June 2024: Monthly Overview of the Human Rights Situation

July 1, 2024

Women and Children Face Ongoing Risks to their Safety and Security Amid Increasing Attacks by the Military Junta

Women & Children Targeted by Junta Attacks

According to the latest Internal Displacement Monitoring Center estimates, nearly 3 million people are displaced across Burma. Local organizations report even higher approximations, including the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP), whose recent data show over one million people displaced in Karen State alone. These numbers reveal a situation of extreme devastation for local people who have had their lives uprooted by conflict fueled by an illegitimate and corrupt military.

Data collected by the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) also reveals distress and uncertainty. As the armed resistance movement increasingly gains more ground, Burma Army soldiers are scaling up attacks that have targeted local populations. Women and children are being killed in their homes, places of worship, hospitals and schools.

At the beginning of the month, an explosion occurred on June 4th at a basic education primary school in the Eain Shwet Pyin ward of Dawei Town. The blast resulted in the death of one third-grade student and injuries to 26 others, according to local sources.

The explosion, believed to have been caused by a bomb, happened around noon during the lunch break. Among the injured were eleven male students and fifteen female students. Tragically, a nine-year-old third-grade boy lost his life.

“The deceased child’s face was disfigured, and one of his arms was severed,” a resident reported. Additionally, a female primary student suffered severe injuries and received emergency treatment.

The injured students were treated at both the military junta hospital and the main public hospital of Dawei. According to humanitarian organizations, seventeen students were taken to the military hospital, and five were treated at the main public hospital.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. However, the school’s proximity to a nearby inspection gate, where recent military activity occurred, has led locals to speculate that leftover military equipment might be responsible.

In mid-2023, a similar incident occurred in a garden near a police station in Pa La Town, Pu Law Township, where three children were injured by an explosion while playing.

Schools are places of education, and to target them is a war crime. Children are being deprived of their childhoods in Burma as the junta unleashes ongoing, unabated attacks against them in places where they have the right to feel safe and protected.

On June 26th, HURFOM released the second issue of the ‘Voice Up’ series, which found at least twenty women were injured, sixteen were killed, and eighteen were arbitrarily arrested and unlawfully detained. Several of those killed were in their homes at the time of indiscriminate firing by the junta. Landmines also continue to pose a devastating risk that robs innocent people of their mobility and freedom of movement. Landmines are hidden, increasing the risk of their detonation.

The indiscriminate firing in villages targets women and children as they are tending to their households, running local businesses and cultivating their fields. On the morning of June 2nd, the Kyaikto Revolutionary Forces launched an artillery attack on the junta’s 310th Artillery Battalion and 207th Infantry Battalion based in Thein Zayat. In retaliation, the junta forces began shelling villages, including Thon Kone, Wazat Kwin, Sit Kwin, Ah Kine, Mouk Kha Maw, and Khruay, both day and night.

During the shelling, 26-year-old Ma Khin Lay Ree, who was six months pregnant, was injured in her left leg by artillery fragments in Mouk Kha Maw village. Additionally, on June 3rd, a Catholic nun from Thon Kone village and a 20-year-old youth from Wazat Kwin village were also injured by artillery fragments.

“Artillery shelling happens every day. Villagers are forced to take cover in bomb shelters, and those who can’t endure it have already fled,” said a resident from Mouk Kha Maw village.

Due to the artillery shelling by the junta, three houses in Thon Kone village and two houses in Sit Kwin village were damaged, and several villagers fled their homes seeking safety. In Kyaikto Township, junta forces’ artillery shelling in May resulted in the death of one civilian and injuries to at least seven others, according to a statement from the KNU Thaton District.

Then, on June 14, at 1 PM, the 310th Artillery Battalion of the military junta stationed in Thein Za Yat launched two shells without any ongoing combat. Due to the explosion, a fourteen-year-old girl, Ma Nandar Lin, and a one-and-a-half-year-old, Ma Shwe Zin Lin, were hit by the blast and died.

“Their parents are devastated,” a Kyaik Hto resident said.

