- Political Oppression & Violence
During December 2023, the fighting outbroke in both northern part of Mon State and southern part of Mon, in which drove out about 3500-4000 people from their homes.
Karen National Liberation Army and coordinated People Defence Forces (PDFs) fought against the military junta
’s military outposts, the fighting outbrokes. Then, the Burmese Army shot with motor shells to closest communities or villages nearby. Because of the fighting in Thaton, Kyaik-hto and Bee Lin townships, the junta force fought into the villages nearby and the villagers have to flee from their villages. Some villagers are also killed because of motor shells[2].
In southern part of Mon State, the fighting broke out after the Mon State Revolutionary Force (MSRF) and alliance force attacked the junta’s military bases in Kyaung-ywa village. The junta battalion hit back into the village with motor shells and about 20 villagers get injured[3].
In addition, the junta authorities conducted massive arrest in Thanbyuzayat Township. They arrested about 70 persons in Thanbyuzayat Township in two weeks time, with suspicion of revolutionary supporters[4]. Among these suspects, two of them were tortured until dead[5].
Accordingly, to a Mon human rights group, HURFOM, it documented that about 4,717 people were arrested and detained, 1,182 people injured and 389 people killed in Karen State, Mon State and Taninthayi Division (Region) by second week of Dovember, since the military coup[6].
- The Displacement in MSFC Targetted Area
The fighting in the middle part of Mon State, the military junta’s motor shells to civilians and the airstrikes forced out over 4,000 people in December 2023 especially in Kyaik-hto, Bee Lin, Thaton and Ye.
MSFC’s Humanitarian and Rescue Department’s targeted areas are: 10 Townships in Mon State; the nearby areas, Kya-innseikyi Township in Karen State; and Yebyu Township in Tanintharyi Region (Division).
The armed conflict and violence that forced the people to be displaced during December 2023 are as below:
- On December 1, 2023, the junta’s artillery attack killed a 42-year-old monk from the “Vendar Dana” monastery in Mi Ka Tit village, Kyikemayaw Township, Mon State. Armed clashes between the military junta and the revolutionary forces started on November 10th, 2023 and have been ongoing for nearly a month, causing more than 20,000 residents to flee from their homes. Another 600 residents from the Kaw Doon, Kaw Pa Naw, Kaw One, Well Ngae and Mel Garow villages, in Kyikemayaw Township also fled their homes again on December 1, 2023[7].
- The armed clash between the military junta and the joint forces of the Karen National Liberation Army has intensified in Kaw Ka Rate Town, Karen State since December 1, 2023. The junta launched air assaults that killed 11 residents and injured many people, according to a local source”. The junta has been dropping bombs by aircraft, day and night for two consecutive days. Six residents were killed on December 1 and another five were killed on December 2. Many residents have sustained injuries. But we don’t know the exact number,” said a local source.
- December 7th, 2023, the military junta launched artillery attacks on Shwe Yaung Pya village, Bilin Township, Mon State, that killed a villager and destroyed six houses. The joint forces of the Karen National Liberation Army attacked the Bilin-based 314th artillery regiment with drones and in response, the base launched more than 20 artillery attacks targeting Shwe Yaung Pya, Ah Wun Gyi and Pan Aung Gone villages, in Bilin Township. Saw La All, a 46-year-old man from Ah Wun Gyi, was hit by an artillery shell while riding his motorbike and died at the spot[8].
- December 19th, 2023, even though there were no armed clashes in the area, the military junta intentionally targeted Kyone Main village, Kaw Hline village tract, located in Thaton Township, Mon State. The military launched at least 20 artillery attacks which killed a pregnant woman. Naw Phaw Ta Maw, 26-year-old was hit by shrapnel and died on the spot. “We’d heard that someone was injured by the artillery attacks at about midnight and went to check. The victim was the daughter of U Saw, from the eastern village. She was hit with shrapnel in her leg and thigh. She died of excessive bleeding. She was two-months pregnant,” said a Kyone Main resident[9].
Because of the above-mentioned violence the civilians and SAC’s no respect to the International Humanitarian Law, more civilians get hurt than the combatants from the revolutionary force.
III. The Reasons for the Needs of Foods and Shelters
Some villagers in the conflict zone have to flee from their homes or villages because of fighting and conflict and moved away from their homes. The villagers are afraid to return to their homes. They have to stay longer in hidden location and then most of them needed food and sheltering assistance.
In some areas, the villagers are facing ‘movement restriction’ as they could not move out from their villages in order to work in their farms or travel for businesses or trading. Their movements are limited by the military junta’s motor shells, fighting in the surrounding areas, and land mines. These villagers also faced food-shortages but they still have shelters.
