A rebel alliance in northern&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;has agreed to a ceasefire with the ruling military during China-mediated talks, according to some of the parties involved, after a months-long coordinated offensive that threatened to weaken the junta's grip on power.

The military, which overthrew an elected government in 2021, has been battling an alliance of ethnic minority armies fighting to end its control of their regions since late October. In particular, there has been intense violence along the northern border with China.

The joint offensive, backed by a parallel pro-democracy, civilian-led government, has posed the biggest battlefield challenge to the junta since the coup and caused concern in China about the potential for disruptions to border trade and a refugee influx.

A leader of one of the rebel groups, TNLA, told Reuters on Friday that the "Three Brotherhood Alliance" and the military agreed to a "ceasefire without advancing further". He declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-negotiates-immediate-ceasefire-between-myanmar-army-armed-alliance-679309">China negotiates 'immediate ceasefire' between Myanmar army, armed alliance</a>

"From the (alliance) side, the agreement is to refrain from offensive attacks on enemy camps or towns. From the military side, the agreement is not to engage in attacks through airstrikes, bombardment, or heavy weapons," he said.

China's foreign ministry said on Friday peace talks were held in the Chinese city of Kunming on Jan 10-11, where "the two sides agreed to immediately cease fire and stop the war."

Both parties also pledged not to harm residents at the Chinese border, said foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.

"China hopes that all parties concerned in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;will earnestly implement the ceasefire agreement already reached and exercise maximum restraint," she said.

Beijing had also said last month the parties had agreed on a temporary ceasefire and to maintain dialogue.

Also watch | Myanmar: 17 killed and 20 injured as fighter jet drops 3 bombs on Kanan village

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But fighting continued in northern Shan State and other regions in the country, with the rebels taking control of a key commercial town, Laukkai, on the Chinese border last week.

More than 300,000 people have been displaced due to the recent violence, and more than 2 million overall since the coup, according to the United Nations.

The conflict has also seen&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;police and military personnel surrender to rebel groups or flee across borders into India.

A spokesperson for&nbsp;Myanmar's junta did not respond to a request for comment.

The two other groups in the rebel alliance, the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Arakan Army (AA), did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the talks.

A rebel alliance in northern Myanmar has agreed to a ceasefire with the ruling military during China-mediated talks, according to some of the parties involved, after a months-long coordinated offensive that threatened to weaken the junta's grip on power.

A rebel alliance in northern Myanmar has agreed to a ceasefire with the ruling military during China-mediated talks, according to some of the parties involved, after a months-long coordinated offensive that threatened to weaken the junta's grip on power. The military, which overthrew an elected government in 2021, has been battling an alliance of ethnic minority armies fighting to end its control of their regions since late October. In particular, there has been intense violence along the northern border with China. The joint offensive, backed by a parallel pro-democracy, civilian-led government, has posed the biggest battlefield challenge to the junta since the coup and caused concern in China about the potential for disruptions to border trade and a refugee influx. A leader of one of the rebel groups, TNLA, told Reuters on Friday that the "Three Brotherhood Alliance" and the military agreed to a "ceasefire without advancing further". He declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. Also read: China negotiates 'immediate ceasefire' between Myanmar army, armed alliance "From the (alliance) side, the agreement is to refrain from offensive attacks on enemy camps or towns. From the military side, the agreement is not to engage in attacks through airstrikes, bombardment, or heavy weapons," he said. China's foreign ministry said on Friday peace talks were held in the Chinese city of Kunming on Jan 10-11, where "the two sides agreed to immediately cease fire and stop the war." Both parties also pledged not to harm residents at the Chinese border, said foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. "China hopes that all parties concerned in Myanmar will earnestly implement the ceasefire agreement already reached and exercise maximum restraint," she said. Beijing had also said last month the parties had agreed on a temporary ceasefire and to maintain dialogue. Also watch | Myanmar: 17 killed and 20 injured as fighter jet drops 3 bombs on Kanan village × But fighting continued in northern Shan State and other regions in the country, with the rebels taking control of a key commercial town, Laukkai, on the Chinese border last week. More than 300,000 people have been displaced due to the recent violence, and more than 2 million overall since the coup, according to the United Nations. The conflict has also seen Myanmar police and military personnel surrender to rebel groups or flee across borders into India. A spokesperson for Myanmar's junta did not respond to a request for comment. The two other groups in the rebel alliance, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Arakan Army (AA), did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the talks.

Myanmar rebel alliance agrees to ceasefire with ruling military

Myanmar's military junta said that a major offensive in the country's northeast by an alliance of rebel groups was funded in part from profits earned by one of the groups from the region's lucrative drug trade.

