Weekly Analysis: Refugee Rights are Human Rights

June 23, 2025

On International Refugee Day, observed on June 20, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) condemned all forms of violence against refugees and conflict-affected communities. Additionally, we called for immediate action to address their struggle. In targeted areas of HURFOM, including Mon State, Karen State, and the Tanintharyi Region, conflict-affected communities are facing life-threatening challenges posed by the military junta, which is actively undermining their fundamental freedoms, including their basic human rights.

Dozens of cases documented by HURFOM illustrate a pattern of indiscriminate firing, targeting displaced communities who are sheltering from the violence that has consumed their daily lives. Since the earthquake at the end of March 2025, the junta has launched more than 920 airstrikes and artillery attacks, resulting in the deaths of at least 590 people, including many in Mon and Karen States and the Tanintharyi Region, where HURFOM is actively working. Even more troubling is that numerous attacks took place during the junta’s claimed “ceasefire” period.

In addition, as noted in a joint statement by HURFOM and other civil society organizations, the sudden and cruel aid cuts in 2025 by the United States (US) government must be met with a dignified and coordinated response by the international community “to restore and increase humanitarian aid and other forms of assistance for Myanmar’s displaced communities.”

Over the last week, civilians continued to face scores of acts of violence. Troop movements and intensified ground operations by the junta’s Coastal Regiment Command in Laung Lon Township, Tanintharyi Region, have once again forced hundreds of civilians to flee their homes as fear and insecurity grow across multiple villages.

According to HURFOM field reporters, junta troops—approximately 60 soldiers in strength—entered Sakhan Gyi village on 16 June and began occupying a local monastery where internally displaced persons (IDPs) had temporarily sought shelter. The troops then moved from village to village, including Khamaung Taung and Taung Min Pyaung, using these locations as temporary bases.

“They’re stationed all around our village. If we step outside, there’s a high chance we’ll be detained or mistreated,” said a woman from an IDP family who fled on June 17. “Even if they haven’t fired directly into the village, we hear artillery from nearby every day and night. It’s terrifying. If they want to arrest someone, they just do it, and sometimes, people simply disappear without any trace. That’s why we decided to leave.”

The military column continued its movement on June 17, advancing from Sakhan Gyi to Taung Min Pyaung village, where it stationed troops inside a monastery again. As a result, not only residents from Taung Min Pyaung and Khamaung Taung, but also nearby villagers from Phwar Bote Pyin, have fled for safety.

Local sources reported that the junta forces are using an aggressive village-by-village advance strategy, making neighbouring communities increasingly fearful that their village could be next. Many residents are packing up and fleeing preemptively, leaving behind homes, farms, and possessions.

At the same time, junta troops operating in the southern part of Laung Lon Township have also continued troop deployments and arrests. Villagers from Wai Dee, Pyin Htain, Sit Pyae, Nyin Maw, Lay Thone Khan, Ka Htaung Ni, and Kanyone Kyun have been forcibly displaced in recent days. HURFOM’s monitoring confirms that more than 40 villagers have been arbitrarily arrested during these raids.

In a related concern, junta naval ships have been patrolling the Dawei River, firing artillery toward riverside villages. Some unexploded shells have landed in farmland, causing further anxiety for farmers as they fear for their lives while tending to their crops. Many residents believe these military operations are connected to attempts by the junta to prevent public gatherings on June 19—the 80th birthday of detained democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The intensified military presence is widely seen as a deliberate move to block any peaceful commemorations or expressions of solidarity.

“The army doesn’t need a reason to come into our villages anymore. Even without fighting, they arrive, occupy, and people have to flee. We just want to live peacefully—but they’re turning everything into a war zone,” said a 48-year-old resident from Lay Thone Khan who is now displaced with her two children.

Overview of Main Cases

• Mon Youth Targeted in Junta’s Batch No. 14 Conscription Drive Using Fear and Petty Charges
Across Mon State, fear is growing as the junta steps up its forced recruitment campaign under Batch No. 14 of military training.
According to HURFOM’s field reporters, youth in townships like Thanbyuzayat, Mawlamyine, and Mudon are being rounded up and sent to military camps—many without formal charges, legal process, or even explanation to their families.

These individuals are not convicted criminals or armed combatants. Most are ordinary young people: students, plantation workers, shop assistants, or daily wage earners striving to get by. In some villages, such as Ah Bit, Kyun Ywa, and Lat Tat in Mudon Township, young men were accused of drug use without any medical testing.

• Troop Movements and Intensified Ground Operations by the Junta’s Coastal Regiment Command in Laung Lon Township, Tanintharyi Region
According to HURFOM field reporters, junta troops—approximately 60 soldiers in strength—entered Sakhan Gyi village on 16 June and began occupying a local monastery where internally displaced persons (IDPs) had temporarily sought shelter. The troops then moved from village to village, including Khamaung Taung and Taung Min Pyaung, using these locations as temporary bases.

• Ten Male Villagers Arbitrarily Arrested in Mon State
Tensions remain high in Thanbyuzayat Township after junta troops entered Klinepadaw village, Thanbyuzayat, on June 12th and 13th, 2025, arresting ten male villagers. While nine managed to escape during separate clashes, one was tragically shot and killed by the soldiers. According to a 30-year-old eyewitness, the arrests happened suddenly as villagers were returning from rubber plantations near the western slope of Kyeik Gren Hill.

• Escalating Military Attacks Force Over 3,800 Civilians to Flee in Tanintharyi Region
Across the Tanintharyi Region, thousands of civilians are once again being forced to flee their homes as the military Junta intensifies ground offensives and launches indiscriminate shelling—even in areas where no armed clashes have occurred.
In Laung Lone Township, Dawei District, tensions rose sharply in the early hours of June 14. At around 3:00 AM, a military column advanced from Laung Lone town toward Sit Pyae village, triggering fear and panic. By 4:00 AM, residents—including farmers already in their fields—were scrambling to escape.