“They Were Just a Family Trying to Survive”: Three Children and Their Father Killed by Junta Shelling in Yebyu Township

July 9, 2025

In a heartbreaking tragedy, four members of a family—including three innocent children—were killed on the evening of July 8, 2025, when a heavy artillery shell fired by junta troops struck near their small shelter in a rubber plantation close to Kawhlain Village. Their mother was critically injured and is now fighting for her life.

According to local sources, the shelling was carried out by Light Infantry Battalion No. 282 based in Kalein Aung. The 120 mm shell landed near the family’s hut where they had been living and working. The father, U Aye Khaing (50), and his three children—all under 11 years old—were killed on the spot. Their mother, Ma Win Pa Pa (38), suffered serious injuries and is being treated at a nearby clinic.

“They were just working people,” said a local woman from Yaphu New Village, still shaken by the incident. “They came from Ayeyarwaddy to earn a living by tapping rubber. There was no fighting; there was no reason for the military to fire. But they did. And now those children are gone.”

Local residents confirmed that there were no clashes in the area at the time of the attack. The shell fell during a quiet afternoon, far from any battlefront. This has become an all-too-common pattern—shells landing without warning in peaceful villages, with no accountability.

“There was no fighting at all that day,” the woman added. “The military just fires whenever they feel like it. Last week, two shells landed in Mile 60 village for no reason. No one knows when it will happen next.”

Padoh Eh Na, Secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU) in the Myeik-Dawei District, confirmed the absence of combat. “Yes, our troops are present in the area, but there was no engagement. The junta forces simply fired into civilian spaces. They don’t care who gets hurt.”

A commander from the Dawna Resistance Column 3, which monitors the Ye-Dawei highway, put it plainly: “Even if they suspect resistance fighters are around, that doesn’t justify bombing a home where children live. These were just kids. Their lives ended before they even had a chance to grow up. It’s beyond cruel.”

This is not an isolated incident. Last year in June, a similar artillery strike near Kalein Aung killed another family of four, including a toddler. The military’s use of indiscriminate shelling continues to claim the lives of the most vulnerable, especially children.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News