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Print:This Short Update describes events that occurred in Kyeh Htoh (Kyaikto) Township, Doo Tha Htoo (Thaton) District, in June 2024. On June 2nd, 11th, and 12th 2024, State Administration Council (SAC)’s Artillery Unit #310, under Light Infantry Division (LID) #44 (based at Thein Za Yat Town), and SAC soldiers in Leh Pah and A’Nyar Suh village (Waw Township, Bago Division) fired over 63 rounds of mortar (120 mm) into villages in Kyeh Htoh Township. Due to the shelling, more than 19 houses were damaged and over 11,000 villagers from around 19 villages in Kyeh Htoh Township were displaced to the jungle or their relatives’ villages. Displaced villagers are in need of food and medicine. Additionally, due to the SAC’s shelling and restrictions on night travel, which impact villagers’ fishing, it has become challenging for villagers to secure their livelihoods.[1]
SAC shelling in Kyeh Htoh Township
On June 2nd 2024, at 7:20 am, a village tract[2] security guard [from Kyeh Htoh Township] and Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[3] soldiers [located in Kyeh Htoh Township] attacked a State Administration Council (SAC)[4] checkpoint, also known as Kok Ko Pin gate (led by Tin Maung Aye), in Thein Za Yat Town. The security guard and KNLA soldiers attacked by firing two mortar shells (60 mm and 40 mm) [at the checkpoint]. When the village tract security guard [and the KNLA] attacked the SAC checkpoint, [the attack] burned one storage building, and injured some SAC police. Then, SAC soldiers conducted shelling into nearby villages in retaliation. The SAC soldiers conducted shelling into villages almost every day [in the month of June] whether armed resistance groups attacked them or not.
- June 2nd 2024: SAC shelling in Hk’Rweh village tract
On June 2nd 2024, at 7:30 am, SAC Artillery Unit #310, under Light Infantry Division (LID)[5] #44, based at Thein Za Yat Town [located near Kok Ko Pin gate], and SAC soldiers in Leh Pah and A’Nyar Suh village, Waw Township, Bago Division, shelled rounds of mortar (120 mm) into Hk’Rweh village tract and damaged villagers’ houses.
[SAC] Artillery Unit #310 shelled around 30 mortar shells. In total, there were around 40 mortar shells that were fired [since SAC soldiers from Leh Pah village fired an additional 10 mortar shells]. Some of the SAC shells landed in Aa--- village, Ab--- village, Ac--- village, Ad--- village, Ae--- village, Af--- village, and Ag--- village, Hk’Rweh village tract, Kyeh Htoh Township.
One mortar shell landed on the house of a villager named U[6] A---, in Aa--- village, and the house was destroyed. U A--- and his wife went into a bunker before the mortar shell landed on their house, so they were safe. [They knew to hide because they had heard the sound of the other mortar shells exploding.]
Then, six mortar shells landed into Aa--- village, Hk’Rweh village tract. Aside from U A---’s house, one (120 mm) mortar shell landed next to Daw[7] B--- and Ko[8] C---’s house. The mortar shell explosion damaged six houses [in total]: Ko C---’s house, Ko D---’s house, Ko E---’s house, Ko F---’s house, and two unknown villagers’ houses.
Previously [before this incident; exact date unknown], two mortar shells (60mm) had landed in the garden of Ko C---’s house. At this time [from the incident on June 2nd], one (120 mm) mortar shell landed again [on his garden].
There is only one road between Aa--- village and Ae--- village, Hk’Rweh village tract, so [due to their proximity] one of the (60 mm) mortar shells [fired into Aa--- village] landed in Ae--- village. The mortar shell landed on a tree in the garden of the house belonging to a villager named Ma[9] G--- and the mortar shrapnel also damaged the roof of a house belonging to a nearby villager named Ko H---.
A total of around 11,739 villagers from Ah--- village and Ar--- village, Win K’Laung village tract; Ai--- village, Aj--- village, Ak--- village, Al--- village, and Am--- village, Pyin K’Don village tract; An--- village, Ao--- village (in section Ba---), and Ao--- village (in section Bb---), See Pyaw village tract; and Aa--- village, Ap---village, Ab--- village, Af--- village, Ae--- village, Ag--- village and Aq--- village, Hk’Rweh village tract, had to flee due to SAC shelling. Displaced villagers from Aa--- village did not return to their village [as of June 2024]. The other displaced villagers were temporarily displaced [on numerous occasions due to protracted shelling].
On June 2nd 2024, [in total] around 13 houses in Hk’Rweh village tract were damaged by [the SAC] shelling.
