Three confirmed COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals in Tedim and Hakha on Monday after their laboratory tests for the virus came back negative twice. Two patients—cases 200 and 201 in Burma, respectively—were treated in Tedim hospital. “They left the hospital today. They will have to stay in home quarantine,” Tedim hospital head Dr. Zaw Myint Naing said. Dr. Mang Biek Kong, the head of Hakha public hospital, said that one COVID-19 patient—number 182—was scheduled to also leave hospital on Monday. “He will have to stay in home quarantine in Thantlang Township,” the doctor told Khonumthung News. Another patient, Number…
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Flight tests began at the Surbung Airport in Chin State’s Falam Township last week, construction of which is nearly complete. A spokesperson for the Chin State government Soe Htet said that while airplanes have not yet landed on the runway, they flew between 1,500 and 800 feet over the ground from June 25 until June 27. “The communication system was tested. The wind speed was tested,” he said. “The aircraft flew over the airport from north to south and south to north.” A BEEK-2990 aircraft was used in the Surbung Airport flight test. According to Soe Htet, airplanes will only…
A South Korea-based religious group named the Shincheonji Church of Jesus said that over 4,000 members of the church recovered from COVID-19 are willing to donate plasma for developing a new treatment. The amount of blood will be about $83 billion worth if the 4,000 patients donate 500ml individually, according to the current transaction in the United States. “It is difficult to accelerate developing medicine for COVID-19 with only 200 recovered patients who expressed their will to donate blood. The massive donation from the recovered patients in the Shincheonji Church will solve the problem of the lack of blood for…
Nearly half the schools in war-torn Paletwa Township, in southern Chin State, won’t be able to open when classes start up again after a lockdown is relaxed in July. The lockdown was started in early April to stop the spread of the coronavirus. There are 391 schools in the township, but 191 won’t be able to open, says Salai Aung Min, head of Paletwa Township Education Department. “In this situation, we cannot open all schools. There are still travel restrictions in place and we can’t get to some of the schools. In other cases, villagers remain in IDP (internally displaced…
Citing security concerns, the Burma Army blocked water and land routes to a village-tract in Ann Township, where it’s been battling the Arakan Army (AA) since January. With transportation lines sealed off, more than 10,000 living in 42 villages in Dalet Chaung village-tract are out of rice. Villagers are living off “eating bananas and jackfruit,” says Salai Lian, who is the spoke person of Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO). According to the Geneva Convention, cutting off a community’s food source is a war crime, he told Khonumthung News. Salai Lian explained that although all transport routes to the village-tract have…
An earthquake near Rihkhawdar border town in Chin State on Monday morning has destroyed both civilian homes and public buildings. According to Burma’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, a moderate earthquake of 5.9 on the Richter scale occurred at 5:00 a.m. on June 22 with an epicenter near the India border, at a depth of four kilometers. The ceiling of a Union hall in Rihkhawdar’s Ward 1 collapsed in the quake, and the front wall of the town’s information and public relations department was damaged. The homes of three locals were also damaged, with cracks to the walls. “I was…
The National League for Democracy (NLD) is facing criticism from the public in Chin State for not prioritizing women and youth in selecting the party’s candidates for the upcoming 2020 general election. There are 18 constituencies in nine townships in Chin State. This includes nine representatives for the Lower House, nine for the Upper House, and 39 for the state parliament. The NLD will contest the election in all of the constituencies and selected its candidates on June 15. Iang Tial, is among those who applied for NLD candidacy but was not accepted. She criticized the party for stating in…
Completion of the long-awaited Surbung Airport in Burma’s Chin State has been delayed, while officials await Western expertise to arrive to assist in completing the final tests. Chin State government spokesperson Soe Htet says that ninety-five percent of the airport near Falam town is done, but tests on the communication system and runway still need to be completed. The COVID-19 pandemic and weather conditions delayed construction. “Construction of the flight runway, airport building and communication tower is completed. Water and electricity have already been installed,” he says. Soe Htet says because they bought communication technology from the US, an American…
This Thursday, Burma’s COVID-19 Case 23 and 113 were discharged from the hospital in Tedim in Chin State after both tested negative twice. Chin State Health and Social Affairs Minister Pau Lum Ming Thang says while they’ve been released, they have to do a home quarantine for another seven days to be sure they have fully recovered. He says there are three patients with the virus staying at a quarantine facility in Tedim. Case 23 is the mother of Burma’s first confirmed case. Case 113 also had contact with Case 1. Of the three remaining COVID-19 patients at Tedim Public…
A forty-six-year-old male resident of an internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp in southern Chin State was shot dead Wednesday morning by an unknown armed group. The victim, Myo Thant, who lived in Sein Sin IDP camp in Paletwa Township, was visiting Nanchaungwa village around 9:00 a.m. when he was killed between Thuhtaykon and Laela villages. Kyaw Aung, who works with Chin IDP Supportive Committee, told KNT that the victim was bringing things to his village with 20 others when he was killed by unknown assailants. “Myo Thant died on the spot. I can’t confirm if other people were hurt.” The…