Weekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State and Tanintharyi Region

January 15, 2024

HURFOM, Second Week of January 2024

In conflict-torn Southeastern Burma, civilians are seeking refuge and urgently needed protection from the ongoing bombardments by the military junta. Across target areas of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), including Mon State, Karen State and Tanintharyi region, those displaced continue to rise as offensives intensify.

For example, in Mon State, nearly 3,000 local people in Thaton District, who have been fleeing the war for almost a month due to the fighting, require emergency assistance, including basic food, medicine, shelter, blankets, and warm clothes, which are urgently needed. Since December 13th, the fighting between the two sides has intensified since the joint forces of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) blocked and attacked the junta’s Win Tar Pan camp based in Bilin.

Over the last week, a child was among those injured when the junta attacked with artillery weapons in Thaton Township. Two houses are also damaged: “The military is firing artillery weapons almost every day towards Wee Yaw. That day, an artillery weapon fell towards Hton Bo Gyi and hit a child. The Karen National Union medical team gave the boy treatment, and now he has recovered,” said a villager.

According to residents, due to the junta’s attack with artillery weapons, the residents of Hton Bo Gyi are afraid to go to work, and they have dug bomb pits in almost every house.

On December 19th, a 26-year-old pregnant woman, Naw Phaw Ta Mae, was killed, and her 2-year-old son was injured when the regiment launched artillery weapons in Kyone Mein village, Thaton Township.

Meanwhile, in Dawei District, the military is burning homes in Nyaw Pyin village, Out Kyauk Wut village tract, and Long Lone Township. Houses were embroiled in flames on January 8 in the evening. The locals are fleeing in advance due to the news of the incoming military operation in the area. The junta has been on the beaches of Nyaw Pyin and Pho Pho Kyauk since the evening of January 7.

On January 6, at 10 AM, at least 30 houses were burned by the junta in Tha Kyat Taw village of Long Lone Township. In addition, on January 4, after a shop selling household medicine was set on fire in Hin Cho Taw village, Tha Pyay Shaung village, eight homes in Hin Cho Taw village and five houses in Yin Htae village were burned again. On January 3, the arriving junta burned 14 houses in Tha Pyay Shaung village in Long Lone Township.

In March of last year, Nyaw Pyin village was burned down by the junta and Pyu Saw Htee group, which destroyed more than 90 houses. After 14 long days, the junta troops are patrolling the villages south of Long Lone Township with massive force: 8 houses in Sit Pyal village, 12 houses in Toon Khan village, 13 houses in Hin Cho Taw and Yin Htae village in Tha Pyay Shaung village tract, four homes in Tha Kyat Taw village, and there are at least 40 villages in Nyaw Pyin, totalling at least 77 villages burned.

Civil society organizations continue to fill essential gaps in providing aid and safety to displaced and conflict-affected communities. Last week, the Karen Peace Support Network reported that 1496 IDPs from 25 villages of Dooplaya District received emergency food assistance, including rice, cooking oil, salt, garlic, onion, and chilli powder from KPSN, distributed through the district leader. The international community must increase their funding to support these efforts through cross-border aid channels and engage with local actors to build trust and expand the capacity of first responders on the ground.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under Analysis, News