This Situation Update describes events occurring in Daw Hpah Hkoh (Thandaunggyi) Township, Taw Oo (Toungoo) District from September 2025 to February 2026. Throughout the reporting period, challenges to healthcare remained largely the same, with an increase in reported “flu” cases in February 2026. Small clinics administered by the Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW) continued to provide treatment and medicine. However, one clinic reported inadequate medicine supplies and referred patients with serious illnesses to Toungoo Town for further treatment. In terms of education, bunkers were built within four school compounds with the support of a local community-based organisation (CBO). Meanwhile, in October 2025, Burma Army soldiers forcibly cut down villagers’ bamboos and trees in Ag--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu Lar village tract, to repair army fences and as a result damaged villagers’ plantations. On 15 November 2025, the Burma Army shelled Al--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu Lar village tract, damaging a church’s window and a villager’s house. In November, there was also fighting between the Burma Army and Company #3, under Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Battalion #5. On 13 and 14 November 2025, fighting broke out between Burma Army soldiers and Company #3 at Ai--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu Lar village tract, killing two volunteers from Company #3. Then, on 28 November 2025, Company #3 attacked a truck carrying Burma Army trainees from Bayint Naung Army Camp on a highway between Thandaunggyi Town and Toungoo Town, killing one Burma Army soldier and injuring 19 others.[1]

 

Healthcare challenges

Within the six months [September 2025 to February 2026], nothing much had changed compared to before. In February 2026, the number of sick people, especially people infected with “the flu”, increased. “The flu” is a mild disease as it only causes fever. Thus, when patients took medicine that reduces fever, they felt better.

Clinics in the [Day Loh Mu Nu Lar] village tract,[2] Daw Hpah Hkoh (Thandaunggyi) Township, Taw Oo (Toungoo) District were operating the same as before [prior to September 2025]. There is a clinic located near Aa--- village, Ab--- village, and Ac--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu Lar village tract. Previously, Company #3 under KNLA [Karen National Liberation Army][3] Battalion #5 used to have its base near this clinic’s location [in the surrounding area, not inside the clinic compound]. Later, Company #3 relocated to another location, but the clinic remained at the same location. The clinic was not big, yet when villagers were infected with diseases, they usually went to the clinic to receive treatment. The clinic usually provided medicine and injections to patients. [It is] unknown [to KHRG] what kind of medicine was available at the clinic. The clinic is administered by the KDHW [Karen Department of Health and Welfare].[4]

There is also a clinic named Ad--- clinic in Klay Loh Mu Lar village tract, Daw Hpah Hkoh Township. The clinic is not big, and it had inadequate medicine [in quantity]. Ad--- clinic is administered by the KDHW, and it was expensive to receive treatment in the clinic [because while KDHW clinics provide fee-free treatment, villagers had to pay the cost of medicines]. Because the clinic had inadequate medicine, it ordered medicine from Toungoo Town, Daw Hpah Hkoh Township. Patients with advanced diseases in Ad--- clinic were sent to Toungoo Town [to receive further treatment]. Sometimes, villagers [from Klay Loh Mu Nu Lar village tract] sought help from a doctor named Naw[5] A---, who lives in Am--- Town, Htaw Ta Htoo (Htantabin) Township, Taw Oo District. She worked as a doctor in a government hospital when the situation was good [before the 2021 military coup[6]]. When needed, Ad--- clinic sought help from Dr. Naw A---.

There is a clinic in the compound of Ae--- school, which is located in Day Loh Mu Htaw village tract, Daw Hpah Hkoh Township. The clinic is not big, and it is administered by the KDHW. When villagers got sick, they went to the clinic to receive treatment. Nothing had changed for this clinic [compared to before September 2025].

Bunkers built within school compounds

In 2025, four schools [in Daw Hpah Hkoh Township] received a small grant from a local community-based organisation (CBO) [name censored for security]. These were three high schools named Ae--- school, located in Klay Loh Mu Htaw village tract, Ad--- school, located in Klay Loh Mu Lar village tract, and Af--- school, located in Ag--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu Lah village tract, as well as a middle school named Ah--- school, located in Day Loh Mu Htaw village tract. Due to the small grant program, bunkers were built within each school’s compound to protect teachers and students from shelling and air strikes. [The bunkers were built by parents and volunteers.] Nothing had changed other than that [in terms of education in Daw Hpah Hkoh Township, compared to before the reporting period].         