On the same day, the 310th Artillery Battalion and the 207th Light Infantry Battalion of the junta fired more than 15 shells randomly around Thon Kwa village without any battle, according to KNU Thaton District officials.

“There is no right to fire artillery into villages where civilians live, regardless of whether there is fighting or not. This act violates civilians’ freedom of movement and human rights,” said Saw Aye Naing, Secretary of KNU Thaton District.

On June 12, an artillery strike by the Thein Za Yat Artillery Battalion injured 64-year-old U Than Oo and his 31-year-old daughter, Ma Yi Yi Win, from Pain Nae Kone village, who is now receiving treatment at Thein Za Yat Hospital.

In May alone, thirteen civilians were killed, and 41 were injured by artillery strikes by the junta troops in Mon State, according to a report released by the La Gon Eain on June 12.

In a separate incident, during a clash near Yapu village in Yephyu Township, Tanintharyi Region, a house was destroyed by a multiple rocket launcher strike from the Mawrawaddy Navy, resulting in the death of three family members and severe injuries to two teenagers.

Local sources reported that fighting broke out between junta troops and the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) near Yapu village and Phaya-Thone-Zu on June 7th. At approximately 2:30 PM, the junta troops, advancing from Phaya-Thone-Zu to Yapu village, encountered resistance from the PDF.

A resident stated, “The Mawrawaddy Navy fired over a hundred rockets. Three people from Yapu-Ywa Thit were killed.”

The victims from Yapu-Ywa Thit were identified as U Aung Aung, Ma Lah Wah Htoo, and their infant daughter. U Aung Aung and his daughter died instantly, while Ma Lah Wah Htoo succumbed to her injuries on the way to the hospital. The house was also set ablaze by the rocket strike.

Additionally, a teenage boy and girl from Yapu-Ywa Thit were injured and are currently receiving treatment at Kalain Aung Hospital.

Due to the attack, residents from Yapu, Thayar Mon, Yapu-Ywa Thit, and Mile-60 villages have fled their homes for safety. The clash lasted approximately one and a half hours.

Following the skirmish, junta troops entered Mile-60 village and looted various items from abandoned homes. A local woman reported: “They took phones, batteries, wires, fuel containers, and shoes from two empty houses. Currently, they have occupied the monastery in Mile-60 village.”

No place is safe as hundreds continue to flee and seek safety and, as many told HURFOM, ‘dare not return’ to their villages. The situation on the ground in Burma has worsened since the attempted coup, especially for those living in rural areas and where the resistance has made significant gains. These conflict-prone areas have led to attacks led by the various Burma Army battalions by land, air and Naval command.

Families Separated by Indiscriminate Firing by the Military Junta

Families have endured crippling levels of stress as unprovoked attacks threaten the loss of life and displacement. On the night of June 5th, the Burma Army under the MOMC 19, Southeast Command of Mon, fired artillery shells into Mawkanin Village, explicitly targeting a home in the Karsip neighbourhood. The shelling resulted in injuries to five family members, including two children, despite the absence of any prior armed conflict in the area.

Residents and sources close to the affected family reported that an artillery shell from the 588th Rapid Deployment Battalion struck the roof of a house, causing it to explode upon impact. The injured family members have been identified as Nai Aung Nai, 50, his wife, Mi San Aye; their eldest daughter, Mi Sandar Oo, 28; their 17-year-old son, Min Soe Pai, and their 11-year-old son, Min Jalon Htaw.

Emergency response teams from the Lamine Youth Emergency Assistance Group were quickly mobilized and transported the injured to Lamine Hospital for urgent medical treatment. A close relative of the family recounted the attack, saying:

“The artillery shell exploded while the family was asleep inside their home. The house was severely damaged, and Mi Sandar Oo sustained serious injuries. Even their motorcycle was destroyed.”