Myanmar's military junta said that a major offensive in the country's northeast by an alliance of rebel groups was funded in part from profits earned by one of the groups from the region's lucrative drug trade. During a meeting of the National Defense and Security Council on Wednesday, junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing said that the current problem in the Shan state was triggered by "narcotic drug problems," the news agency Associated Press reported on Friday (Nov 10) citing local media. “Earnings from narcotic drugs were spent on seizing power through the armed struggle. Such a plan was covered by drug production and trafficking,” General Hlaing added. Hlaing accused the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), one of the rebel groups, of drug trafficking. The MNDAA denied this allegation. Since October 27, the MNDAA, the Arakan Army (AA) and other ethnic groups launched a military operation against the junta. The fiercest fighting has been reported near Myanmar's border with China in Shan where the rebel groups' offensive has taken multiple towns and military outposts in recent weeks. Drug trade funding rebel groups The Associated Press reported that the drug trade in Myanmar has been attributed to various ethnic minority groups for funding their armed movement. Army personnel, especially those at the regional level, have also been accused of involvement. Also read: Northern Myanmar fighting displaces almost 50,000 civilians, says UN Meanwhile, during Wednesday's defence and security council meeting, Acting President Myint Swe warned that Myanmar was in critical condition and could be torn apart if the military did not take action against the groups which carried out the offensive. Around 50,000 displaced in Shan state On Friday, the United Nations said that around 50,000 people had been displaced in Shan, where artillery shelling and airstrikes were continuing, and some crossed into China. The ongoing offensive has put further pressure on the junta which is already facing economic sanctions, a shortage of foreign exchange and a corruption crisis. Myanmar's neighbour China is alarmed by the deteriorating situation and urged all parties in Myanmar to stop fighting immediately. The Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday that Beijing would ensure security and stability at its border with Myanmar. "China is highly concerned about the conflict in northern Myanmar and urges all parties concerned in Myanmar to immediately cease fire and stop fighting, pay practical attention to China's security concerns, and work with China to maintain the safety of China-Myanmar co-operation projects and business personnel," foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters. (With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar: Military junta says offensive by rebel groups funded by drug trade

Myanmar's military junta on Sunday (Oct 15), erected roadblocks and deployed heavy security in the military-built capital Naypyidaw to mark the anniversary of rebel ceasefire agreed upon in the year 2015. Critics say that the ceasefire is now defunct.

For decades, dozens of rebel groups have fought with Myanmar's military over autonomy and control of lucrative resources. Ten of these groups had signed a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

Critics say that since military junta's 2021 coup, the ceasefire agreement is in tatters. The coup, that toppled civilian government by Aung San Suu Kyi sparked renewed fighting with some of the signatories of the government.

Officials from seven of the ten signatories attended the event in Naypyidaw, where barricades and plainclothes security were deployed.

Diplomats from Russia and China -- allies and arms suppliers of the internationally isolated junta -- also attended, as did a representative from India.

Timor-Leste sent a representative although the day came just weeks after Myanmar's military junta ordered expulsion of its diplomat because of a meeting his government held with a shadow "National Unity Government" which is working to overturn the coup.

Several rebel groups have trained and armed anti-coup fighters battling to overturn the military regime.

Two of these groups: the Chin National Front (CNF) and the Karen National Union (KNU), have said last week that the coup made implementation of the previous agreement "impossible".

The KNU and the CNF have regularly fought with the military since its takeover, in the far east and west of the country respectively.

(With inputs from agencies)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Myanmar's military junta on Sunday (Oct 15), erected roadblocks and deployed heavy security in the military-built capital Naypyidaw to mark the anniversary of rebel ceasefire agreed upon in the year 2015.

Myanmar's military junta on Sunday (Oct 15), erected roadblocks and deployed heavy security in the military-built capital Naypyidaw to mark the anniversary of rebel ceasefire agreed upon in the year 2015. Critics say that the ceasefire is now defunct. For decades, dozens of rebel groups have fought with Myanmar's military over autonomy and control of lucrative resources. Ten of these groups had signed a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). Critics say that since military junta's 2021 coup, the ceasefire agreement is in tatters. The coup, that toppled civilian government by Aung San Suu Kyi sparked renewed fighting with some of the signatories of the government. Officials from seven of the ten signatories attended the event in Naypyidaw, where barricades and plainclothes security were deployed. Diplomats from Russia and China -- allies and arms suppliers of the internationally isolated junta -- also attended, as did a representative from India. Timor-Leste sent a representative although the day came just weeks after Myanmar's military junta ordered expulsion of its diplomat because of a meeting his government held with a shadow "National Unity Government" which is working to overturn the coup. Several rebel groups have trained and armed anti-coup fighters battling to overturn the military regime. Two of these groups: the Chin National Front (CNF) and the Karen National Union (KNU), have said last week that the coup made implementation of the previous agreement "impossible". The KNU and the CNF have regularly fought with the military since its takeover, in the far east and west of the country respectively. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Myanmar: Military junta marks rebel ceasefire anniversary even as clashes erupt

The latest survey highlighted that around 6,000 civilians lost their lives in a duration of 20 months since the onset of the Myanmar coup in February of 2021. According to the report published by the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, the human death toll of the conflict is higher than the previous report citing the Junta as the main killer but also accusing the anti-junta too for having a lot of blood in their hands.

