Escalating Junta Offensives Displace Over 5,000 in Eastern Dawei as Humanitarian Needs Grow Urgent

May 3, 2025

At least 5,000 civilians from eight villages in eastern Dawei Township, Tanintharyi Region, have been forcibly displaced following an aggressive new military offensive launched by the junta on April 29. The incursion, led by over 260 junta soldiers operating under the Coastal Regiment Command—including troops from Light Infantry Battalions No. 406 and 408 based in Yebyu Township—has spread fear and panic across the region.

Villages such as Thayet Ngote, Thingan Tone, Wa Kone, Thitkhet Chaung, and Pyinma Taw have become increasingly vulnerable, prompting mass evacuations as heavy troop presence and artillery fire intensified. The threat of sudden airstrikes has left little room for preparation, forcing entire families, many with small children and elderly members, to flee into nearby forests and toward the Thai border.

A local volunteer coordinating relief efforts said, “In Dawei’s eastern region alone, we’ve now recorded over 5,000 displaced. Most of the affected villages are ethnic Karen communities, and many people have had to flee without any belongings. With the military situation worsening daily, those fleeing expect to remain displaced for a long time.”

A mother who recently arrived in a temporary forest hideout shared her experience: “There was no warning. We just heard the helicopters and saw the soldiers. Now we sleep under makeshift tarps near the stream. The children are cold and scared. The older people are sick. There’s no rice left. Just a handful came from others, but we’re all hungry.”

Field teams and community networks have observed a sharp rise in urgent humanitarian needs. With the monsoon season fast approaching, displaced people are struggling to secure even minimal shelter. Those hiding in remote hills and forested areas are exposed to the elements without access to clean water, medicine, or food. Families with infants, young children, and elderly members are particularly vulnerable to illness and trauma.

According to local aid workers, the most recent mass displacement in eastern Dawei follows a brutal pattern of junta-led offensives across Tanintharyi Region. Since mid-April, similar waves of displacement were reported in Htee Khee, Metta, Taung Thon Lone, and Kyauk Mae Taung villages, where over 1,400 civilians were forced to flee after junta forces launched indiscriminate artillery and air attacks. The attacks came without active fighting in the targeted areas, underscoring the deliberate and punitive nature of the junta’s campaign.

One humanitarian responder noted, “We are doing everything we can, but people-to-people support is not enough. Families are arriving with nothing. Children are showing signs of psychological distress, and older people are struggling in the rain without shelter. Without more support from outside, these people will face life-threatening conditions.”

HURFOM’s previous documentation from across Dawei, Yebyu, and Launglon Townships shows a consistent trend: the junta is increasingly targeting civilian areas with airstrikes and shelling, particularly in resistance-held or contested zones. These operations have led to the destruction of homes, religious buildings, and farmland, and continue to cause injuries and deaths among civilians. Extortion at military checkpoints and supply restrictions along main roads have worsened the humanitarian crisis.

As the military continues to suffer losses on the battlefield, especially in Tanintharyi and southern Burma, the junta appears to be redirecting its anger toward unarmed civilians. These latest offensives are not only war crimes but calculated acts of oppression against powerless and voiceless communities. The absence of meaningful intervention by ASEAN and the broader international community only deepens the crisis.

HURFOM urgently calls on international governments, humanitarian agencies, and cross-border donors to step in and respond to this escalating emergency. Civilians in southeastern Burma cannot afford to wait.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News