The family members suffered various injuries. Nai Aung Nai sustained a severe abdominal wound, while Mi Sandar Oo suffered significant injuries to her leg, including fractures. Their daughter, Mi Non-Nadi Chan, was transferred to Ye Township Hospital for further treatment due to a fractured knee. Min Soe Pai received injuries to his knee, hand, and abdomen, and Min Jalon Htaw had severe lacerations on one of his legs.

Another witness noted: “Throughout the night, the artillery shelling continued without pause, indiscriminately hitting houses in the area.”

Reports from the night of June 5 to the morning of June 6 indicate that the military junta fired nearly 70 artillery shells into the area despite the lack of any ongoing conflict. This indiscriminate shelling has caused significant distress and fear among the local population.

Authorities and humanitarian organizations assessed the damage and provided the affected families with necessary assistance. Meanwhile, calls for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian intervention are growing among local and international communities.

Starting at 9 PM on June 22nd, the junta began shelling Dhamma Tha village in Kyaikmayaw Township with artillery weapons. Eight artillery shells were fired, exploding near the town, causing significant concern among the residents.

As of the morning of June 24th, a few families fled to escape the escalating situation. A naval warship from the junta has also moved towards the Kaw Bein area. Only about a hundred internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to Dhamma Tha village.

Organizations supporting the IDPs stated that after returning and setting up tents, each family would receive 500,000 kyats, as cited by a resident. Over the past three months, more than 100 IDP families from Dhamma Tha village have been taking refuge in Mawlamyine City and have not received any assistance. This is primarily due to challenges in accessing and securing long-term and sustainable funds.

It costs nearly 1.5 million kyats to return to the village and set up tents. Around 400 IDP families from Dhamma Tha village are still taking refuge in other towns. The IDPs estimate that among the more than 100 families who have returned, only about 30 were affected by the fire. Due to the renewed artillery shelling by the military, the IDPs have stated that it is neither a good time nor a suitable condition for them to return.

On June 19, from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., heavy artillery fire was exchanged near Myauk Chaw village within the Yar Phu village tract, where resistance alliance forces and junta troops were engaged in combat. By the afternoon, a military helicopter and a jet fighter had dropped six bombs on Myauk Chaw.

“Since this morning, we have continuously heard the sounds of artillery until 5 PM. We heard about six loud explosions,” said a resident of Yar Phu.

Investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of casualties and whether there were any civilian injuries or deaths resulting from the fighting and airstrikes.

According to members of the local People’s Defense Forces (PDF), the junta troops involved in the fighting had also faced a drone bombing attack by resistance forces on June 11 while temporarily stationed in Yar Phu village. Preliminary reports indicate casualties on both sides during today’s battles, with detailed investigations underway.

On June 18, it was reported that a battle occurred between resistance alliance forces and junta troops near the Zar Dee village tract, close to the Kan Bauk village tract. Since June 3rd, the junta troops have been launching military operations towards the Nat Kyi Sin village tract in Yebyu Township, resulting in ongoing military tension in the area.

Raids, Theft and Arson Fueling Displacement

Ongoing raids by the junta are also undermining civilian safety. Surveillance and violations of privacy are widespread as the Burma Army attempts to violently suppress all forms of freedom of movement and expression.

More than 100 homes in Maung Mae Shaung village, located in Dawei Township, Tanintharyi Region, were raided by the military junta, which occupied the town for two days.

On June 1st, after Colonel Zin Win Aung of the junta was shot dead while driving near Maung Mae Shaung village, nearly 100 Burma Army soldiers from the 302nd Artillery Battalion and the Yebyu area arrived at Maung Mae Shaung village. Upon entering, the junta troops randomly fired both artillery shells and small weapons, causing most of the villagers to flee to nearby areas. The troops then began occupying Maung Mae Shaung village.

On the morning of June 3, the junta troops left Maung Mae Shaung village to return to the 302nd Artillery Battalion in Za Ha village, taking with them three full trucks of goods, including refrigerators, fans, electrical appliances, food, domestic chickens, and other valuable items that they had stolen from local villagers.

During their two-day occupation of the village, the junta arrested 20 local men. On the early morning of June 3, they left the town, releasing 19 detained men and taking one man with them. According to local sources, as of June 5th, most villagers could not return to their homes and remained in nearby areas.

