Junta Troops Conduct Armed Census Collection Amid Forced Displacement in Southern Tanintharyi Region

November 12, 2024

HURFOM: HURFOM has received reports that junta soldiers in the Tanintharyi Region are forcefully conducting a census by visiting households at gunpoint in villages within Palaw and Tanintharyi Townships. This armed census operation, which began on October 1, was initially scheduled to end on October 15 but has been extended multiple times and is now continuing into November, as junta troops struggle to obtain accurate population data.

Local sources in Zayatseik village, Palaw Township, report that on November 4, armed soldiers—not designated census officials—arrived to conduct the census directly. The soldiers reportedly entered each home with weapons in hand, intimidating residents as they took names, photographs, and asked questions about individuals’ current residences. “They made us return to the village, then gathered around 50 villagers and registered all of us,” said a local resident.

This operation follows weeks of instability in Zayatseik. The junta’s armed column had arrived in the village on October 23, leading to widespread displacement as villagers fled to escape potential abuses. After the census was forcibly conducted, the soldiers finally withdrew from the area on the evening of November 6.

Similar incidents were reported in Kadaeleik village, Tanintharyi Township, where junta soldiers entered the village accompanied by two local informants. There, only basic information, including household numbers and current residents, was collected, with soldiers reportedly demanding this information at gunpoint.

The same day the census was conducted in Kadaeleik, junta jets conducted airstrikes on the nearby villages of Koe-Inn and Banpyae. This marked an escalation in military pressure on local communities, which has intensified as the junta attempts to enforce its planned census activities in areas under conflict.

Earlier in October, similar forced census activities were reported in Myinthar and Kyaenantai villages of Myeik Township, where junta troops entered the villages in a military formation, demanding household information from villagers.

HURFOM continues to monitor and document these violations, as such operations represent not only a gross intrusion into civilian lives but also an abuse of basic human rights. This armed census campaign, carried out in a climate of fear, raises further concerns that the data collected could be used for forced enlistment, voting manipulation, and population control in future junta-led activities.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News