This Photo Set shows photographic evidence of State Administration Council (SAC) indiscriminate shelling into civilian areas, communities, and plantations, from January 2023 to February 2024. During the reporting period, KHRG has received extensive information on SAC indiscriminate shelling and its consequences on villagers’ lives; one of the largest reported issues since the 2021 coup. KHRG has received more than 2,708 photos of the destruction and harm caused by SAC shelling between January 2023 and February 2024, from Doo Tha Htoo (Thaton), Taw Oo (Toungoo), Kler Lwee Htoo (Nyaunglebin), Mergui-Tavoy, Mu Traw (Hpapun) and Dooplaya Districts. SAC soldiers indiscriminately shelled mortars into the areas surrounding their army camps on a daily basis, especially in regions with active conflict. A high number of mortar rounds landed inside villages, farms and plantations, on community roads, and inside the compounds of medical clinics, churches, and schools. 

As a result, this shelling killed and wounded villagers, destroyed civilian houses, buildings, and plantations, and caused massive displacement. These attacks also caused persistent fear, restricted access to education and healthcare, and increased the risk of unexploded ordnance (UXOs) contamination in civilian areas. Villagers cannot work on their farms and plantations to secure their livelihoods. Villagers have sought refuge in the jungle, in caves, and inside nearby monasteries, as SAC soldiers targeted villages and civilian houses. However, on several occasions, SAC soldiers also shelled monasteries’ compounds and surrounding areas. Nowhere is safe for villagers in Southeast Burma.  

 

Photo Set: SAC indiscriminate shelling in Southeast Burma, and its impacts on villagers, January 2023 to February 2024  

Some of the 2,708 photos on the impacts of shelling, received between January 2023 to February 2024, were taken by local villagers and some of them were taken by community members who have been trained by KHRG to monitor the human rights situation in their local area. This Photo Set includes 61 of these photos, from six districts in locally-defined Karen State[1], as evidence of immediate and protracted impacts faced by local villagers in the aftermath of State Administration Council (SAC)[2] indiscriminate and targeted shelling in civilian areas. 


 

Further background reading on the situation on SAC indiscriminate shelling in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports:

  • “Dooplaya District Situation Update: Fighting, SAC shelling, abusive construction projects, and education, healthcare and livelihood challenges in Kaw T’Ree Township (April to June 2023).”, May 2024.
  • “Doo Tha Htoo District Situation Update: SAC shelling into villages in Tha Htoo Township, causing injuries and destruction (September 2022 to February 2023)” March 2024.
  • “Taw Oo District Situation Update: Fighting, shelling, and house burning in Thandaung Town, and air strikes in Htaw Ta Htoo Township (January to July 2023)” January 2024.
  • “Mu Traw District Situation Update: SAC air strikes, arrest of villagers, and indiscriminate shelling causing casualties, and landmine explosion, March 2022 to February 2023”, January 2024.
  • Striking Fear: Impacts of State Administration Council (SAC) shelling on villagers’ lives in Southeast Burma (January to October 2023), December 2023.
Fri, 07 Jun 2024

Footnotes: 

[1] Karen State, defined locally, includes the following areas: Kayin State, Tanintharyi Region and parts of Mon State and Bago Region. Karen State, located in Southeastern Burma, is primarily inhabited by ethnic Karen people. Most of the Karen population resides in the largely rural areas of Southeast Burma, living alongside other ethnic groups, including Bamar, Shan, Mon and Pa’Oh.

[2] The State Administration Council (SAC) is the executive governing body created in the aftermath of the February 1st 2021 military coup. It was established by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on February 2nd 2021, and is 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.

[3] A Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) comprises 500 soldiers. Most Light Infantry Battalions in the Tatmadaw are understrength with less than 200 soldiers, yet up-to-date information regarding the size of battalions is hard to come by, particularly following the signing of the NCA. LIBs are primarily used for offensive operations, but they are sometimes used for garrison duties.

[4] A Light Infantry Division (LID) of the Tatmadaw is commanded by a brigadier general, and consists of ten light infantry battalions specially trained in counter-insurgency, jungle warfare, search and destroy operations against ethnic insurgents. They were first incorporated into the Tatmadaw in 1966. LIDs are organised under three Tactical Operations Commands, commanded by a colonel, three battalions each and one reserve, one field artillery battalion, one armoured squadron and other support units. Each division is directly under the command of the Chief of Staff (Army).

[5] ‘U’ is a Burmese male honorific title used before a person’s name.

[6] ‘Naw’ is a female honorific title in S’Gaw Karen language used before a person’s name.

[7] Military Operations Command (MOC) is comprised of ten battalions for offensive operations. Most MOCs have three Tactical Operations Commands (TOCs) made up of three battalions each.

[8] ‘Saw’ is a male honorific title in S’Gaw Karen language used before a person’s name.

[9] ‘Ma’ is a Burmese female honorific title used before a person’s name.

[10] KHRG, “Taw Oo District Incident Report: SAC indiscriminate shelling killed a villager and damaged houses in Daw Hpa Hkoh Township (August 2023)”, February 2024

[11] An Infantry Battalion (IB) comprises 500 soldiers. However, most Infantry Battalions in the Tatmadaw are under-strength with less than 200 soldiers. Yet up to date information regarding the size of battalions is hard to come by, particularly following the signing of the NCA. They are primarily used for garrison duty but are sometimes used in offensive operations.

[12] KHRG, “Taw Oo District Short Update: House burning, indiscriminate shelling and air strikes by the SAC in Htaw Ta Htoo Township (September to November 2023)”, March 2024

[13] KHRG, “Taw Oo District Short Update: House burning, indiscriminate shelling and air strikes by the SAC in Htaw Ta Htoo Township (September to November 2023)”, March 2024

[14] The People’s Defence Force (PDF) is an armed resistance established independently as local civilian militias operating across the country. Following the February 1st 2021 military coup and the ongoing brutal violence enacted by the junta, the majority of these groups began working with the National Unity Government (NUG), a body claiming to be the legitimate government of Burma/Myanmar, which then formalized the PDF on May 5th 2021 as a precursor to a federal army.

[15] The Karen National Liberation Army is the armed wing of the Karen National Union.

[16] KHRG, “Taw Oo District Short Update: Shelling, air strikes and house burning by SAC troops, and use of forced navigators by PDF soldiers in Htaw Ta Htoo Township (November to December 2023)”, April 2024.

[17] The Karen National Union (KNU) is the main Karen political organisation. It was established in 1947 and has been in conflict with the Burma government since 1949. The KNU wields power across large areas of Southeast Burma and has been calling for the creation of a democratic federal system since 1976. Although it signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in 2015, relations with the government remain tense.

[18] ‘Daw’ is Burmese honorific title for female adults, a married woman or a woman of a higher social position.

[19] ‘Maung’ is a Burmese male honorific title used before a person’s name.

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