Maung Mae Shaung village, located about 7 miles from Dawei, frequently experiences clashes between the junta troops and resistance forces. The junta troops regularly fire artillery weapons indiscriminately. Due to the frequent ambushes by resistance forces around the village, the junta troops have been conducting searches and raiding homes to seize valuable items, which has happened before.

Additionally, on May 13, the military junta’s checkpoint at the entrance of Dawei Township’s Eain Shwet Pyin ward was attacked, resulting in the deaths of two junta soldiers.

Offensives at the beginning of the month in Dawei District, Yebyu Township, forced over 300 households to flee their homes, which were also subsequently raided.

A resident from 60 Miles village said, “The junta troops raided Ma Yan Chaung, Thayar Mon, Yar Phu (New Village), Pyar Thone Su, Sein Bone, and Nat Gyi Sin villages. People had to prepare in advance and flee when the troops invaded.”

With the onset of the rainy season, the displaced need additional shelter and medicines, according to a local man assisting them. He added, “They are not fleeing to established refugee camps; they are fleeing to avoid conflict.”

The military junta’s troops, consisting of around 50 soldiers, began approaching the villages on June 2nd. Along their route, they set up snipers and laid ambushes.

On June 4th, resistance forces attacked the junta’s Light Infantry Battalions 408, 409, and 410, based in Kalain Aung. Concurrently, a junta force of around 200 soldiers advanced towards the village of Kaw Hlaing in Ye Township, Mon State.

Based on reports from travellers and town residents, the Mawrawaddy Navy has increased security and tightened inspections at the Kalain Aung Bridge gate in Yebyu Township since June 3rd. Following the arrival of Mawrawaddy Navy troops, nightly patrols have been conducted within Kalain Aung. Additionally, on the Kalain Aung-Kan Bauk road, there have been increased inspections at three or more locations since June 5th.

Following an attack on a military junta checkpoint at the Kalain Aung Bridge on May 22nd, around 100 junta troops from the Mawrawaddy Navy conducted operations around Mi Kyaung Hlaung village and Kalain Aung. These troops remain in the area to this day and are occupying homes belonging to displaced residents. As a result, many displaced people from Mi Kyaung Hlaung and Kalain Aung have been unable to return home.

During April and May, military junta offensives and battles in Yebyu Township displaced over 2,000 people. Most of these displaced people have since returned home.

Increasing Surveillance and Restrictions on Freedom of Movement

Travellers are facing increasing restrictions on their mobility as surveillance by the junta extends to those passing through various checkpoints. In early June, the junta bases on Pain Nal Taw Road, specifically the No. 9 base, Wee Yaw base, and Pain Nal Taw base, were supervising inspections, according to local sources.

A local traveller said, “Now they are carrying out detailed inspections, asking for photos to be shown, and questioning us.”

Much of the rise in interrogation and questioning is due to the ongoing forced conscription being unjustly enforced by the military junta. According to Myeik residents in southern Burma, since June 2nd, personal data of each adult individual has been collected in various wards and quarters in Myeik City for conscription registration.

The Mudon to Three Pagodas Pass highway, a critical route connecting the Thai-Burma border, faces increased scrutiny and toll fees imposed by junta forces and some armed groups. This situation has made it difficult for locals and travellers to afford the journey amid the current economic crisis.

Drivers report paying over 10,000 MMK per passenger at multiple checkpoints along the route. These acts of extortion are blatant and are viewed by locals and travellers as a means for the Junta and armed groups to exploit the public for financial gain.

Since early 2024, drivers have had to use the ‘Danone village route’ alternative due to restrictions on the Three Pagodas Pass-Mudon forest route. As a result, travel on the Mudon-Three Pagodas Pass highway now involves navigating ten checkpoints, the majority of which were managed by the Junta, their alliance armed forces, and some tolls operated by the joint forces of KNLA-led voluntary groups—the toll fees amount to approximately 16,000 MMK per passenger, creating significant financial burdens.

