Bangladesh wants safe, voluntary Rohingya repatriation
Following a high-level official visit to Bangladesh by the head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), Nicholas Koumjian and government officials issued a unified call regarding the Rohingya refugee crisis. During his six-day mission, Koumjian met with Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and gathered direct eyewitness testimonies from over 200 Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar.
“The targeting of civilians in the brutal ongoing conflict in Rakhine State, Myanmar, prevents Rohingya in Bangladesh from safely returning home,” Koumjian warned. “Ending the violence against civilians and pursuing justice for these crimes are critical steps to ensure that Rohingya communities can return home safely and sustainably.” Over 154,000 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh since early 2024.
Fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and the military has pushed the total refugee population in Cox’s Bazar over 1.2 million. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed reaffirmed Dhaka’s commitment to sustainable, voluntary, Rohingya refugee repatriation while stressing: “Coordinated regional and international diplomatic efforts are being strengthened to ensure their return” during a seminar in Dhaka on Oct. 11.
IIMM warns violence against civilians in Rakhine State prevents safe Rohingya repatriation
Bangladesh reaffirms push for voluntary Rohingya repatriation amid conflict in Rakhine State
UN reports majority of Myanmar people living in poverty
More than two in three people living in Burma are either in poverty or at risk, as armed conflict, limited access to basic services and economic instability deepen deprivation across the country, a U.N. report published on Thursday reported. Almost 18 million people, or 32.6 per cent of the population, are poor with 19.5 million “vulnerable to poverty,” according to the U.N. Development Program (UNDP).
That brings the total number of people in or at risk of poverty to over 37 million people, or 68 per cent of the population. “We are seeing a depth of poverty in Myanmar that is eroding human development itself. This is a no-win war. Everyone is losing. The core muscle of the country is being systematically eroded,” said Kanni Wignaraja, the U.N. assistant secretary-general and UNDP regional director for Asia and the Pacific.
The UNDP report was based on a nationwide survey of 7,463 households. It used an adapted Multidimensional Poverty Index that captures deprivation beyond income, including overlapping gaps in health, education and living standards. Poverty is especially widespread in states facing conflict and restricted access, particularly Arakan State in the west and Karenni State in the east, the report concluded.
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Winner of ‘Asia’s Nobel’ Prize Bo Kyi sits down with DVB
Bo Kyi, the joint secretary and co-founder of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), has dedicated over two decades to advocating for human rights and documenting abuses against political detainees in Myanmar. “Before I was released from prison years ago, a friend who remained behind made a request: ‘After you get out, do something for us, because we feel forgotten’,” Bo Kyi told DVB.
Recently named one of three recipients of the 2026 Ramon Magsaysay Award—often recognized as Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize—Bo Kyi opened up to DVB about the worsening crisis in Burma’s prisons, the severe risks of ground-level documentation and verification under military rule, and why releasing all political prisoners is the non-negotiable first step toward peace.
Reflecting on receiving the 2026 Magsaysay Award, Bo Kyi expressed deep surprise and humility, emphasizing that the honor belongs entirely to the people of Burma fighting for democracy and those being held behind bars by the regime for their beliefs. “When the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation first reached out, I was included in the nomination—I was really surprised,” Bo Kyi told DVB.
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News by Region
SAGAING—At least two civilians were killed and nine others were injured in waves of airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on three Buddhist monasteries in Shwebo, Chaung-U and Monywa townships on Oct. 7, 8, and 11. A Buddhist monk in Chaung-U told DVB that his monastery was destroyed on Oct. 8.
Chaung-U and Shwebo, located 16-58 miles (25-93 km) southeast and northeast of the region’s capital Monywa, are partially controlled by the National Unity Government (NUG). The targeted strikes against religious compounds have inflicted hardships on the local monastic community. Read the full article on our website
SHAN—Fighting between regime forces and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) broke out along the 47-mile (75 km) Momeik-Twinnge road in northern Shan’s Momeik Township, located 170 miles (273 km) west of the regional capital Lashio, and 185 miles (297 km) south of the KIA headquarters in Laiza, on Oct. 8-9.
Twinnge is a village located in neighbouring Mandalay Region, which was seized by the People’s Defense Force (PDF) in 2024 but recaptured by the regime on July 23, 2025. A source in the KIA told DVB that fighting also occurred along the 35-mile (56 km) long road connecting Momeik to Mabein Township on Oct. 7. Read the full article on our website
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,530 MMK)
Check out our photos from the launch of a new app for mental health awareness in the Burmese language in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
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