Report: Over 6,000 civilians lost their lives during Myanmar coup

Myanmar's deposed leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was jailed for seven years for corruption on Friday by a military court. Watch this video to know more.

Myanmar court finds Suu Kyi guilty on 5 counts of corruption

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) decided that a "non-political representative" from Myanmar would be invited for the ASEAN Summit that will take place between October 26 and 28. This decision has effectively excluded Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing from attending the summit. This is a rare rebuke that has come amid concerns over military governemnt's commitment to defusing the crisis in Myanmar.

The Myanmar junta slammed the decision on Saturday evening, accusing ASEAN of breaching the bloc's policy of non-interference in the domestic affairs of its member states.

"We can also see the interference from the other (non-ASEAN) countries," junta spokesman brigadier general Zaw Min Tun told the BBC Burmese section.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-aung-san-suu-kyis-lawyer-says-he-has-been-issued-a-gag-order-420842">Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer says he has been issued a gag order</a>

He seized on talks between the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and ASEAN special envoy, Brunei's Second Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof, ahead of the meeting and also singled out EU pressure.

The bloc, widely criticised as a toothless organisation, took a strong stand after the junta rebuffed requests that a special envoy meet with "with all stakeholders" in Myanmar -- a phrase seen to include ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The statement noted "insufficient progress" in the implementation of a five-point plan agreed by ASEAN leaders in April to end turmoil following a coup in February.

It also said that the situation in Myanmar "was having an impact on regional security as well as the unity, credibility and centrality of ASEAN".

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-did-not-make-a-request-to-speak-unga-president-abdulla-shahid-clarifies-to-wion-416617">Myanmar did not make a request to speak, UNGA president Abdulla Shahid clarifies to WION</a>

Richard Horsey, Myanmar adviser to Crisis Group, predicted the "non-political" representative would be someone below the level of minister or deputy minister.

Singapore's foreign ministry described the move as a "difficult but necessary decision to uphold ASEAN's credibility".

Mustafa Izzuddin, global affairs analyst at consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore, called the exclusion "a political stopgap measure for ASEAN to assuage international criticism".

It sent a "political signal" to the junta "that ASEAN is not one to be pushed around", Izzuddin added.

And independent Myanmar analyst David Mathieson said that "in ASEAN terms this is a real slap in the face".

(With inputs from agencies)

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) decided that a "non-political representative" from Myanmar would be invited for the ASEAN Summit that will take place between October 26 and 28.

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) decided that a "non-political representative" from Myanmar would be invited for the ASEAN Summit that will take place between October 26 and 28. This decision has effectively excluded Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing from attending the summit. This is a rare rebuke that has come amid concerns over military governemnt's commitment to defusing the crisis in Myanmar. The Myanmar junta slammed the decision on Saturday evening, accusing ASEAN of breaching the bloc's policy of non-interference in the domestic affairs of its member states. "We can also see the interference from the other (non-ASEAN) countries," junta spokesman brigadier general Zaw Min Tun told the BBC Burmese section. Also Read | Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer says he has been issued a gag order He seized on talks between the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and ASEAN special envoy, Brunei's Second Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof, ahead of the meeting and also singled out EU pressure. The bloc, widely criticised as a toothless organisation, took a strong stand after the junta rebuffed requests that a special envoy meet with "with all stakeholders" in Myanmar -- a phrase seen to include ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The statement noted "insufficient progress" in the implementation of a five-point plan agreed by ASEAN leaders in April to end turmoil following a coup in February. It also said that the situation in Myanmar "was having an impact on regional security as well as the unity, credibility and centrality of ASEAN". Also Read | Myanmar did not make a request to speak, UNGA president Abdulla Shahid clarifies to WION Richard Horsey, Myanmar adviser to Crisis Group, predicted the "non-political" representative would be someone below the level of minister or deputy minister. Singapore's foreign ministry described the move as a "difficult but necessary decision to uphold ASEAN's credibility". Mustafa Izzuddin, global affairs analyst at consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore, called the exclusion "a political stopgap measure for ASEAN to assuage international criticism". It sent a "political signal" to the junta "that ASEAN is not one to be pushed around", Izzuddin added. And independent Myanmar analyst David Mathieson said that "in ASEAN terms this is a real slap in the face". (With inputs from agencies)

ASEAN excludes Myanmar junta chief from attendance at summit

Protesters took to the streets of Myanmar to mark the 33rd anniversary of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising against the ruling military junta. Demonstrations took place in the main cities of Yangon, Mandalay, Sagaing, and others demanding restoration of the ousted elected government of the civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar protesters mark 33rd anniversary of 1988 uprising against military rule

Myanmar's army battled local militia fighters in the northwestern town of Mindat on Saturday, residents said, to try to quell a rebellion that has sprung up to oppose the junta which seized power in the Southeast Asian country in February.

