Introduction
When local Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[2] troops in Bilin Township attacked and occupied the Border Guard Force (BGF)[3] Yo Klah army camp on December 17th, 2021, many H--- and E--- villagers began to flee. On December 21st 2021, about 60 soldiers from State Administration Council (SAC)[4] Light Infantry Division (LID) #22, Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)[5] #104 and allied BGF troops came to H--- village, where they used H--- monastery as a base of operations until January 8th 2022. On January 9th 2022, they moved to E--- village, where they used E--- villagers’ houses as a base of operations until January 11th 2022. During this period, the local KNLA attacked the SAC troops[6] and BGF troops almost every day. During the fighting, SAC and BGF soldiers fired mortars into villages and fighting occasionally took place in the villages. During this period, one H--- villager was injured, villagers’ homes and fruit trees in H--- and E--- were damaged and villagers’ livestock were killed.

One villager injured by SAC shelling, Yo Klah Village Tract,[7] Bilin Township, Doo Tha Htoo District
On January 5th 2022, due to an increase in the frequency of fighting, more than 2,000 villagers from five villages—H---, O---, E---, W--- and Y---—began fleeing to other villages or to Bilin Town. On the evening of January 6th 2022, at 5:40 pm, during one of the incidents of fighting between the KNLA and the allied SAC and BGF troops, the SAC fired mortars into H--- village. One H--- villager, Saw I---, suffered an injury to his left hand and a major injury to his lower stomach, around his bladder. After the incident, at 6:30 pm, villagers sent him to the local community hospital in Hpwa Gaw for medical treatment.

Ongoing fighting, displacement, and property damage
Fighting also occurred in H--- village on January 8th 2022. At about 8:00 pm, the SAC fired mortars into H--- village during the fighting, damaging one villager’s house. All villagers had already fled to other places, so no villagers were injured during the January 8th incident.

On the morning of January 9th 2022, the SAC and BGF troops moved from H--- monastery to E--- village. They encountered KNLA troops in E--- village and fighting broke out between them. Fighting occurred on two occasions on January 10th 2022 in E--- village, and once on January 11th 2022. There were no villagers in the village, so none were injured, but one house was damaged, one pig died, and fruit trees such as coconut and papaya trees [that villagers rely on for their livelihood] were damaged. The SAC and BGF troops used villagers’ homes in E--- village as their base of operations from January 9th, 2022 until January 11th 2022.

Eight schools have had to close, and all students and teachers have been fleeing to different places. Students cannot study anymore. Dormitory students are now being taken care of by Bilin Township Karen Women’s Organisation (KWO) staff.

One local villager estimated that the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Bilin Township is now over 2,000, [based on the number of households from the five villages that have fled]. Those IDPs rely on other villagers for necessities such as shelter, food, and other needs. There is an urgent need for food and security for the IDPs.

Further background reading on the situation of militarisation and human rights abuses in Doo Tha Htoo District in Southeast Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports:

• “Doo Tha Htoo District Situation Update: Forced portering and the use of civilians as human shields, and updates on livelihood, health and education, August to September 2021,” February 2022.
• “Doo Tha Htoo District Short Update: Forced labour, looting and skirmishes been the SAC and the KNLA, August 2021,” December 2021.
• “Doo Tha Htoo District Situation Update: Fighting between the BGF and KNLA, and pressure to close KECD schools (April to June 2021),” November 2021.