Weekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region
April 17, 2023
HURFOM | Week Two
Despite the annual traditional Thingyan celebrations, typically when the people of Burma participate in various New Year activities and ceremonies, the junta has once again given no reason to celebrate. The brutal presence of the military junta has quieted all plans, and boycotts have seen empty streets where barricades are placed. The violence by the Burma Army continues to escalate. During the last week in Mon State, Karen State and the Tanintharyi region, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland reported on more volatile crimes committed with impunity. Women, children, and the elderly, in particular, were targeted. The situation is dire and requires an immediate response.
Read moreWeekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region
April 10, 2023
HURFOM | April Week One
Despite the annual New Year festivities celebrating ‘Thingyan,’ the military forces of the Burma Army have not hesitated to continue their crackdown on civilians as they continue to target alleged opposition forces. Martial Law, in particular, has been imposed in several townships where the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) is documenting rights abuses. After the junta’s martial law imposition in southern Mon State, the number of people killed and wounded by gunshots has increased in the areas between Ye Township Mon and Yebyu, of Tanintharyi Region. Injuries and death rates are also rising as punishment for violating them.
Read moreWeekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region
March 27, 2023
Fourth Week of March 2023
HURFOM: Indiscriminate firing continues to target civilians. Over the last week, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) documented several incidents where innocent people were targeted by the junta and killed. A trajectory of violence, particularly in the Tanintharyi region, has caused widespread fear and uncertainty among local people.
On 21 March 2023, over 130 homes were burned to the ground in Long Lon Township, Dawei and six people were shot and killed after being taken into military custody by LIB 407 and 273 on 4 March 2023. Days later, the HURFOM reporters network confirmed that an innocent local villager was shot and killed in Long Lon Township. Joint troops of the junta’s battalions then burned down more than a hundred houses in two villages. Yet again, on 21 March 2023, residents said a male villager was shot dead in Yange’ village, Thayet-Chaung Township, Dawei, around 6:00 PM. The victim, U Htun Wai was over 60 years old, and was fired at by four unknown gunmen on two motorcycles.
Read moreWeekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region
March 20, 2023
Third Week of March 2023
HURFOM: The military junta is targeting women and children across Burma. In documentation areas of Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi region, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) continues to document the ongoing human rights violations perpetrated by the junta. Most recently, HURFOM fieldworkers reported that an innocent 6-year-old boy from Shwe Yaung Pya village died after being hit in the head by artillery mortars fired indiscriminately by No. 314 Artillery Regiment Command base in Zee-Won village, Bilin, Mon State.
Read moreWeekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region
March 13, 2023
Second Week of March 2023
HURFOM: International Women’s Day was marked on 8 March 2023. The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) called for an end to military impunity, and condemned the junta’s ongoing crimes of gendered violence. Since the failed coup on 1 February 2021, HURFOM has documented the murders of over 65 women, 190 injuries and 700 arbitrary arrests. In addition, out of 125 total enforced disappearances since the coup in Southeastern Burma, 30 have been women in HURFOM target areas of Mon State, Karen State and Tanintharyi region.
Read moreWeekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region
March 6, 2023
First Week of March 2023
The Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN) released a new report this week, which estimated the total of internally displaced people in Karen State at over 500,000. Documentation by the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) supports their findings as increased violence by the junta across Southeastern Burma continues to threaten the lives of civilians.
Read moreWeekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region
February 27, 2023
Fourth Week of February 2023
HURFOM: Across Southeastern Burma, civilians remain in crisis. Internally displaced people (IDPs) who fled their villages in Karen State were again attacked by the junta while seeking safety. On February 19, around midnight, the junta air force shelled an area where IDPs temporarily sheltered in the southern part of Kawkareik, Brigade 6 of the Karen National Union (KNU). At least three IDPs, including a child, were injured. A local service provider team member confirmed that three individuals, Naw Hla Htwe, age 36, Saw Pha Kyaw Do, age 44, and a 14-year-old girl, were struck in the attack.
Read moreWeekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region
February 20, 2023
Third Week of February 2023
The year 2023 has continued to be marked with violence against the people in Burma. In Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi region, civilians are relentlessly being attacked by artillery shells and the bullets of the junta’s indiscriminate firing. Destruction of property, including the burning of villages, is ongoing. Thousands more are being forced to flee their homes daily as military impunity, and a lack of international action only encourage the junta to commit more atrocity crimes.
Read moreWeekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region
February 13, 2023
Second Week of February 2023
HURFOM: The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) remains concerned over the rapidly deteriorating situation in Southeastern Burma. Villagers in Mon State, Karen State and the Tanintharyi region have repeatedly told fieldworkers that they do not feel safe or secure. As the junta continues to increase their presence in civilian areas, the cause for concern becomes all the more urgent. Across the second week of February 2023, the military junta committed more widespread violations with impunity.
Read moreWeekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region
February 6, 2023
First Week of February 2023
This last week, the solemn two-year marking of the coup, was a reminder of the tyranny that continues in Burma due to the junta’s systematic violence. War crimes and crimes against humanity are being perpetrated with impunity and unending force. While the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom announced new sanctions to mark the anniversary, these actions came too little too late for the thousands of people killed by the Burma Army. A referral of the military to the International Criminal Court is needed to ensure that there is an end to military rule.

The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) continues to document the severe violations against the rights and freedoms of civilians. In the over 730 days since 1 February 2021, HURFOM has reported that nearly 25,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Southeastern Burma due to conflict between the junta and armed revolution organizations. After they’ve left, their villages are often scorched, belongings looted, and livestock shot and killed. In addition, more than 3000 innocent civilians have been arrested and detained. The numbers of those killed are likely much higher than HURFOM, and other documentation organizations can report safely.
We condemn the ongoing human rights violations and call for immediate international intervention and for global actors to pursue accountability mechanisms at the highest level, which put an end to military impunity at last. HURFOM also reported that military affairs observers said that the junta’s declaration of martial law in many townships across the country signalled more brutal oppression in pro-democracy groups, civilians, and local resistance armed forces strongholds.
This week, the junta targeted a 71-year-old local villager who lost one of his legs when he stepped on a landmine while repairing a water pipe near the cable-stayed bridge in Baykalwe village, Ye Township in Southern Mon State. Junta troops lay landmines to prevent their opponents from accessing bridges close to their camps:
“In many cases, the soldiers put the landmines just outside their camp’s fence for protection. We must be cautious about these unseen dangers while working near the battalions,” said a source who wished to remain anonymous.
“It is speculated that mines are often planted near military bases. Three of our villagers had serious injuries in the past, and all became disabled because of the attacks by Light Infantry Battalion No. 586. No group or authorities ever confess these crimes,” said another.
This latest incident happened on January 30 at about 10 AM. The local social support team cooperated and helped transfer the victim from Lamai Hospital to the 300-bed hospital in Mawlamyine City.
The fighting continues to kill innocent people caught in the crossfire of the violence. The network human rights documentation teams in the region estimated that at least two residents were killed, 17 people were injured, and more than 4,000 people fled the indiscriminate shells launched by four junta bases in Tanintharyi Township:

“From January 24 to January 31, the junta perpetrated war crimes against local civilians. The fighting led to at least five injuries from my village [Banlamut] and four victims from our neighboring village, BawDeekam, three from Mawtone, another three from Uyinkam and at least two from Thamoke Chone village.”
The junta-backed soldiers based in areas such as Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 556, LIB 557, LIB 558, and Artillery Regiments Command No. 306 are the main perpetrators, according to the team receiving the military information from the local armed forces.