In MSFC’s Analysis on displaced population, there are two types of population. The first type of the population is the people in urgent needs for both shelters and foods, and the conflict affected population.
The people in urgent needs are the people who are fleeing from war and conflict in urgent situation. They can be displaced and they can be at their home villages, but the conflict and movement restrict block to face food-shortage problems.
The conflict affected population are the people who live in conflict zones or fighting areas. These people are almost one-third or half of the population in each Township. Whenever the fighting breaks out near their communities, if they have to flee, they suddenly become the people in urgent needs.
- Areas and Population in Needs (in November 2023)
MSFC’s targeted area are 10 Townships in Mon State; Kya-inn-seikyi Township in Karen State and Yebyu Township in Taninthayi Region.
IDPs Data in December 2023
| No. | States/Regions/Townships | People in Urgent Needs | Conflict Affected Population | Notes |
| Mon State | ||||
| 1. | Kyaik Hto Township | 17726* | 40000** | *3311 families in 31 villages, Plus 3000 IDPs over last month
**Estimated: 60 villages in eastern part of Township |
| 2. | Bee Lin Township | 17350* | 95000** | *2929 families in 27 villages
**Estimated: 149 villages in eastern part of Township |
| 3. | Thaton Township | 5599* | 110000** | *1435 families in 20 villages
** Estimated: 146 villages |
| 4. | Kyaikmayaw Township | 8055* | 25000** | *Estimated 10 villages in 2 village tract
** Estimated: 20 villages in 4 village tracts |
| 5. | Thanbyuzayat Township | 300* | 13000** | *72 families from village
**Estimated: 8 villages in 3 village tracts |
| 6. | Ye Township | 2148* | 90000** | *400 families in Kyaung-Ywar Village Tract
**Estimated 95 villages 19 village tracts (eastern, northern and southern areas of Township) |
| Karen State | ||||
| 7. | Kya-Inn-seikyi Township | 29000* | 51910** | *2750 families in 8 villages (2 Village Tracts) + 20 village tracts, 12000 in November 2023
**Estimated: 22 villages from 6 Village Tracts) + 30000 people in November |
| Tanintharyi (Tenasserim Division) | ||||
| 8. | Yebyu | *6050 | **22500 | *Estimated: 1730 families from 7 villages
**Estimated: 17 villages from 4 village tracts |
- Appeal to Aid Agencies
MSFC’s Department of Humanitarian and Rescue would like to recommend to the international community as below.
- International community, especially UN Agencies and Government Agencies need to have proper humanitarian relief plan to quickly response on the humanitarian needs of IDPs or the community people those suffered from war and violence.
- The international aid agencies must not transfer aid assistance to military junta, SAC and its agencies to help the people as these aids can be politicized or militarized by the junta.
- The international aid agencies must work with the local CSOs/ CBOs and NGOs those work closely with communities, to effectively help IDPs and war victims.
Contact to:
Department of Humanitarian and Rescue
Mon State Federal Council
Mobile: +66 62 051 2997
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
[1] Mon State Federal Council (recently known as Mon State Interim Coordinating Committee (MSICC) formed with pro-democracy and federalists from Mon State during Spring Reolution. It formed Legislative Committee; Judicial Committee and Executive with main objective to exercise the Federal Unit’s power in the future formation of Federal Democratic Union of Burma/Myanmar. Department of Humanitarian and Rescue is a implementation department in Executive Committee
[2] https://burmese.monnews.org/2023/12/15/သထုံတွင်-စစ်တပ်-လက်နက်/
[3] https://burmese.monnews.org/2024/01/06/စစ်ကောင်စီ-လက်နက်ကြီးက-3/
[4] Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), December 14, 2023, At least 70 residents arrested within a week in Thanbyuzayat Township, https://rehmonnya.org/archives/9669
[5] HURFOM, December 19, Two detainees killed in military interrogation center in Thanbyuzayat, https://rehmonnya.org/archives/9692
[6] HURFOM, December 18, 2023, Weekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State and Taninthayi Region, https://rehmonnya.org/archives/9676
[7] HURFOM, December 4, Monks killed by artillery attacks: Kyaikmayaw Township form five village flee, https://rehmonnya.org/archives/9609#more-9609
[8] HURFOM, December 12, Artillery explosion kills a villager, and destroyed six houses in village, https://rehmonnya.org/archives/9653
[9] HURFOM, December 12, 2023, Pregnant woman killed by artillery explosion in Thaton, https://rehmonnya.org/archives/9716