“Checkpoint fees are calculated per passenger, costing around 16,000 MMK each. If there are more passengers, the fees increase. We can’t charge passengers more for the ride, so the rising toll fees are problematic,” explained a driver who operates along the Mudon-Three Pagodas route.

Additionally, the alternative ‘Danone route’ presents challenges, including rough terrain and the risk of conflicts, requiring drivers to exercise caution. The travel time has increased considerably, often requiring overnight stays and posing safety concerns due to potential clashes.

“Previously, travelling to Thanbyuzayat took only five hours. Using the Danone route often requires changing to boats and sometimes staying overnight. The frequent checkpoints and risk of sudden conflicts make it difficult for drivers,” another driver shared.

Since the military coup, nearly 30 checkpoints have been established along the Thai-Myanmar border routes, including Three Pagodas Pass, Kyaikdon, Thanbyuzayat, and Mudon.

Forced Conscription

On May 26th and June 2nd, households in Innlay-Myine were called to provide detailed household population data and guest lists. The Village Administrator informed residents that men and women aged 18 to 35 were being registered for military service.

“The current list will be submitted to the office, and those listed will be called up on election day. Pregnant women and mothers were also registered,” said a female resident from Innlay-Myine.

Similarly, in the Myeik Taung quarter, village administrators collected data from households for the upcoming military conscription from May 28th. A local man from Myeik Taung stated that men and women aged 18 to 35, including those with families and children, were registered. In Kyan Taw, Won Dan, Kan Hpyar, and Myit Nge neighbourhoods, data collection occurred on May 30 and 31.

A resident of Myeik Taung expressed concern, stating:

“We can’t contact those conscripted in the previous batch, and there have been no updates. This makes the current registrants very worried.”

According to village administrators, the women’s data was collected not for the immediate upcoming batch but for the fifth batch of military conscription at the Palaw Military Training Center. Since March, names of men aged 23 to 35 have been collected for conscription lotteries by neighbourhood. Data is currently being collected from men over 18 and women aged 18 to 35 who were not previously registered.

According to some conscripted students and their close associates, conscription letters for the third round of military service in Dawei District were received, including those for current university students and individuals abroad. These letters, dated May 24th, were received in the last week of May and listed names, father’s names, and registration numbers, along with invitations to attend a meeting at the Dawei Township office department.

An attendee from Dawei Town reported that almost a hundred guardians attended the meeting, even though the conscripted individuals themselves did not show up. “They are also calling those who are abroad. The conscripted individuals are not present in the neighbourhood,” said a resident of Dawei.

Although the conscription law allows temporary exemptions for students, during the second round of military service, some states and regions conscripted current students without their consent.

The meeting discussed only the conscription law. Parents who attended were provided with various reasons and explanations. In the first and second rounds of conscription in the Tanintharyi Region, the military junta is training over 500 young men at the No. 12 Advanced Training School in Palauk.

In Mon State, migrant workers and impoverished individuals are being paid a few million Myanmar Kyats to replace the recruits for the junta’s weekly military conscription. The conscription law enforced by the coup military junta mandates weekly conscription batches nationwide, including in Mon State.

Due to a lack of volunteers for military service in the relevant villages and wards, administrators have begun hiring migrant workers and impoverished individuals for a few million kyats.

An anonymous source reported:

“Currently, the price for one person ranges from 3 million to 6 million kyats. In places like Mawlamyine, this practice of hiring substitutes is common. Once recruited, these individuals are immediately sent to the recruiting units. There is more hiring and replacement activity in places like Ye and Thanbyuzayat. Many of the substitutes are poor people, mostly migrant workers.”

In Mon State, with over 1,100 villages and village tracts, the junta has instructed ward and village administrators to provide one man per village for the weekly conscription. Administrators face various pressures because many wards and towns cannot meet the junta’s recruitment demands.