The fighting is some of the heaviest since the coup and underlines the growing chaos as the junta struggles to impose order in the face of daily protests, strikes and sabotage attacks after it overthrew elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

"We are running for our lives," one resident told Reuters from Mindat, a hill town just over 100 km (60 miles) from the border with India.

"There are around 20,000 people trapped in town, most of them are kids, old people," the resident added. "My friend's three nieces were hit by shrapnel. They are not even teens.”

The junta imposed martial law in Mindat on Thursday and then stepped up attacks on what it called "armed terrorists". A junta spokesman did not answer calls requesting comment on the fighting on Saturday.

Army-controlled Myawaddy television said around 1,000 "unscrupulous people" had attacked with small arms and homemade grenades in recent days, and that some members of the security forces were killed and others missing. It said security forces would work day and night to bring order.

Fighters of the Chinland Defence Force retreated as military reinforcements advanced with artillery bombardments and helicopter attacks, a member of a local administration set up by the junta's opponents told Reuters by phone.

Five civilians had been killed in Mindat in the past two days, said Doctor Sasa, minister of international cooperation in a shadow National Unity Government set up to rival the junta.

US&nbsp;APPEAL

"The military’s use of weapons of war against civilians, including this week in Mindat, is a further demonstration of the depths the regime will sink to to hold on to power," the US&nbsp;Embassy in Myanmar said in a statement. "We call on the military to cease violence against civilians."

Myanmar already had some two dozen ethnic armed groups, who have waged war for decades against an army dominated by the Bamar majority.

The Chinland Defence Force was set up in response to the coup. Facing one of the region's best equipped armies, its fighters are armed largely with home-made hunting guns. Reuters was unable to reach the group for comment on Saturday.

At least 788 people have been killed by the junta's security forces in crackdowns on protests against its rule, according to an advocacy group.

The military, which disputes that number, imposes tight restrictions on media, information and the Internet. Reuters cannot independently verify arrests and casualty numbers.

Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told a news conference that 63 people had been killed recently in what he described as various "terrorist attacks" by the administration's opponents, appealing to people to inform on the attackers.

Anti-junta protests were held in the main city of Myanmar and many other towns on Saturday.

A poet who had criticised military rule had been soaked in gasoline and burned to death in the central town of Monywa on Friday, residents said. Sein Win was the third poet to be killed in the town, a stronghold of opposition to the junta.

The army took power alleging fraud in an election won by Suu Kyi's party in November. Its claims of irregularities were rejected by the electoral commission.

Myanmar's army battled local militia fighters in the northwestern town of Mindat on Saturday, residents said, to try to quell a rebellion that has sprung up to oppose the junta which seized power in the Southeast Asian country in February.

Myanmar's army battled local militia fighters in the northwestern town of Mindat on Saturday, residents said, to try to quell a rebellion that has sprung up to oppose the junta which seized power in the Southeast Asian country in February. The fighting is some of the heaviest since the coup and underlines the growing chaos as the junta struggles to impose order in the face of daily protests, strikes and sabotage attacks after it overthrew elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. "We are running for our lives," one resident told Reuters from Mindat, a hill town just over 100 km (60 miles) from the border with India. "There are around 20,000 people trapped in town, most of them are kids, old people," the resident added. "My friend's three nieces were hit by shrapnel. They are not even teens.” The junta imposed martial law in Mindat on Thursday and then stepped up attacks on what it called "armed terrorists". A junta spokesman did not answer calls requesting comment on the fighting on Saturday. Army-controlled Myawaddy television said around 1,000 "unscrupulous people" had attacked with small arms and homemade grenades in recent days, and that some members of the security forces were killed and others missing. It said security forces would work day and night to bring order. Fighters of the Chinland Defence Force retreated as military reinforcements advanced with artillery bombardments and helicopter attacks, a member of a local administration set up by the junta's opponents told Reuters by phone. Five civilians had been killed in Mindat in the past two days, said Doctor Sasa, minister of international cooperation in a shadow National Unity Government set up to rival the junta. US APPEAL "The military’s use of weapons of war against civilians, including this week in Mindat, is a further demonstration of the depths the regime will sink to to hold on to power," the US Embassy in Myanmar said in a statement. "We call on the military to cease violence against civilians." Myanmar already had some two dozen ethnic armed groups, who have waged war for decades against an army dominated by the Bamar majority. The Chinland Defence Force was set up in response to the coup. Facing one of the region's best equipped armies, its fighters are armed largely with home-made hunting guns. Reuters was unable to reach the group for comment on Saturday. At least 788 people have been killed by the junta's security forces in crackdowns on protests against its rule, according to an advocacy group. The military, which disputes that number, imposes tight restrictions on media, information and the Internet. Reuters cannot independently verify arrests and casualty numbers. Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told a news conference that 63 people had been killed recently in what he described as various "terrorist attacks" by the administration's opponents, appealing to people to inform on the attackers. Anti-junta protests were held in the main city of Myanmar and many other towns on Saturday. A poet who had criticised military rule had been soaked in gasoline and burned to death in the central town of Monywa on Friday, residents said. Sein Win was the third poet to be killed in the town, a stronghold of opposition to the junta. The army took power alleging fraud in an election won by Suu Kyi's party in November. Its claims of irregularities were rejected by the electoral commission.

