Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
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sheehanistan.bsky.social
Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
@sheehanistan.bsky.social
by accident 🇲🇲 dork, drawn to whatever’s overlooked.
sustainability, conflict, aid, transnational crime, evolutionary theory.
anthro brained, musician, buddhist-ish. 🪷

MI based, terrible at keeping up with DMs.
Pinned
some future day, somehow some way, I dream of being able to fly into Manipur, maneuver through Nagaland to Assam’s Ledo & roadtrip the Ledo/Stillwell Road across Upper Myanmar into Shan, then continue around Yunnan, Laos & Thailand.

no goal, just letting days unfold as I stumble through new worlds.
ugh… while I see it’s been updated now, here’s another case of a major outlet initially using a dangerously misleading headline that simply parrots junta claims, leaving out that there’s no evidence of their claims (& evidence in fact contrary to the regime’s response to the UN).
July 4, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
I am pleased to announce that my book on the Vietnamese military is finally out. It's been a long road. Thanks to all who have helped and encouraged me along the way for what was originally written as an in-house primer for my
National War College students.
www.rienner.com/title/The_Vi...
July 3, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
CAMBODIA: beautiful doc from @mongabay.com to mark one year since 5 Mother Nature Cambodia activists were imprisoned.

the scene towards the end of Ly & Phuon playing, laughing, & joking together about scenarios of (again) being imprisoned somehow manages to be equally dark & heartwarming...
Young activists risk all to defend Cambodia’s environment
YouTube video by Mongabay
www.youtube.com
July 3, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
MYANMAR: amidst reports of localized clashing between CNDF & CDF-Hualngoram over old territorial disputes, both Chin Brotherhood & Chinland Council have put out statements requesting peaceful resolution, condemning the use of violence to resolve their disputes, & advising no one else participate.
July 3, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
MYANMAR: Unfortunately, as KNDF was able to capture Hpasawng in South Karenni (below post), reports indicate that the junta has meanwhile retaken control (after 9 months of efforts) of Moebye -- located near the Shan/Karenni border & on the road to Karenni's largest city, Loikaw.
July 3, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
MYANMAR/CHINA: Reps of junta-partnered PNO (Pa'O National Org) are in China on apparent invite of the CPC, despite that their armed wing PNA seems guilty of more heinous war crimes than any other in Myanmar except the junta.

Arakan Front & Karen People's Party reps also visiting China.
July 3, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
MYANMAR: an English transcription of a recent interview (by The Shanni Voice) with PLA's press secretary.

when asked about collaboration with other allies: "we understand each other’s perspectives, and there’s a shared understanding that we must fight this common enemy together..." (more in reply)
“Although this was the first time female comrades fought in an offensive on a junta position, women have also participated in other guerrilla-style battles. But this was a bigger battle, and more wome...
An interview with PLA General Secretary Comrade Ni Ni Kyaw on the hard-fought capture of Kan Daunt Police Station in Pale Township The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and allied resistance groups captu...
mmpeacemonitor.org
July 3, 2025 at 5:03 PM
MYANMAR: I had forgotten, for obvious reasons, that both the junta & TNLA were, by declaration, in ceasefire until July 1.

Convenient that junta strikes escalated the past week alongside a renewed offensive on Nawnghkio...

also no joint talks reportedly until August, leaving much opening in July.
July 4, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
. @interpol.int reports of increasing globalization of "scam centres", with operations continuing to expand to the Middle East, West Africa, & Central America: www.interpol.int/en/News-and-...

they also note an increasing use of AI by scam operations.
July 3, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
Cambodia: Stellar article as usual here from Sarah!

"In wet markets teeming with live birds, slaughterhouses butchering pigs and even limestone caves home to millions of bats, scientists are deploying air samplers to capture a snapshot of the pathogens lurking in the atmosphere..."
July 3, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
Thailand/Myanmar: a "37th Thai-Myanmar Regional Border Committee" is being held July 2-4 to discuss "contamination of the Kok & Sai rivers [occurring from activity upstream in Myanmar]" & also discuss the matter of "cross-border call centre gangs".

www.nationthailand.com/news/general...
Thailand raises river pollution and call centre gangs at RBC meeting
Thailand raised the issues of toxic contamination in the Kok and Sai rivers, as well as transnational call centre gangs, during the 37th Thai-Myanmar Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting in Chiang ...
www.nationthailand.com
July 3, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
"According to the sources, the State Administration Council (SAC) urged Timor Leste to “refrain” from engaging with entities that are explicitly opposed to or in conflict with the positions of ASEAN member states."