Relief Organizations and Activists Targeted

Social workers and relief agencies are also being targeted for their efforts to support displaced communities. Five members of the Lamine Youth Charity Group (Ye Township, Mon State), including Charity’s Chairman U Win Aung, were detained for over a week, causing significant difficulties for emergency patients.

Later, the military junta conducted a full-force raid on the office of the Lamine Youth Charity Group, detaining three more members and subsequently arresting Chairman U Win Aung. As of June 6, all five members remain detained at LIB No. 588 and have not been released.

Due to the detention of these five members, all social relief operations have been suspended indefinitely since June 3rd, the group announced.

On June 5, at 10 PM, LIB No. 588 fired 60mm mortars, hitting a house in the Ka-Site neighbourhood of Mawt Kanin village, causing an explosion. The artillery injured U Aung Naing, aged 50, and his family of five and are receiving medical treatment at Lamine Hospital. Two family members sustained severe injuries and were supposed to be transferred to Mawlamyine Hospital. However, due to the suspension of the Lamine Youth Charity Group’s operations, they continued to receive treatment at Lamine Hospital, according to a family member.

During the military coup in Mon State, social relief organizations have frequently been detained and interrogated by the junta.

On June 16, around 9 a.m., junta troops arrested 50-year-old Ko Hla Moe, an activist and backhoe driver, and his wife near Kyaik Htee Saung Pagoda:

“The junta soldiers arrived in a car, entered their house, and captured both. They were blindfolded with black hoods,” a local reported.

Ko Hla Moe and his wife supported the National League for Democracy (NLD) during the 2020 election and participated in peaceful protests at the beginning of the military coup. The junta troops took the couple to Bilin Township Police Station for interrogation, but their family has not been able to contact them so far.

Bilin Township is known for its vigorous resistance movement activity, where junta-appointed administrative officials and members have faced attacks. Activists and civilians, including those involved in the democracy movement, are frequently arrested for various reasons.

Political Prisoners Protest Denial of Care and Neglect

Life for the people in Burma continues to be increasingly challenging. However, the junta’s terror tactics have not silenced or deterred the ongoing movement in the country for peace and democracy. Even in the junta-run prisons where thousands of political prisoners remain unjustly detained, they continue to demand their rights and freedoms.

On the evening of June 12th, protests erupted inside Kyaikmayaw Central Prison in Mon State due to the denial of care for an injured prisoner who was ordered to perform welding work on a two-story building during a rainstorm. The inmate was electrocuted, fell, and lost consciousness.

Political prisoners demanded medical treatment for the individual, but their calls were ignored. The lack of urgency and attention to the seriously wounded individual sparked the protest. According to a source close to Kyaikmayaw Central Prison, the protest lasted two hours, from 5 to 7 PM. It only subsided after the guards agreed to transfer the inmate to Mawlamyine General Hospital.

Following the incident, on the morning of June 13th, numerous junta troops entered Kyaikmayaw Central Prison and increased security measures, as reported by sources close to the prison.

In the early morning of June 15, a total of 146 political prisoners, both men and women, were transferred from Kyaikmayaw Central Prison:

“We learned that Mon State Prison Chief Director Zaw Myo Aung directly ordered the transfers. The male political prisoners were moved to Tharyarwaddy Prison, and the female political prisoners were sent to Daik-U Prison (Bago District).,” a source close to the prison stated.

Another reliable source added:

“The prisoner who was electrocuted is Aung Chit Htwe. He fell from a height of about 20 feet onto the women’s ward side. The delay in transferring him to an external hospital prompted the female inmates to demand immediate medical treatment and accountability from Director Zaw Myo Aung. After about an hour and a half, the inmate was finally taken to Mawlamyine General Hospital.”

As of the latest update, the inmate, Aung Chit Htwe, is expected to undergo brain surgery due to his injuries.

The denial of care to those detained for their activism is further evidence of a worsening pattern of denied medical care to political prisoners. Prison authorities have reportedly imposed stricter restrictions on political prisoners and inmates requiring medical treatment at external hospitals than on other inmates, according to a Dawei Prison nurse who participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).