Myanmar army battles anti-coup rebels as armed resistance grows

A number of tenants of a high-end office block in Myanmar built on military-owned land have moved out or are reviewing their leases, including McKinsey, Coca-Cola and Reuters. Activist group Justice for Myanmar last month called on commercial tenants of the Sule Square complex of offices and shops in Yangon to stop indirectly supporting the army.

Myanmar Coup: Global firms leave office block with military ties

7 people have been killed in police firing in Yangon, Myanmar where one of the biggest protest against the military rule was held. Streams of demonstrators, some led by Buddhist monks made their way through city and town across Yangon.

Myanmar: Anti-coup protest in Yangon, 7 people killed in police firing

Myanmar's pro-democracy activists sharply criticized an agreement between the country's junta chief and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to end a violent post-coup crisis and vowed to continue protesting.

Myanmar activists slam ASEAN-junta consensus, vow to continue protests

Myanmar's shadow government comprising of ousted lawmakers has welcomed a call by leaders of Southeast Asian nations for end to "military violence". Myanmar military junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing attended a high-level summit on Saturday with leaders from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations. The ASEAN leaders discussed mounting crisis in Myanmar.

Myanmar military ousted civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup on February 1. The country has been rocked by pro-democracy protests ever since. Security forces have adopted a strong-handed approach to quell the dissent.

The ASEAN meeting produced a consensus that there would be "an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar", said a statement released by the bloc Saturday night.

ASEAN will also have a special envoy to "facilitate mediation" between all parties, and this representative will be able to travel to Myanmar.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nations-say-reach-consensus-on-ending-myanmar-crisis-at-asean-meet-379887">Nations say reach consensus on ending Myanmar crisis at ASEAN meet&nbsp;</a>

A spokesperson from a shadow government of ousted lawmakers -- many of whom are from Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party -- on Saturday welcomed the call for an end to violence in Myanmar as "encouraging news".

"This is what the National Unity Government has been calling for," said the NUG's minister of international cooperation known as Dr Sasa, who is currently in hiding with the rest of his fellow lawmakers.

"We eagerly await the engagement by the (ASEAN) secretary general... we look forward to firm action by ASEAN to follow up its decisions and restore our democracy and freedom for our people and for the region."&nbsp;

The lawmakers of the NUG are currently wanted for high treason by the junta.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar's shadow government comprising of ousted lawmakers has welcomed a call by leaders of Southeast Asian nations for end to "military violence". Myanmar military junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing attended a high-level summit on Saturday with leaders from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations.

Myanmar's shadow government comprising of ousted lawmakers has welcomed a call by leaders of Southeast Asian nations for end to "military violence". Myanmar military junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing attended a high-level summit on Saturday with leaders from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations. The ASEAN leaders discussed mounting crisis in Myanmar. Myanmar military ousted civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup on February 1. The country has been rocked by pro-democracy protests ever since. Security forces have adopted a strong-handed approach to quell the dissent. The ASEAN meeting produced a consensus that there would be "an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar", said a statement released by the bloc Saturday night. ASEAN will also have a special envoy to "facilitate mediation" between all parties, and this representative will be able to travel to Myanmar. Also Read | Nations say reach consensus on ending Myanmar crisis at ASEAN meet A spokesperson from a shadow government of ousted lawmakers -- many of whom are from Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party -- on Saturday welcomed the call for an end to violence in Myanmar as "encouraging news". "This is what the National Unity Government has been calling for," said the NUG's minister of international cooperation known as Dr Sasa, who is currently in hiding with the rest of his fellow lawmakers. "We eagerly await the engagement by the (ASEAN) secretary general... we look forward to firm action by ASEAN to follow up its decisions and restore our democracy and freedom for our people and for the region." The lawmakers of the NUG are currently wanted for high treason by the junta. (With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar shadow government welcomes ASEAN call for an end to violence

Anti-coup protestors in Myanmar splashed red paint on the street in Yangon on Sunday, symbolizing the blood shed by military junta since security forces began a lethal crackdown to suppress their movement.