world.thaipbs.or.th/detail/myanm...
Myanmar opposes Timor Leste’s ASEAN membership
Myanmar has officially informed Malaysia, the current ASEAN chair, that it will not support Timor Leste’s accession in October, according to informed sources.
world.thaipbs.or.th
July 3, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
The resistances use of drones in Myanmar has been widespread & given them capabilities that they have been key to some of their successes.
The junta have also ramped up their use of drones in recent years...
Good piece from Su Mon on the drone war in Myanmar
The war from the sky: How drone warfare is shaping the conflict in Myanmar
acleddata.com
July 3, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
Just to be clear, there is zero chance of credible elections in Myanmar. If any govt or agency is waiting to see what happens in the junta’s sham “election,” stop. No decision should be based on that.
July 3, 2025 at 7:36 PM
MYANMAR/CHINA: a short peek at the very lucrative (for some) jade industry.

"According to Chinese media, a third of Ruili's population works in the jade industry."

"up to 90 percent of global supply of the precious stone is mined in the country's northern Kachin state"
China's love for jade: Coveted gemstones smuggled out of Myanmar • FRANCE 24 English
YouTube video by FRANCE 24 English
www.youtube.com
July 3, 2025 at 7:07 PM
MYANMAR: to any who still expect "political solution" between the junta & NUG:

junta-"neutral" CNI argues the regime cannot negotiate with NUG on account of "NUG has demanded that the Tatmadaw must not participate in politics": cnimyanmar.com/index.php/en...

a point which NUG today reiterated:
July 3, 2025 at 6:18 PM
CAMBODIA: b... but Samdech... what of this bomb which certainly remains at your feet (even if he thinks he's deflected it)?: www.amnesty.org/en/documents...
July 3, 2025 at 5:50 PM
CAMBODIA: beautiful doc from @mongabay.com to mark one year since 5 Mother Nature Cambodia activists were imprisoned.

the scene towards the end of Ly & Phuon playing, laughing, & joking together about scenarios of (again) being imprisoned somehow manages to be equally dark & heartwarming...
Young activists risk all to defend Cambodia’s environment
YouTube video by Mongabay
www.youtube.com
July 3, 2025 at 5:30 PM
MYANMAR: amidst reports of localized clashing between CNDF & CDF-Hualngoram over old territorial disputes, both Chin Brotherhood & Chinland Council have put out statements requesting peaceful resolution, condemning the use of violence to resolve their disputes, & advising no one else participate.
July 3, 2025 at 5:22 PM
INDIA: sad to see apparent further dispossession & neglect of Assam's Tai Ahom people -- distantly related to those referred to as "Shan" in Myanmar (both of Tai descent).

“The situation is worsening every day. We've kept the authorities informed, but there’s been no action..."
Fresh encroachment in Jorhat's Dissoi forest: Student body warns of economic blockade
Assam govt’s inaction draws flak; union threatens economic blockade over unresolved Nagaland border issue
assamtribune.com
July 3, 2025 at 5:20 PM
MYANMAR: Unfortunately, as KNDF was able to capture Hpasawng in South Karenni (below post), reports indicate that the junta has meanwhile retaken control (after 9 months of efforts) of Moebye -- located near the Shan/Karenni border & on the road to Karenni's largest city, Loikaw.
July 3, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
KNU posted this image where they have been reportedly training defectors from the Junta's Aung Zeya column counteroffensive against the KNU on the Asia Highway 1
July 3, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Reposted by Josh Sheehan 🪷🌳🏳️‍⚧️🎸🐕🧡
There are “no real standards as to what a bank has to do for detecting fraud or money laundering,” said Lester Joseph, a financial compliance consultant who used to oversee money laundering cases at the DOJ and later worked at Wells Fargo.
How Foreign Scammers Use U.S. Banks to Fleece Americans
Asian crime syndicates’ online scams have reached industrial proportions, cheating victims around the world out of more than $44 billion a year. U.S. banks have been unable to stop them.
www.propublica.org
June 28, 2025 at 11:00 PM
MYANMAR: "It is the first known polio case in Myanmar since 2019."

"those on the ground said the protracted conflict may make it difficult to trace the virus"

"The worst part of the situation is that these are absolutely vaccine preventable"
July 3, 2025 at 5:10 PM
MYANMAR/CHINA: Reps of junta-partnered PNO (Pa'O National Org) are in China on apparent invite of the CPC, despite that their armed wing PNA seems guilty of more heinous war crimes than any other in Myanmar except the junta.

Arakan Front & Karen People's Party reps also visiting China.
July 3, 2025 at 5:09 PM