Political situation and military activities

When the Burma Army[7] were repairing fences and their army camps, they cut bamboos and trees from villagers’ plantations, which were grown for building villagers’ houses and huts. On 2-3 October 2025, approximately 20 soldiers of the SAC [State Administration Council],[8] who lived in Ag--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu Lar village tract, brought two guns along with them and cut trees and bamboos from the village’s plantation called Ak---. The plantation was owned by Saw[9] E---, and his plantations like cardamon, dog fruits trees, and turmeric plants were damaged. When asked, the soldiers responded that their leaders are Min Zaw Htun and Daw Na, and they got permission to cut trees and bamboos from the plantations, from the former [Ag---] village head, Saw F---. However, villagers were not informed about the cutting trees. The soldiers were cutting bamboos since May 2025.

On 15 November 2025, Saturday, at 7 am, the Burma Army conducted shelling into Al--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu Lar village tract, damaging a church’s window and a house of a 35-year-old man who has three sons, Saw D---.

[Meanwhile,] on 13 and 14 November 2025, fighting took place between the Burma military regime and Company #3, under KNLA Battalion #5, at Ai--- village, Day Loh Mu Nu Lar village tract. Due to the fighting, two volunteers serving with Company #3, Saw B--- and Saw C---, were killed. During these six months [September 2025 to February 2026], the [Burma Army’s] military activities increased near Ai--- village.

[Later,] on 28 November 2025, security guards operating under Company #3 attacked a truck carrying [Burma Army] military trainees from Bayint Naung Tat Myo Town, Daw Hpah Hkoh Township, near the upper part of Ai--- village, while it was travelling on the highway between Thandaunggyi Town and Toungoo Town, Daw Hpah Hkoh Township. Due to the attack, one Burma [Army] soldier was killed and 19 sustained injuries. This information was provided by the commander of Company #3.  

On 29 November 2025, soldiers from the Burma military regime, based at 13 Miles gate [a checkpoint located in P’Shaw Loh village tract, Daw Hpa Hkoh Township] confiscated civilians’ trucks and villagers were taken hostage.

                    

 

 

 

Further background reading on the situation in Taw Oo District in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports:

Wed, 26 Aug 2026

Footnotes: 

[1] The present document is based on information received in February 2026. It was provided by a community member in Taw Oo District who has been trained by KHRG as a researcher to monitor human rights conditions on the ground. The names of the victims, their photos and the exact locations are censored for security reasons. The parts in square brackets are explanations added by KHRG. This document combines several received reports with the following KHRG internal log numbers: #26-81-S1; #25-357-D1; 25-357-M1/P1; 26-57-M1/P1 and 26-57-D1.

[2] A village tract is an administrative unit of between five and 20 villages in a local area, often centred on a large village.

[3] The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) is the armed wing of the Karen National Union.

[4] The Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW) is the health department of the Karen National Union. It was established in 1956 to address the lack of public healthcare resources in rural Southeast Myanmar. It currently operates a network of community-based clinics in the region, but its capabilities remain limited due to funding constraints.

[5] ‘Naw’ is a S’gaw Karen female honorific title used before a person’s name.

[6] On 1 February 2021, the Burma (Myanmar) military deposed the democratically elected government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD). The military proclaimed a year-long state of emergency and transferred power to Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar's Armed Forces. Based on unproven fraud allegations, the Tatmadaw invalidated the landslide victory of the NLD in the November 2020 General Election and stated it would hold new elections at the end of the state of emergency. The coup d'état occurred the day before the Parliament of Myanmar was due to swear in the members elected during the 2020 election. Elected President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained, along with ministers, their deputies and members of Parliament.

[7] The terms Burma military, Burma Army, SAC, Tatmadaw, and junta are used interchangeably throughout this report to describe the Burma military regime’s armed forces. Villagers themselves commonly use Burma Army, Burmese soldiers, or alternatively the name adopted by the Burma military regime at the time —from the 2021 coup to July 2025, the State Administration Council (SAC). On 31 July 2025, the military junta changed its name to the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC).

[8] The State Administration Council (SAC) was the name of the executive governing body of the Burma military regime created in the aftermath of the 1 February 2021 military coup. It was established by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on 2 February 2021 and was composed of eight military officers and eight civilians. The chairperson serves as the de facto head of government of Burma/Myanmar and leads the Military Cabinet of Myanmar, the executive branch of the government. Min Aung Hlaing assumed the role of SAC chairperson following the coup. The military junta changed its name on 31 July 2025 from SAC to State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC), with Min Aung Hlaing retaining his position as chairperson.

[9] ‘Saw’ is a S’gaw Karen male honorific title used before a person’s name.

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