Myanmar activists splash red paint in Yangon to mark junta bloodshed

A unique cyber threat is re-emerging at&nbsp;a time when the US&nbsp;agencies and&nbsp;thousands of companies are fighting off major hacking campaigns originating in Russia and China.

This threat is called&nbsp;hacktivism that refers to&nbsp;activist hackers looking to make a political point.

Three major hacks show the power of this new wave of "hacktivism",&nbsp;the exposure of AI-driven video surveillance being conducted by the startup Verkada, a collection of January&nbsp;6 riot videos from the right-wing social network Parler, and disclosure of the Myanmar military junta's high-tech surveillance apparatus.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-deploys-ai-indonesian-president-calls-for-asean-meeting-on-coup-crisis-371577">Myanmar deploys AI; Indonesian president calls for ASEAN meeting on coup crisis</a>

And the US&nbsp;government’s response shows that officials regard the return of&nbsp;hacktivism&nbsp;with alarm. An indictment last week accused 21-year-old Tillie Kottmann, a Swiss hacker who took credit for the Verkada breach, of a broad conspiracy.

"Wrapping oneself in an allegedly altruistic motive does not remove the criminal stench from such intrusion, theft and fraud," Seattle-based Acting US&nbsp;Attorney Tessa Gorman said.

According to a US counter-intelligence strategy released a year ago, "ideologically motivated entities such as hacktivists, leaktivists, and public disclosure organizations," are now viewed as "significant threats," alongside five countries, three terrorist groups, and "transnational criminal organizations."

Earlier waves of&nbsp;hacktivism, notably by the amorphous collective known as Anonymous in the early 2010s, largely faded away under law enforcement pressure. But now a new generation of youthful hackers, many angry about how the cybersecurity world operates and upset about the role of tech companies in spreading propaganda, are joining the fray.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/who-are-the-anonymous-and-what-have-they-done-so-far-303021/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

And some former Anonymous members are returning to the field, including Aubrey Cottle, who helped revive the group’s Twitter presence last year in support of the Black Lives Matter protests.

Anonymous followers drew attention for disrupting an app that the Dallas police department was using to field complaints about protesters by flooding it with nonsense traffic. They also wrested control of Twitter hashtags promoted by police supporters.

"What’s interesting about the current wave of the Parler archive and Gab hack and leak is that the&nbsp;hacktivism&nbsp;is supporting antiracist politics or antifascism politics,” said Gabriella Coleman, an anthropologist at McGill University, Montreal, who wrote a book on Anonymous.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/anonymous-hacktivists-launch-cyberwar-against-minneapolis-police-department-over-george-floyds-murder-302409">'Anonymous': Hacktivists launch cyberwar against Minneapolis Police Department over George Floyd's murder</a>

Gab, a social network favoured by white nationalists and other right-wing extremists, has also been hurt by the hacktivist campaign and had to shut down for brief periods after breaches.

Disrupting&nbsp;QAnon

Most recently, Cottle has been focused on QAnon and hate groups.

"QAnon trying to adopt Anonymous and merge itself into Anonymous proper, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back," said Cottle, who has held a number of web development and engineering jobs, including a stint at Ericsson.

He found email data showing that people in charge of the 8kun image board, where the persona known as Q posted, were in steady contact with major promoters of QAnon conspiracies .

The new-wave hacktivists also have a preferred place for putting materials they want to make public - Distributed Denial of Secrets, a transparency site that took up the mantle of WikiLeaks with less geopolitical bias. The site’s collective is led by Emma Best, an American known for filing prolific freedom of information requests.

Best’s two-year-old site coordinating access by researchers and media to a hoard of posts taken from Gab by unidentified hackers. In an essay this week, Best praised Kottmann and said leaks would keep coming, not just from hacktivists but insiders and the ransomware operators who publish files when companies don’t pay them off.

"Indictments like Tillie's show just how scared the government is, and just how many corporations consider embarrassment a greater threat than insecurity," Best wrote https://ddosecrets.substack.com/p/hacktivism-leaktivism-and-the-future.

The events covered by the Kottmann indictment took place from November 2019 through January 2021. The core allegation is that the Lucerne software developer and associates broke into a number of companies, removed computer code and published it. The indictment also said Kottmann spoke to the media about poor security practices by the victims and stood to profit, if only by selling shirts saying things like “venture anticapitalist” and “catgirl hacker.”

But it was only after Kottmann publicly took credit for breaching Verkada and posted alarming videos from inside big companies, medical facilities and a jail that Swiss authorities raided their home at the behest of the US&nbsp;government. Kottmann uses non-binary pronouns.

