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Schools closed due to armed clashes in Kha Lae – Dagon Tie, Kyarinnseikyi

HURFOM: Schools in villages nearby Kha Lae – Dagon Tie area, Kyarinnseikyi Township, Karen State, can not be opened due frequent armed clashes between the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Burmese military.

According to the local sources, neither the government nor self-reliant schools are being  opened in Daung De, Nan Tie Htoon and Htee Phoe Nine villages.

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Armed group beats and extorts villager in Southern Ye

HURFOM: On July 24, 2022, an unknown armed group dressed in  military uniforms  entered Yin Dane village, located in the Yin Yel village track of Southern Ye Township, Mon State.

Approximately 6 armed group members beat and tortured a 57-year old villager called Nai Choi.

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Leak of personal information from those involved with NUG online school face arrest and job losses

HURFOM: “Kaung For You” is an online school which operates under the National Unity Government (NUG).  Because the NUG has been clear in their opposition to the military junta, the online school attracted significant attention from young people.  Approximately 20,000 students had registered with the school.

Recently, the school server was hacked and personal information identifying teachers and students involved with the school was leaked.    The military junta responded by  arresting individuals connected with the school.

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Weekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region
Third Week of July, 2022

HURFOM: A weekly update by the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) on the situation on the ground. Summary data includes Mon State, Karen State and Tanintharyi region.

Analysis

As the end of July nears, human rights violations in target areas of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) continued to be scaled up. Homes have been deliberately scorched by the junta as arbitrary arrests and ongoing raids spark fear in local communities. The international community’s slow will to act has led civilians to fear the worst is still yet to come. Without concrete action and a response that makes clear that the junta is not above the rule of law, the Burma Army will continue to commit crimes with impunity. 

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Ham Gam villagers experience frequent electricity blackouts, despite two providers

HURFOM: Ham Gam villagers are divided over two companies selling electricity service, amidst blackouts and price hikes. 

Khan Company has been the main electricity provider, but began to cut its power supply on July 14, 2022.  The company began operations in 2016, and the founder,  U Inn had provided  24-hour electricity service to Ham Gam.

In 2020-21, he sold his business to a Korean company.

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People charged for filing “visitors’ report” forms in Mawlamyine

HURFOM: In Mawlamyine Township, Mon State, local authorities instructed people who are temporarily staying in the township to file a “visitors’ report”.  They must also put the “visitors’ report” in front of their house after sealing it with a plastic cover.

Local people are also being charged 500 Kyat by the village Administrators for filing the report and posting it as instructed.

“We have to do a “visitors’ report” every month. After that, we have to put the sheet in front of our house. We have to pay money to the hundred household leaders for sealing the sheet with plastic cover,” said a woman from Myine Thar Yar Ward, Mawlamyine.

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Security forces loot and burn homes in Taung Pyouk village track, Tenasserim Division

HURFOM: At approximately 7:30 pm on June 15, 2022, the military juntas security forces burnt down at least five houses in Ah Lae Su village, which is part of the Taung Pyouk village track, located in Tha Yet Chaung Township, Tenasserim Division.

Before burning down the houses, security forces removed all the  valuable belongings from the homes, a local source reported to HURFOM.

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Rape victims are being forced to accept money rather than justice

HURFOM: Since the coup, organizations providing legal support to women and childen report increases in domestic assuaults and rape – particularly of children.

One organization said they have twenty case files open regarding rape involving children, and 10 cases of domestic assualt.  According to those working to assist victims, the actual number of cases is expected to be higher than what is reported, as many cases are not reported.

When victims have reported the incidents, authorities attempt to settle the case with monetary compensation rather than pursue an arrest and use the rule of law.

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Military junta slashes ethnic affairs budget

HURFOM: The Mon State government allocated a separate budget line for non-Burmese ethnics and is allowing the funding to be used to support the literature and culture sector. However, the military junta halved the budget allocation for this fiscal year.

After the start of 2021, the ethnic affairs budget remained at the same level as previous years.  Each ethnic group had received 100 million Kyat,  but in the 2022 fiscal year, each ethnic groups were allocated just 50 million Kyat.

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Weekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region
Second Week of July, 2022

HURFOM: A weekly update by the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) on the situation on the ground. Summary data includes Mon State, Karen State and Tanintharyi region.

Analysis

The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) is observing a downward spiral of normalcy across target areas of Mon State, Karen State and Tanintharyi region. The livelihoods of civilians are being threatened by the Burma Army whose increasing presence evokes fear and anxieties among local communities. The calls for international action have repeatedly called for targeted sanctions and accountability measures to be put in place to ensure the people of Burma have the peace that they have long craved.

Over the last week, locals from Kyaung Shar Kwin area, Yebyu Township, Tanintharyi Region told HURFOM that they had to abandon their plantations due to landmines. “A landmine exploded near my plantation. After that, I have not gone back. Another explosion can take place any time.” Between late 2019 and 2020, there have been 10 victims who suffered from landmine explosions in Yebyu Township. Five victims were from the Kyaung Shar Kwin area. Local plantation owners are frightened to go to their lands due to frequent explosions. “I’ve abandoned my plantation. I am afraid to go there. All landmine victims have been my neighbors. If I were injured, my family would be in trouble. That’s why I’ve abandoned my betel nut plantation for three years now,” said a plantation owner from Lae Sakan village.

Both ethnic armed organizations – the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Karen National Union (KNU) are active in this area, but no group has taken responsibility for the landmines. The Dawei District NMSP office released a statement on March 16, 2020 stating that both NMSP and KNU had responsibility for finding a solution. It is estimated that approximately 200 plantation owners work roughly 2,000-acre of land in the Kyaung Shar Kwin areas.

A rising number of destroyed religious sites has been documented by rights groups including HURFOM with dozens destroyed in our program areas. The junta, despite claiming to be Buddhist, has destroyed many monasteries, threatened, and imprisoned monks and refused to honor temples and churches as places of sanctuary, peace and relief for civilians.

On 10 July 2022, Kyauk-Hlay-Kar village in Thayet Chaung Township, Dawei was attacked and extinguished by the junta forces who killed five villagers accused of being members and supporters of the People’s Defense Force (PDF). A 45-year-old Kyauk-Hlay-Kar villager said three local people were killed when about 70 Junta troops stormed the village:”They arrested two more villagers on suspicion of being PDFs. Then they shot and killed those villagers when the military columns arrived at Yaung Maw village, Thayet Chaung. A total of five villagers were killed as many locals were fleeing the village. It was estimated about 200 families are fleeing to safer areas. Names of the victims; the exact personal accounts, and locations are being examined by HURFOM.

Arbitrary arrests and warrantless raids are also ongoing. On the night of July 9, 2022, a group of junta forces and their sponsored-armed members stormed a civilian house in Wei-Kyun-Myothit Ward, Dawei, and abducted three young men. According to local sources, it was later confirmed that one of them was shot to death. The victim was Ko Paing Paing, age 21, and the son of the Pan-Chit-Thu family, located on the Wei-Kyun-Yay road.

Meanwhile, clashes continue to displace and devastate communities. Local villagers near No. 1023 Military base of the Border Guard Force (BGF) were afraid of being investigated, arrested, or tortured by the military, as well as possible armed clashes, so they fled from their homes.

Most villagers moved to Mudon Township, Mon State: “I’ve left my house and just come back once a week to check its condition. I’m worried that the soldiers will burn down my empty house now that I’ve moved to Mudon,” said a villager.

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