Image: Belin Township, Mon State
Mizzima
The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) has documented incidents that happened during April 2024 in Karen State.
During April 2024 seven people were killed, 22 were injured and more than 12,000 were newly displaced in Mon State.
Below are details of some of the incidents HURFOM recorded:
Violence in Mon State has included targeted attacks against health workers and first responders.
At 8:00 pm on 27 March 2024, an ambulance struck a landmine and was shot at whilst travelling on the Yangon to Mawlamyine Highway Road near Ka Mar Sai village, Thaton Township, Mon State. The driver and a patient sustained injuries.
“We struck a landmine and then were shot. The driver and the patient were injured, but others were safe. The gunshots damaged the whole body of the ambulance,” said an official from the Social and Rescue Team
A few days later, indiscriminate violence also led to the death of a civilian. On 30 March, at 3:00 pm, the military stationed in Than Ka Laung village shot and killed a Mon man, a 60-year-old from Than Ka Laung village, Kyaikmayaw Township.
A patrolling military junta column shot Nai Ka Rone whilst he was watering vegetable plants on his farm in the southern part of Than Ka Laung village:
“The soldiers are still in the village. More people are fleeing because they are also afraid of being killed or injured in the fighting,” said a resident.
When the military junta soldiers saw Nai Ka Rone and called out to him, he was scared because he did not understand Burmese and did not know what to say or do. In a careless response indicative of the junta’s disregard for life, he was shot and died on the spot.
Children are also being targeted by junta violence. At least six civilians, including a child, were injured due to artillery weapons fired by the junta troops into the villages of Thaton Township, Mon State.
Between 27 and 30 March, the junta’s LIB 9 attacked villages such as Hton Bo Lay, Chaung Sout, and Htot Kaw Kyoe villages in Thaton Township, and at least 13 artillery shells were launched.
A young boy, 13-year-old Saw Phyo Phyo, was shot dead, and 16-year-old Saw Nay Lin, 23-year-old Chaw Ta Khu, 56-year-old U Maung Htwe, 54-year-old Naw Nor Re, and 57-year-old Tee Pan Sein were hit by artillery mortar shells and injured.
“The Burma Army launched artillery weapons without fighting. Now, those who are in the village have run away. Those who didn’t run are staying in bomb shelters. There is not a single day when weapons are not fired,” said a Hton Bo Lay village resident.
The attacks and impact on local people forced the residents of six villages, Hton Bo Lay, Hton Bo Gyi, and Chaung Sout, including Htot Kaw Kyoe, to leave their homes and flee to safe places.
Since the attempted coup, those living in Thaton Township continue to be targeted by airstrikes and arrested and used as human shields. In addition to arbitrary arrests and killings, they suffer from various human rights violations.
On w23 March villagers from Min Saw Village in Belin Township, Mon State, were hit by a junta airstrike which destroyed three Kaw Thulay Secondary Schools, two religious buildings, twelve civilian homes, and one also injured a civilian, according to the KNU Thaton District.
The junta in Mon State has been aggressively committing more attacks on the Dhamma Tha Mon Village using heavy artillery and air bombs from both helicopters and ground artillery.
The town and surrounding areas have suffered extensive damage, with most houses destroyed. During the first two weeks of the month, the conflict resulted in the burning of over 300 homes and the displacement of approximately 5,000 individuals.
The Burma Army also targeted Tarana village, a neighbouring village of Dhamma Tha village in Mon State, with severe bombing. The intensity of the assault was evident from the heavy explosions observed. As a result, the majority of villagers have left their homes. The extent of the damage and casualties is yet to be determined.
As the situation leaves civilian lives at increasing risk, flights to reach safety have become more high risk, according to HURFOM.
In a tragic incident on 14 April, in Than-galaung village, Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State, a Senior Buddhist monk was fatally shot by the junta forces.
Local witnesses report that the attack occurred in the early afternoon. The Senior Monk, identified as U Wara, was travelling by car with a lay disciple from the village school after their meal when ambushed near
the entrance to Tarana Village. The soldiers were stationed at that location and opened fire on the vehicle as it approached.
A witness stated, “The soldiers had taken up positions there. They were targeted. The monk and the disciple who was also in the car both died instantly.”
This incident is part of a troubling pattern of violence in the region. The HURFOM field team will continue to investigate and report on this distressing event, as tensions and violence in the area show no signs of abating.
In Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State, in the village of Kyun-Gone, approximately 20 homes have been destroyed due to indiscriminate artillery fire by the military junta.
The area continues to burn as of this report. The attack started around 11:00 am on the second day of Thingyan, the Burmese New Year festival. The sudden and violent assault forced nearly the entire village to flee, abandoning their homes. To date, over 400 IDPs have had to escape without being able to carry any possessions with them.
Local reports suggest a pervasive atmosphere of fear in Mawlamyine, with residents concerned about the arbitrary phone checks and detention.
From January to April, at least 30 local inhabitants have been arrested in Mawlamyine, Mon State with the majority facing charges under the Anti- Terrorism Act.
There have been frequent and intense battles between the junta and the New Mon State Party (AD – Anti Military Dictatorship) in Kyikemayaw Township, Mon State, with junta’s troops stationed in monasteries, schools and houses.
Many of the displaced have found temporary shelter in local monasteries, relying heavily on the support of monks, local organisations, and private donors for basic necessities. However, the impending rainy season threatens to complicate their already precarious living conditions further.
Social workers on the ground highlight additional challenges: “With time, our worry grows that donor support may dwindle, and we heavily depend on this aid for our survival. If the support decreases, our problems with food and shelter will become immediate and more severe,” explained a social worker to HURFOM researchers.