Mon State

In the first week of June, artillery and airstrikes by the military junta’s troops in Bilin and Thaton townships, Mon State, destroyed 12 houses, including a monastery. This information was reported by the Karen National Union (KNU) Central Committee on June 6.

On June 1st, junta troops conducted an aerial bombing on Shwe Yaung Pya village in Bilin Township without any ground engagement, destroying ten houses. Additionally, more than five artillery shells were fired by the 310th Artillery Battalion, causing further damage. Although civilians had to flee their homes, no injuries were reported.

On June 3rd, the 9th Light Infantry Battalion, based in Thaton, fired artillery shells into Yay Wai village, destroying two religious buildings within the village monastery.

The villages of Shwe Yaung Pya and Yay Wai, shelled by the junta’s artillery, are located in the KNU Brigade 1-controlled area of Thaton District and are primarily inhabited by Karen people.

Earlier, on May 24th, two civilians were killed and five others injured in Bilin Township’s Taung Thu Htay Kon village due to an artillery attack by junta troops, which also destroyed ten houses.

Meanwhile, disruptions to the education systems in Mon State are delaying local learning pathways. Schools in Kaw Bein, Kaw Pauk, and Kaw Palaing villages along the Mon-Karen Gyaing River region remain closed due to ongoing security issues.

Since late March, armed clashes have led to a lack of security, preventing teachers from returning and parents from sending their children to school. As a result, many schools, including 30 government schools in the area, remain shut. Local children are attending Mon language classes at village monasteries instead.

According to a resident:

“Military-run schools in Kaw Bein, Kaw Pauk, and Kaw Palaing have yet to open mainly due to security concerns. The region is still a conflict zone, so teachers are not coming, and parents are hesitant to send their children to school.”

Only about 50% of schools in the region are operational. For instance, schools in Kaw That, Kaw Swe and Tarana villages are open. However, there is a significantly reduced attendance rate, as many students have either stopped attending or moved to schools in urban areas or even to Thailand. One teacher recalled:

“Last year, we had about 1,500 students in high school; this year, there are only about 500.”

Mon National Schools in the area also remain closed due to security concerns. Additionally, around 20 military council troops have set up checkpoints, restricting movement and extorting travellers, with indiscriminate shooting occurring at night.

Since the attempted military coup in 2021, conflict-related disruptions have severely impacted education, with 6 million children nationwide needing humanitarian assistance and approximately 4 million losing access to education.

In Kha Ywal village, Kyike Hto Township, Mon State, four individuals, including two monks, were injured due to artillery shells fired by military junta troops, according to local sources and KNU Thaton District authorities.

At PM on June 21st, the junta’s No. 310 Artillery Battalion, stationed at Thein Zayat, launched two 120 mm artillery shells into Kha Ywal village despite no ongoing battles. The shells exploded within and around the residential areas near the southern monastery in Kha Ywal village.

“A senior monk from the southern monastery and one of his disciples were wounded. Additionally, two elderly people living near the monastery were injured. The monks’ injuries are not serious. The other two were sent to the hospital,” said a resident of Kha Ywal.

As a result of the artillery assault, the senior monk of the southern monastery and another monk sustained minor injuries. However, 75-year-old U San Tin suffered severe abdominal and leg injuries, and 62-year-old Daw San Myint sustained injuries to her back and knees. Three houses were also damaged. U San Tin was taken to Bago Hospital, while Daw San Myint was sent to Thein Zayat Township Hospital for treatment.

In Kyike Hto Township, junta troops have been advancing and shelling daily with artillery for several days, forcing residents from around ten villages to flee their homes.

On June 20th, during a clash between the junta and joint resistance forces in Pain Nae Kon village, the junta troops set fire to and destroyed an independent medical clinic within the town, locals reported.

On June 14th, two 10-year-old children were killed by an artillery attack by junta troops in the Kyauk Huk Kwin area between Ah Khaing and Thone Khwa villages in Kyike Hto Township. Please continue reading this report in the attached PDF.

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Written by HURFOM · Filed Under Monthly Report, News