Weekly Analysis: Artillery Fire by the Military Junta Threatens Civil Safety and Security in Southeastern Burma

July 21, 2025

The military junta continues to perpetrate human rights violations with impunity. Across targeted areas of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), including Mon State, Karen State, and the Tanintharyi region, civilians are under constant threat of attacks, often without warning. Artillery fire over the last week has led to further trauma in conflict-affected communities, as well as the deaths and injuries of innocent civilians.

A 55-year-old woman from Aung Bala Kone village in Konedoe Township, Karen State, tragically passed away after being terrified by loud artillery shelling fired by junta troops. According to a statement released by the KNU Central Committee, the woman—who had pre-existing heart disease—suffered a fatal heart attack after being shocked and frightened by the explosions.

The incident occurred at 10:00 PM on the night of July 9, when Light Infantry Battalion 545, based in Kyarinnseikyi town, fired 120 mm heavy artillery toward the village. The thunderous blasts from the shells landing nearby created widespread panic among villagers. Sadly, the woman could not withstand the fear and died shortly after from heart failure.

Local sources noted that this is not an isolated case. The junta has repeatedly launched offensives in the Kyarinnseikyi–Kawkareik road area in a bid to regain control of the route, leading to ongoing and intense clashes with joint revolutionary forces led by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). Fighting has been particularly fierce since early July.

Adding to the escalation, a breakaway faction of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), led by Bo Bee, has joined the junta’s offensive efforts by sending reinforcements to bolster their attacks. This recent loss follows a devastating airstrike last month, on June 9, in Paing Yat village of Kyarinnseikyi Township, where a junta air assault killed five civilians, including three schoolchildren, a female teacher, and a villager. Another 22 people were wounded in that attack.

As the conflict continues, civilians—especially the elderly, women, and children—are bearing the brunt of the violence, living in constant fear of arbitrary attacks and sudden death.

In a separate case, in Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State, life along the Gyaing River has become a daily fight for survival. The military junta’s artillery shelling is no longer simply a tactic of war; it has become an intentional and systematic strategy to dismantle the fabric of everyday life. Each day, villagers face the terrifying reality of mortar shells falling on homes, farms, monasteries, and schools, often without any sign of active conflict nearby.

The indiscriminate shelling is not just a military strategy; it is a form of collective punishment, stripping entire villages of safety, dignity, and hope. Families who once lived in peace are now trapped, afraid to send their children to school, work in their fields, or even leave their homes to buy food or medicine. Fear and uncertainty have replaced routine and stability.

Despite the absence of ongoing clashes, junta troops from Kyaikmayaw-based Light Infantry Battalion No. 208, Zartha Pyin-based Infantry Battalion No. 81, and artillery units positioned near Dhamma Tha Monastery continue to launch mortars into nearby villages without warning. The shells often land deep in residential areas, hitting Kaw Bein, Kaw Palaing, Dhamma Tha, Tarana, and Than Galaung villages.

“There’s shelling almost every night,” said a resident from Kyaikmayaw. “They’re firing into people’s backyards. Everyone is terrified; no one dares to go out anymore.”

Although recent attacks have not resulted in fatalities, several homes have been damaged. In response, communities are reinforcing bomb shelters and preparing for worst-case scenarios. These survival measures, however, cannot undo the damage that has already been done.

Beyond the immediate violence, the impact on daily life is profound and far-reaching. Families are cut off from their livelihoods. Children are out of school. Basic movement is restricted by fear. Monasteries and schools, once sanctuaries, are now at risk of being destroyed like any other civilian structure.

Overview of Main Cases

• Bridge Closure Restrictions Deepen Daily Struggles for Local Civilians at Mawlamyine’s Entrance, Mawlamyine, Mon State
Travelers and local residents are facing growing difficulties after the military junta extended the daily closure hours of two major bridges connecting to Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State. The new restrictions—implemented without public notice—have added further hardship to communities already burdened by tightened movement controls and ongoing insecurity.

• Daily Artillery Shelling by Junta Forces Puts Gyaing River Villages in Constant Fear
In Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State, life along the Gyaing River has become a daily fight for survival. The military junta’s artillery shelling is no longer simply a tactic of war; it has become an intentional and systematic strategy to dismantle the fabric of everyday life. Each day, villagers face the terrifying reality of mortar shells falling on homes, farms, monasteries, and schools, often without any sign of active conflict nearby.

• Displaced Students from Kawkareik Struggle to Enroll in New Schools
Ongoing military offensives by the junta in Karen State are disrupting not only the lives of thousands of civilians but also the futures of young students. Since April 2025, intensified artillery and air attacks on Kyone Doe Town and surrounding villages in Kawkareik Township have forced more than 20,000 students to flee their homes. Villages affected include Hnaung Pa Dauk, Thar Ma Nya, Thar Yar Gone, Kaw Ka Thar, Ngar Tie, Lay Tie, Koe Tie, Yay Bu Gyi, Inn Gyi, Kaw Pha Lot, Kaw Ka Mar, and Kyone Doe Chaung Pyar, located in Yoe Mahar and Kyar Kalay village tracts.

Later in the month, on June 17th and 20th, two men from Well Pyan village, near Ka Ma Maung Town, were also injured when they stepped on landmines in a nearby forest. Both men lost their legs in the explosions.

• Family of Four Struck by Artillery Shell Fired by the Junta
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. The shelling was carried out by Light Infantry Battalion No. 282 based in Kalein Aung.