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October 2024: Monthly Overview of the Human Rights Situation

Summary overview and analysis

Surveillance on the Rise in Southeastern Burma as Civilians Seek Safety and Protection from Ongoing Atrocities by the Military Junta

Human rights violations across southeastern Burma continue to cause distress and alarm among local civilians. In targeted areas of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), including Mon State, Karen State, and the Tanintharyi region, local people increasingly face restrictions on their ability to travel and work freely, with multiple forms of extortion imposed for permits. This extends to the epidemic of arbitrary arrests, which undermines civilian rights and freedoms.

In addition, the junta-enforced census, which began in mid-October, poses several risks to local security. For example, the census includes a controversial question about the language spoken at home instead of directly asking about ethnicity. This has led to fears that ethnic minorities who respond by saying they speak Burmese at home will automatically be classified as “Burmese” in the census, undermining their ethnic identity.

In the last census, the Mon ethnic population accounted for over one million. However, given the format of this new census, some worry that the Mon population could drop below one million because many, particularly those in urban areas or certain villages, predominantly speak Burmese at home. Critics say this concern reflects the junta’s broader political strategy of diluting ethnic representation and influence in the country.

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September 2024: Floods Devastate Communities Across Southeastern Burma, Displacing Thousands

Rising water levels and flooding across Burma devastated communities throughout September. Beginning on the 10th, rising water levels significantly impacted people in urban and rural areas, forcing thousands to flee only with what they could carry. Typhoon Yagi has affected target areas of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), including Mon State, Karen State and the Tanintharyi region.

Over 16,000 people in Karen State were displaced last month, especially in townships such as Hpa-an, Hlaingbwe, and Myawaddy, as floodwaters reached critical levels. In Tanintharyi, water levels rose to over 8 meters, affecting areas around the township and forcing over 300 people to evacuate. The ongoing weather conditions and high internal displacement levels have worsened the situation for thousands across these regions.

In Mon State, further challenges have arisen in areas such as Bilin, Kyaik Hto, and territories under the administration of the Karen National Union (KNU) and the local defense groups. Heavy rains and subsequent flooding forced approximately 600 households to relocate to higher ground for safety. The severe weather conditions have also displaced residents across multiple villages in these areas, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, mainly where local governance and the KNU leaders oversee the situation. Between 12 and 16 September, approximately 48 villages along both sides of the Sittaung River in Kyaik Hto, Bilin, and Thaton townships were flooded. Landslides impacted nearly 5,000 households, affecting close to 50,000 people.

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“Voice Up Issue 3” Update: Gendered Human Rights Overview in Southeastern Burma (June-August 2024)

Introduction

This report is the third in a series of quarterly updates and analyses, combining data collected from the ground by the Women and Child Rights project of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM). Before the attempted coup in Burma on 1 February 2021, HURFOM published similar content in a bulletin-style format under the title Voice Up. The Women and Children’s Rights project is of utmost importance as it seeks to monitor the situation of women and children in Mon areas and southern Burma and how it relates to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

Field staff collect and distribute information and data to our local and international networks. The findings empower and educate women and children in the Mon community by providing information on their rights, according to CEDAW and CRC, and encouraging them to participate in the struggle to protect and enforce their fundamental freedoms.

Activities under the project include:

1. A bi-annual Mon and Burmese-language journal titled: Our Rights Journal
2. Capacity building, which provides training in women’s and children’s rights and training trainers in both areas.
3. Data collection and documentation on topics such as the trafficking of women and children and violence against women and child soldiers.

The cases of human rights violations perpetrated against women presented in this briefing paper are indicative of decades of military impunity. Despite their many challenges, this report is a testament to the dedication and perseverance of the women human rights defenders leading the documentation efforts. [Please continue read this in pdf]

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August 2024: Monthly Overview of the Human Rights Situation

Monsoon Season Flooding Increases Livelihood and Security Challenges for Civilians in Southeastern Burma

Mass Flooding Delays Humanitarian Assistance as Villages Flood

Across Burma, the military junta’s attacks have left innocent civilians facing severe challenges. In August, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) highlighted how the monsoon season brought catastrophic flooding to the local communities. Thousands are battling to survive amid rampant inflation and scarce access to healthcare and social services. The rains have compounded issues by making key roads for transporting food, water, and medicine impassable. Over half the population in target areas such as Mon State, Karen State, and the Tanintharyi region are suffering from the repercussions of these floods.

Since July 24th, Mon State has experienced continuous heavy rainfall, leading to significant flooding in Mawlamyine, Thanbyuzayat, Chaungzon, Kyaikmayaw, Mudon, and Ye Townships. Low-lying areas and villages near rivers have been particularly affected, with approximately 100 villages submerged. Approximately fourteen people have been injured as a result, and the spread of water-borne diseases has been difficult to contain. In Kyaung Ywar village, floodwaters continued to rise, reaching up to 16 feet by 6 AM on July 28th.

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July 2024: Monthly Overview of the Human Rights Situation

Attacks on Information Threaten Civilian Right to Safety, Security, and Protection in Southeastern Burma

The military junta is fueling a war on all fronts. Attacks against civilians include the suppression of information flows and the right to access life-saving channels of knowledge through social media and other media platforms on the Internet. Their attempted censorship is because the junta knows the injustices they are committing and fears the circulation of their widespread crimes against innocent people.

