Junta’s Militarization Across Thaton District Triggers Mass Displacement in Mon State

May 14, 2025

Hundreds of civilians in Thaton District, Mon State, have been forced to flee their homes as the military junta intensifies its deployment of troops, heavy weaponry, and hidden patrols along the Yangon-Mawlamyine highway. The growing military presence and widespread fear of human rights abuses have driven communities into renewed cycles of displacement.

According to HURFOM field reports, the junta’s recent movements are particularly aggressive near the Mon-Bago border, as they attempt to tighten territorial control in preparation for their planned 2025 election. Analysts warn that the junta is “clearing” key areas to ensure domination over voting districts by the end of the year.

Over the past two days alone, HURFOM has documented the deployment of approximately 200 soldiers into villages in Kyaik Hto Township—including Kha Yawe, Chaung Wa, Win Kan, Mokka Maw, and Thone Khwa. Hidden patrol troops have also been stationed along major roads, severely restricting the freedom and safety of local residents.

“In Aloon Lay village tract, Bilin Township, soldiers have been positioned inside rubber plantations, orchards, and even residential areas. Villagers are too afraid to go to their fields or workplaces. They fear they could be caught in sudden fighting at any moment. Many are fleeing in panic with only what they can carry,” shared a member of an emergency response team based in Kyaik Hto.

A Mawlamyine-based delivery driver described the mounting danger:
“Just yesterday evening, as I was driving along the highway, I saw between 80 and 100 junta special operation troops setting up hidden positions right by the roadside. As long as they’re there, it’s impossible to feel safe. I’m planning to stop working for now,” he said.

Residents of Chaung Wa village also expressed deep anxiety about the escalating militarization around their homes.

The junta’s efforts to militarize the Mon-Bago border—including townships like Kyaik Hto, Bilin, and Thaton—appear closely tied to their 2025 election ambitions. Political analysts note that these troop deployments and attacks are designed to “secure” areas by force.

“They are reinforcing control near Light Infantry Battalion 598, targeting villages like Kwin Seik, Win Kan, Nyaung Chay Htauk, and Shan Su. The airstrikes suggest they think PDFs are hiding there—but it’s innocent civilians who suffer most,” one analyst noted. “These attacks are clearing out the local populations, intentionally or not.”

Throughout April, HURFOM documented repeated junta artillery strikes across Kyaik Hto and Bilin townships. Now, with a significant increase in troop movements and hidden patrols, displacement is accelerating.

“Every day, there are shellings. Some villagers have run into towns like Kyaik Hto; others are hiding in the forests. In the Win Kan and Kha Yawe village tracts, almost everyone has fled. Even in the Aloon village tract, only a few people remain to guard their homes. This is no longer just temporary displacement—it’s turning into long-term exile,” warned a local IDP response team leader.

HURFOM estimates that, due to junta-led airstrikes and militarization, more than 10,000 villagers from over 20 villages along the Mon State–Bago border have been forcibly displaced in recent weeks. Humanitarian needs are growing urgently as food, shelter, and medical care become increasingly scarce.

Despite the worsening crisis, humanitarian access remains extremely limited, and local emergency teams are struggling to reach all those in need.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News