became the fifth crossing seized by the group since it launched a coordinated offensive on October 27 with two other ethnic armed groups. The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, which took control of the crossing, joined with the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army for the offensive that began in October and call themselves the Three Brotherhood Alliance. Laukkaing is known for hosting major organized criminal enterprises including cyberscam operations controlled by Chinese investors in cooperation with local Myanmar warlords. The Chinese government in recent weeks has initiated a crackdown on these operations, and thousands of people involved have been repatriated to China. Many of those who were employed were tricked into working there and then held against their will. (AP)
Opposition BNP calls for civil disobedience against govt
Dhaka, Dec 20: Bangladesh’s main opposition BNP on Wednesday called for a “non-cooperation” movement against the Awami League-led government, urging people not to pay taxes and utility bills, as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched her poll campaign amid political unrest ahead of the January 7 elections. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its mostly far-right allies allege that no election under the incumbent dispensation would be fair and demand the restoration of a non-party interim government for election oversight by amending the country’s Constitution. BNP spokesman Ruhul Kabir Rizvi urged people to start the civil disobedience from Wednesday itself. Rizvi said he is appealing on behalf of the BNP’s ailing chairperson and former premier Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, who now lives in London. Rahman is BNP’s acting president. Several Bangladeshi courts declared Rahman a “fugitive” as he took refuge in the UK to evade jail terms for several criminal charges, including a grenade attack on a rally of the then-opposition Awami League in 2004 in which 24 people were killed. (AP)
Seven Nepali nationals killed while serving in Russian Army
Kathmandu, Dec 20: With the announcement of the killing of an additional Nepali national, a total of seven Nepali nationals have been killed while serving in the Russian Army, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday. Earlier, the Ministry had informed that at least six Nepali nationals serving in the Russian Army have been killed while fighting Ukrainian forces and it is estimated that around 200 Nepali nationals are serving as mercenaries in Putin’s army since the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine some 22 months back. (IANS)