Junta arrests and tortures villagers in Long Lone Township
June 21, 2023
HURFOM: On the morning of June 13, local villagers witnessed more than 40 junta troops raid and capture four men and two women from Thabyar village in Long Lone Township, Dawei District. Residents reported those arrested were violently tortured.
“Initially, junta troops and police entered the village on foot. Later, they came near the entrance sign of the village with three Army lorries and a civilian car, and sealed the road for inspection. After that, around 10:00 am, they entered a restaurant near the place of inspection and arrested 4 men and 2 women, including the shopkeeper. There was no reason given as to why they were arrested like this,” a 40-year-old local man recounted what he witnessed.
Read moreMilitary junta kills villagers and burns down houses in East Dawei
June 7, 2023
HURFOM: Junta forces shot and killed 3 residents living at an internally displaced people’s re-settlement site. A man, a child, and the mother from the village were shot by soldiers patrolling the site.
The arrival of the junta soldiers caused residents to flee. One resident is still missing.
Read moreTwo civilians killed and two injured in armed clash at Done Tha Me Bridge
June 6, 2023
HURFOM: On June 1, 2023, an armed clash took place between Burmese soldiers and the joint forces of the Karen National Liberation Army and the People Defense Forces at the check-point nearby Done Tha Me Bridge on the border of Mon and Karen States.
Read moreJunta’s indiscriminate artillery attacks continue to kill and create more civilian casualties
June 6, 2023
HURFOM: Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) has a network field reporters that have documented another resident killed as result of the junta’s use of artillery weapons on civilians.
The 591st Infantry Battalion (IB) which operates under the 19th Military Operation Management Command MOMC used these weapons in Kyarinseikyi, township, Karen State.
Read moreWeekly update on Human Rights situation in Karen, Mon States & Tanintharyi Region since the attempted coup [First week of March 2022]
March 7, 2022
No one feels safe and secure in #Burma amid the lingering of junta backed forces, such as plain clothed police officers and informers. The people want peace.
Full Analysis:
In HURFOM areas, civilians are unquestionably continuing to reel from the aftermath of the failed coup. Economically, the country has been crippled by inflation, including rice, a staple in the local cuisine. No one feels safe and secure amid the lingering of junta backed forces, such as plain clothed police officers and informers.
On 1 March, HURFOM released our monthly findings from February 2022 which found that even a year after the failed coup, the amount of destruction caused by the junta have amounted to the most serious of human rights violations. The junta has shown no signs of easing their attacks against the people and has instead continued to spearhead their campaign of terror and illegal, inhumane acts including arbitrary arrests, indiscriminate firing and shelling, enforced disappearances, murder and many others.
In February 2022 alone, HURFOM recorded at least 65 arrests, 25 injuries and 10 deaths. Women and girls in particular were targeted with nearly 30 being arrested, sentenced and charged by the junta. Alongside the terror continues to be undisputed bravery. Protests and calls for action, including urgently dismantling the junta by cutting off their access to funds, weapons and more, are all the more active in Burma.
Junta troops are cracking down on the travelers near Hindra junction, located at Taungthone Lone Village, Metta Sub-Township, Dawei District. Stop and frisk operations were carried out on 2 March where nearly 60 military vehicles from the Metta Battalion arrived and began a rigorous operation. Approximately 30 motorcycles, six cars and the owners were arrested and confiscated. It is still unclear why the junta soldiers arrested and confiscated these vehicles. It seems like they will demand the ransom to give back to the drivers and owners.
In Karen State, on 28 February, a group of junta soldiers and officials arrived at Thang Yee Shop Road in Nyaung Wine Ward No. 5, Hpa-an, Karen and conducted guest registration and household inspections, and abducted three young men, according to the residents. The illegal activities and corruption is fuelled by a lack of accountability.
Statement: HURFOM Reflects On One Year Since the Attempted Coup
February 1, 2022
HURFOM: It has been 365 days since the Burmese junta unlawfully and unconstitutionally attempted to seize power through a failed coup. One year ago, the Burma Generals made it clear that their desire to rule with violence and authoritarianism was more important than preserving civilian safety and upholding rule of law. The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) has witnessed extreme violence being waged against innocent people across the country, including in our target areas of Mon State, Karen State and Tanintharyi region. In marking this solemn anniversary, HURFOM condemns the ongoing brutality and emphasizes our calls for justice and accountability in Burma.
Read moreDeep economic impacts for workers and business due to Covid-19
January 22, 2021
HURFOM: The first Covid-19 patient in Myanmar was discovered on March 23, 2020.
Because of public health measures, such as ‘Stay at home orders’, a ban on public/social gatherings and physical distance rules, all intended to contain the spread of the virus, many businesses and factories have shut down. The economic impacts are significant.
Read moreHURFOM’s World Press Freedom Day 2019 Statement
May 3, 2019
Today, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) is celebrating World Press Freedom Day. HURFOM believes that a free and independent press is the foundation of a functioning democracy, and that any action taken to intimidate or silence journalists, and thus obscure and conceal the truth, is an attack on the principles of freedom, justice, equality, and representation upon which democracy rests. Press freedom holds the powerful to account, ensures that institutions remain fair and impartial, and provides people with the information they need to make informed decisions and exercise their political agency.
Read moreDon’t let your mind be destroyed: a commentary on the sharp increase of drug use in Mon areas
May 10, 2013
A generation lost to drug use
The New Mon State Party has put up signs in front of and around villages in Mon state, urging residents to come together to prevent drug use. However, stronger action than this is needed to curb sharply increasing drug use in Mon areas. Read more
Investment law and people’s rights in Burma
February 1, 2013
Burma, also known as Myanmar, is opening to democracy. A key factor in achieving a smooth democratization process is economic growth, but growth that relates exclusively to increased foreign investment and freer markets will not adequately alter the country’s socioeconomic landscape. Burma requires investment that reaches across a wide range of sectors and benefits the millions of people who continue to live in poverty. Read more