For many years, Burma’s human rights issues were largely hidden from the world. Taking advantage of limited internet access, the regime committed numerous violations in continuous defiance of the law. The younger generation has rejected military rule and is actively fighting for their rights through protests and other methods. The Burma Army relies on weapons, not ethics.

Burma was placed 176th out of 180 countries for press freedom in 2023 by Reporters Without Borders. This alarming rank reflects the junta’s severe actions against the media, targeting even citizen journalists who now encounter increased violence. Numerous journalists are still held captive, with fatalities while exposing the junta’s crimes.

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June 2024: Monthly Overview of the Human Rights Situation

Women and Children Face Ongoing Risks to their Safety and Security Amid Increasing Attacks by the Military Junta

Women & Children Targeted by Junta Attacks

According to the latest Internal Displacement Monitoring Center estimates, nearly 3 million people are displaced across Burma. Local organizations report even higher approximations, including the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP), whose recent data show over one million people displaced in Karen State alone. These numbers reveal a situation of extreme devastation for local people who have had their lives uprooted by conflict fueled by an illegitimate and corrupt military.

Data collected by the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) also reveals distress and uncertainty. As the armed resistance movement increasingly gains more ground, Burma Army soldiers are scaling up attacks that have targeted local populations. Women and children are being killed in their homes, places of worship, hospitals and schools.

At the beginning of the month, an explosion occurred on June 4th at a basic education primary school in the Eain Shwet Pyin ward of Dawei Town. The blast resulted in the death of one third-grade student and injuries to 26 others, according to local sources.

The explosion, believed to have been caused by a bomb, happened around noon during the lunch break. Among the injured were eleven male students and fifteen female students. Tragically, a nine-year-old third-grade boy lost his life.

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Second “Voice Up” Update: Gendered Human Rights Overview in Southeastern Burma (March-May 2024)

Introduction

This short report is the second in a series of quarterly updates and analyses, which combines data collected from the ground by the Women and Child Rights project of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM). Before the attempted coup in Burma, we had published similar content in a bulletin-style format under the title, ‘Voice Up.’ 

The Women and Children’s Rights project seeks to monitor the situation of women and children in Mon areas and southern Burma about the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Field staff collect and distribute information and data to our local and international networks. The findings also empower and educate women and children in the Mon community by providing information on their rights according to CEDAW and CRC and encouraging them to participate in the struggle to protect and enforce their fundamental freedoms. 

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May 2024: Monthly Overview of the Human Rights Situation

The Military Junta Scales Up Attacks Against Civilians Amid Forced Conscription Bid

The military junta continues to commit widespread human rights violations. In target areas of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) in Mon State, Karen State and the Tanintharyi region, civilians are feeling increasingly unsafe as the Burma Army shows threatening behaviour and actions. In the wake of the newly enacted Conscription Law, arbitrary arrests and abductions have been on the rise. As the regime continues to forcibly enlist recruits at all costs, HURFOM is concerned that the human rights situation will worsen.

A young man, aged 30, named Min Aung Chan from Kawpalaing village in Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State, was reportedly killed by the military. His body was discovered on April 27, a few days after his arrest. The young man was captured on April 25 after they inspected his phone during a routine search and accused him of supporting the New Mon State Party (AD) group. Along with his phone, his motorcycle was also confiscated, and he was taken into Junta’s frontline custody. Residents reported that on April 25, junta forces entered Kawpalaing village and the surrounding areas, where they continued their oppressive measures against the villagers:

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April 2024: Monthly Overview of the Human Rights Situation

Arbitrary Arrests on the Rise in Southeastern Burma as the Military Junta Targets Opposition Forces

April 2024

The Burma Army has continued to lose momentum, support and gains on the battlefield. The war against the people it once thought it could win has now been spurred into question as the people make it increasingly clear that there is no place for authoritarian rulers in the future of the country being built. The people-powered movement has not been deterred by the international community, observers and analysts, who long underestimated their capacity to defeat the long-feared and tolerated military junta. 

Local organizations and their documentation efforts have been vital to ensuring the gains on the ground in Burma. Despite the presence of international human rights organizations and the United Nations, they continue to need more access to areas that local groups are fully equipped to reach due to their decades of experience responding to emergencies. As stated in a new paper released this week titled “From Humanitarian Resistance to Resilience: Nation-building in Active Conflict,” the authors correctly state that “local organizations and administrative bodies are doing much more with less.”  

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March 2024: Monthly Overview of the Human Rights Situation

Injustices in Southeastern Burma are Ongoing as Enforced Disappearances Increase Alongside the Junta’s Illegal and Unjust Forced Conscription Law

Young people and their families in Burma awoke to devastating news in February 2024 following the junta’s announcement that it would begin enforcing mandatory military service for all men aged 18-35, and women aged 18-27 must serve for up to two years. The declaration followed a trajectory of losses by the Burma Army, notably in Karen and Karenni States as well as in Chin, Kachin and Shan States. These factors combined with the ongoing defections of high-ranking commanders and soldiers, as well as many troops surrendering to ethnic revolution organizations. The law mandating conscription was initially introduced in Burma in 2010, though it was never enforced.

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