According to statements and reports from People’s Defense Forces (PDF), 14 members of the military council forces were killed across Myanmar on May 9. These casualties occurred during various confrontations across different states and regions, where local defense forces engaged in defensive operations against military council troops. These clashes erupted as People’s Defense Forces continued their efforts to protect civilians from the military council’s ongoing campaign of oppression, arbitrary arrests, looting, and violence against local populations.
According to the released statements, there are significant challenges in collecting precise data about military council casualties, and the actual death toll on the ground may be higher. However, at present, only 14 deaths can be confirmed based on verified information. The military council typically attempts to prevent public knowledge of their casualties and often secretly cremates the bodies of deceased soldiers without returning them to their families. This practice has made it difficult to independently verify the full extent of military casualties in various regions.
It is important to note that these reports are based solely on statements and communications from local People’s Defense Forces, and independent journalists and human rights monitors have not been able to verify these claims on the ground. Due to the military council’s information blackout and restrictions on free press access, it has not been possible to fully document and report the actual situation occurring in these areas. The military council’s constraints on information flow and limitations on independent reporting continue to pose significant challenges in presenting a complete picture of the ongoing conflict.
