Weekly Analysis: Indiscriminate Firing Threatens Civilian Safety in Southeastern Burma

July 7, 2025

During the first week of July 2025, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) was alarmed by the escalation of targeted attacks by the military junta against women and children in specific areas of Mon State, Karen State, and the Tanintharyi Region. In Mon State specifically, between June 25 and 29, 2025, the military junta fired at least ten artillery shells into four villages—Kyauk Yay Twin, Pane Nell Gone, Zee Pyaung #1, and Win Kan—in Kyike Hto Township, Mon State. According to the Thaton District Karen National Union (KNU), there were no armed clashes in the area at the time of the attacks.

One local woman, Daw Htay from Kyauk Yay Twin village, was injured when artillery shrapnel struck her abdomen. In addition, four homes were damaged: one each in Zee Pyaung #1 and Kyauk Yay Twin, and two more in Win Kan village.

“The junta has been launching artillery attacks almost daily in Kyike Hto. We’ve documented every incident. I truly believe they will have to face justice one day,” said Pa Doe Saw Aye Nile, Secretary of the Thaton District KNU.

According to KNU records, the shelling was fired from junta units based in the region: the 310th Artillery Regiment, stationed in Kyike Hto Township, and the 589th Light Infantry Battalion from Shwe Kyin Township, Bago Region. This is not the first time civilians have been harmed. On June 14, 2025, similar artillery attacks targeted Zee Gone village in the same township, injuring two women and destroying four homes. Residents across Kyike Hto Township continue to live in fear, as indiscriminate attacks by junta forces place innocent lives and property at constant risk.

These attacks have also contributed to the ongoing increase in forced displacement. The humanitarian crisis in the Tanintharyi Region continues to deteriorate. According to the local field network FE5 Tanintharyi, an additional 5,500 villagers were newly displaced in May 2025 due to the junta’s ongoing airstrikes, artillery shelling, and drone attacks. This brings the total number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the region to approximately 81,800 by the end of May, up from 76,300 recorded in April.

The rainy season is making conditions even more difficult for the displaced. Many are living under makeshift shelters, exposed to the elements. Illnesses such as malaria, dengue fever, diarrhea, respiratory infections, and skin diseases are spreading quickly. There is a severe shortage of medicine and limited access to basic healthcare.

In addition to the direct violence, the junta has tightened control over key areas by increasing checkpoints and blockades, particularly in Dawei’s Eastern Forest zone, and across Tha Yet Chaung, Taung Pyout, Tenasserim, and Pu Law Townships. These restrictions have limited the transport of food, medicine, and other essentials, putting additional pressure on already vulnerable communities.

Livelihoods have collapsed. Fishing, farming, livestock raising, and even small construction work have come to a halt as clashes continue and security risks rise. Families are left without any stable income or support. According to FE5 Tanintharyi’s report, in May, junta troops advanced into the Dawei Deep Seaport area, where they killed 13 local villagers and burned down two houses, further fueling fear and displacement.

The situation remains dire, and urgent humanitarian support is needed for those fleeing violence and trying to survive under increasingly harsh conditions.

Overview of Main Cases

• Kanbauk Residents Struggle as Junta’s Roadblocks Cut Off Essential Supplies
Locals in Kanbauk, Yebyu Township, are facing severe shortages of essential goods after junta forces tightened inspections and blocked deliveries at security checkpoints, especially near the Mahlwe Taung checkpoint on the Mon–Tanintharyi border.

According to both residents and truck drivers, the military has intensified checks on rice, cooking oil, household medicine, and fuel. In the last week of June, two trucks carrying rice were seized at the Mahlwe Taung gate, prompting drivers to stop transporting rice into the area for fear of arrest or having their cargo confiscated.

• Tensions Rise in Laung Lon Township as Junta Troops Reinforce Positions Near Maungmakan Village
Local residents in Launglon Township, Dawei District, are growing increasingly concerned as fighting continues in the area and junta troops reinforce their presence in Maungmakan village. According to locals, over 100 junta soldiers have been stationed in the village since July 1st, raising fears that another military offensive may be imminent.

• Junta Arrests Two Young Travelers in Bilin
On June 16, 2025, two 18-year-old youths were forcibly taken off an express bus and arrested by junta troops at the old tollgate in Bilin Township, Mon State. The young men, Maung Aung Aung Oo and Maung Min Khant, are both from Kaw Ka Dut village in Bilin. They were on their way to Thaton Town to buy personal items when they were stopped and detained without explanation.

• Man Arrested, Homes Destroyed Following Armed Clash in Aruthaung Village
On July 1st, 2025, the armed resistance group known as “Ye Balue” launched an attack on the 343rd Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) stationed in Aruthaung village, Ye Township, Mon State. The clash triggered a heavy military response from the junta, including artillery fire that destroyed two civilian houses located near the highway road.

“The fighting lasted about 45 minutes. Both sides exchanged fire using small arms and heavy weapons. Two artillery shells landed on the highway and destroyed nearby homes. But no one dares to go and check the damage because it’s still too dangerous,” said a local woman.