"This move by the US&nbsp;government is clearly not only an attempt to disrupt the freedom of information but also primarily to intimidate and silence this newly emerging wave of hacktivists and leaktivists," Kottmann said in an interview with Reuters.

Kottmann and their lawyer declined to discuss the US&nbsp;charges of wire fraud for some of Kottmann's online statements, aggravated identity theft for using employee credentials, and conspiracy, which together are enough for a lengthy prison sentence.

The FBI declined an interview request. If it seeks extradition, the Swiss would determine whether Kottmann’s purported actions would have violated that country’s laws.

Disdain

Kottmann was open about their disdain for the law and corporate powers-that-be. “Like many people, I’ve always been opposed to intellectual property as a concept and specifically how it’s used to limit our understanding of the systems that run our daily lives,” Kottmann said.

A European friend of Kottmann’s known as "donk_enby," a reference to being non-binary in gender, is another major figure in the&nbsp;hacktivism&nbsp;revival. Donk grew angry about conspiracy theories spread by QAnon followers on the social media app Parler that drove protests against COVID-19 health measures.

Following a Cottle post about a leak from Parler in November, Donk dissected the iOS version of Parler’s app and found a poor design choice. Each post bore an assigned number, and she could use a program to keep adding 1 to that number and download every single post in sequence.

After the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots, Donk shared links to the web addresses of a million Parler video posts and asked her Twitter followers to download them before rioters who recorded themselves inside the building deleted the evidence. The trove included not just footage but exact locations and timestamps, allowing members of Congress to catalogue the violence and the FBI to identify more suspects.

Popular with far-right figures, Parler has struggled to stay online after being dropped by Google and Amazon. Donk's actions alarmed users who thought some videos would remain private, hindering its attempt at a comeback.

In the meantime, protesters in Myanmar asked Donk for help, leading to file dumps that prompted Google to pull its blogging platform and email accounts from leaders of the Feb. 1 coup. Donk's identification of numerous other military contractors helped fuel sanctions that continue to pile up.

One big change from the earlier era of hacktivism is that hackers can now make money legally by reporting the security weaknesses they find to the companies involved, or taking jobs with cybersecurity firms.

But some view so-called bug bounty programs, and the hiring of hackers to break into systems to find weaknesses, as mechanisms for protecting companies who should be exposed.

"We're not going to hack and help secure anyone we think is doing something extremely unethical," said John Jackson, an American researcher who works with Cottle on above-ground projects. "We're not going to hack surveillance companies and help them secure their infrastructure."

A unique cyber threat is re-emerging at a time when the US agencies and thousands of companies are fighting off major hacking campaigns originating in Russia and China.

A unique cyber threat is re-emerging at a time when the US agencies and thousands of companies are fighting off major hacking campaigns originating in Russia and China. This threat is called hacktivism that refers to activist hackers looking to make a political point. Three major hacks show the power of this new wave of "hacktivism", the exposure of AI-driven video surveillance being conducted by the startup Verkada, a collection of January 6 riot videos from the right-wing social network Parler, and disclosure of the Myanmar military junta's high-tech surveillance apparatus. Also read| Myanmar deploys AI; Indonesian president calls for ASEAN meeting on coup crisis And the US government’s response shows that officials regard the return of hacktivism with alarm. An indictment last week accused 21-year-old Tillie Kottmann, a Swiss hacker who took credit for the Verkada breach, of a broad conspiracy. "Wrapping oneself in an allegedly altruistic motive does not remove the criminal stench from such intrusion, theft and fraud," Seattle-based Acting US Attorney Tessa Gorman said. According to a US counter-intelligence strategy released a year ago, "ideologically motivated entities such as hacktivists, leaktivists, and public disclosure organizations," are now viewed as "significant threats," alongside five countries, three terrorist groups, and "transnational criminal organizations." Earlier waves of hacktivism, notably by the amorphous collective known as Anonymous in the early 2010s, largely faded away under law enforcement pressure. But now a new generation of youthful hackers, many angry about how the cybersecurity world operates and upset about the role of tech companies in spreading propaganda, are joining the fray. And some former Anonymous members are returning to the field, including Aubrey Cottle, who helped revive the group’s Twitter presence last year in support of the Black Lives Matter protests. Anonymous followers drew attention for disrupting an app that the Dallas police department was using to field complaints about protesters by flooding it with nonsense traffic. They also wrested control of Twitter hashtags promoted by police supporters. "What’s interesting about the current wave of the Parler archive and Gab hack and leak is that the hacktivism is supporting antiracist politics or antifascism politics,” said Gabriella Coleman, an anthropologist at McGill University, Montreal, who wrote a book on Anonymous. Also read| 'Anonymous': Hacktivists launch cyberwar against Minneapolis Police Department over George Floyd's murder Gab, a social network favoured by white nationalists and other right-wing extremists, has also been hurt by the hacktivist campaign and had to shut down for brief periods after breaches. Disrupting QAnon Most recently, Cottle has been focused on QAnon and hate groups. "QAnon trying to adopt Anonymous and merge itself into Anonymous proper, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back," said Cottle, who has held a number of web development and engineering jobs, including a stint at Ericsson. He found email data showing that people in charge of the 8kun image board, where the persona known as Q posted, were in steady contact with major promoters of QAnon conspiracies . The new-wave hacktivists also have a preferred place for putting materials they want to make public - Distributed Denial of Secrets, a transparency site that took up the mantle of WikiLeaks with less geopolitical bias. The site’s collective is led by Emma Best, an American known for filing prolific freedom of information requests. Best’s two-year-old site coordinating access by researchers and media to a hoard of posts taken from Gab by unidentified hackers. In an essay this week, Best praised Kottmann and said leaks would keep coming, not just from hacktivists but insiders and the ransomware operators who publish files when companies don’t pay them off. "Indictments like Tillie's show just how scared the government is, and just how many corporations consider embarrassment a greater threat than insecurity," Best wrote https://ddosecrets.substack.com/p/hacktivism-leaktivism-and-the-future. The events covered by the Kottmann indictment took place from November 2019 through January 2021. The core allegation is that the Lucerne software developer and associates broke into a number of companies, removed computer code and published it. The indictment also said Kottmann spoke to the media about poor security practices by the victims and stood to profit, if only by selling shirts saying things like “venture anticapitalist” and “catgirl hacker.” But it was only after Kottmann publicly took credit for breaching Verkada and posted alarming videos from inside big companies, medical facilities and a jail that Swiss authorities raided their home at the behest of the US government. Kottmann uses non-binary pronouns. "This move by the US government is clearly not only an attempt to disrupt the freedom of information but also primarily to intimidate and silence this newly emerging wave of hacktivists and leaktivists," Kottmann said in an interview with Reuters. Kottmann and their lawyer declined to discuss the US charges of wire fraud for some of Kottmann's online statements, aggravated identity theft for using employee credentials, and conspiracy, which together are enough for a lengthy prison sentence. The FBI declined an interview request. If it seeks extradition, the Swiss would determine whether Kottmann’s purported actions would have violated that country’s laws. Disdain Kottmann was open about their disdain for the law and corporate powers-that-be. “Like many people, I’ve always been opposed to intellectual property as a concept and specifically how it’s used to limit our understanding of the systems that run our daily lives,” Kottmann said. A European friend of Kottmann’s known as "donk_enby," a reference to being non-binary in gender, is another major figure in the hacktivism revival. Donk grew angry about conspiracy theories spread by QAnon followers on the social media app Parler that drove protests against COVID-19 health measures. Following a Cottle post about a leak from Parler in November, Donk dissected the iOS version of Parler’s app and found a poor design choice. Each post bore an assigned number, and she could use a program to keep adding 1 to that number and download every single post in sequence. After the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots, Donk shared links to the web addresses of a million Parler video posts and asked her Twitter followers to download them before rioters who recorded themselves inside the building deleted the evidence. The trove included not just footage but exact locations and timestamps, allowing members of Congress to catalogue the violence and the FBI to identify more suspects. Popular with far-right figures, Parler has struggled to stay online after being dropped by Google and Amazon. Donk's actions alarmed users who thought some videos would remain private, hindering its attempt at a comeback. In the meantime, protesters in Myanmar asked Donk for help, leading to file dumps that prompted Google to pull its blogging platform and email accounts from leaders of the Feb. 1 coup. Donk's identification of numerous other military contractors helped fuel sanctions that continue to pile up. One big change from the earlier era of hacktivism is that hackers can now make money legally by reporting the security weaknesses they find to the companies involved, or taking jobs with cybersecurity firms. But some view so-called bug bounty programs, and the hiring of hackers to break into systems to find weaknesses, as mechanisms for protecting companies who should be exposed. "We're not going to hack and help secure anyone we think is doing something extremely unethical," said John Jackson, an American researcher who works with Cottle on above-ground projects. "We're not going to hack surveillance companies and help them secure their infrastructure."

'Hacktivism' adding to woes of cybersecurity at alarming rate

Myanmar's major trade unions called on members to shut down the economy from Monday to support a campaign against last month's coup, turning up the pressure on the junta.

Myanmar Update: Trade Union arm up pressure on the Military Junta

The Association of South-East Asian Nations held a virtual meet over the Myanmar crisis. Myanmar's neighbours have pressed the military to release the Aung San Suu Kyi.

ASEAN nations call for Aung San Suu Kyi's release

Myanmar Military Junta could take actions against media portals for using the word coup. The military has threatened to withdraw the licenses of such media organisations.

Your Story: Myanmar Military Junta threatens to take actions against media portals

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