- June 11th 2024: SAC shelling into Hk’Rweh village tract.
On June 11th 2024, at 9:36 pm, the SAC conducted shelling in Af--- village, Hk’Rweh village tract and damaged the houses of A Pwar[10] N--- (83 years old) and A Pwar O---. One mortar shell landed in A Pwar O---’s garden and damaged her motorcycle.
- June 12th 2024: SAC shelling into See Pyaw village tract and Hk’Rweh village tract
On June 12th 2024, at 10:15 am, SAC Artillery Unit #310, under LID #44, based at Thein Za Yat Town, shelled around 22 rounds of mortar (120 mm) in total into villages. [The total number was counted by villagers when hearing the shelling sound.]
On that day, [SAC] Artillery Unit #310 [first] shelled four mortar shells (120 mm) at 9:35 am. Two mortar shells landed next to As---village, See Pyaw village tract, and two mortar shells landed next to Ak--- village, Pyin K’Don Kone village tract.
At around 10 am, one mortar shell landed on the house of Ko I--- and Ma J--- in Aa--- village, Hk’Rweh village tract. The explosion destroyed their entire house, and they were unable to repair it. The nearby houses belonging to villagers named Ko K---, Ko L---, and U M--- were also damaged by the shrapnel from the mortar shell. Even though no one got injured [by the shelling], the villagers had to flee because they were afraid of shelling. At about 10 am, [SAC’s] Artillery Unit #310 fired two [more] mortar shells (120 mm) again which landed next to Af--- village, Hk’Rweh village tract, but caused no casualties.
At about 6 pm, SAC Artillery Unit #310 shelled two mortar shells (120 mm) again in the east of Ag--- village, Hk’Rweh village tract, and caused no injury. After, four [other] mortar shells [were fired by the SAC and] landed in Ak--- village and caused casualties. [Due to security concerns, the researcher was unable to access the incident place to conduct further documentation.]
Other impacts of SAC military activities:
SAC Artillery Unit #310, under LID #44, deliberately conducted shelling into the villages in Hk’Rewh village tract, [many of which are] located along the At--- riverbank. Villagers were afraid to stay in the village and fled from their villages. Some villagers fled to their relatives while some villagers fled to nearby villages. The displaced villagers needed food and medicine during displacement.
In Hk’Rweh village tract, most of the villagers living in the villages located near the At--- riverbank have depended on fishing for their livelihood. Due to SAC shelling and restrictions on fishing [villagers are no longer allowed to travel at night, which is when they conduct their fishing, so] it has become a challenge for the villagers’ livelihoods.
In total, over 10,000 villagers from around 19 villages in Kyeh Htoh Township have been displaced due to SAC shelling.
[Previously, in the months of January, February, and May 2024, SAC Artillery Unit #310 had also shelled into villages in Hk’Rweh village tract and See Pyaw village tract.[11]]
Further background reading on the situation of shelling in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports:
- “Taw Oo District Incident Report: SAC shelling killed four villagers and injured two, including a 15-year-old boy, in Htaw Ta Htoo Township (May 2024)”, February 2025.
- “Dooplaya District Situation Update: SAC shelling and air strikes causing 24 civilian casualties and damaging civilian property; extensive house burning and use of human shields; and a landmine explosion, in Dooplaya District (October to December 2023)”, February 2025.
- “Taw Oo District Short Update: SAC indiscriminate shelling killed one villager and injured six, including children, and destroyed villagers’ property in Daw Hpah Hkoh and Htaw Ta Htoo Townships (October and December 2024)”, February 2025.
- Striking Fear: Impacts of State Administration Council (SAC) shelling on villagers’ lives in Southeast Burma (January to October 2023), December 2023.
These pictures were taken in June 2024, in Aa--- village, Hk’Rweh village tract, Kyeh Htoh Township, Doo Tha Htoo District. On June 2nd 2024, SAC Artillery Unit #310, under LID #44, shelled around 30 mortar rounds into several villages in Hk’Rweh village tract. One mortar shell landed on U A---’s house and the house was destroyed. These photos show the damage to U A---’s house. [Photos: KHRG]
These photos were taken in June 2024, in Aa--- village, Hk’Rweh village tract, Kyeh Htoh Township, Doo Tha Htoo District. On June 12th 2024, at around 10 am, SAC Artillery Unit #310, under LID #44, based at Thein Za Yat Town, fired around 22 rounds of mortar (120 mm) into See Pyaw village tract, Pyin K’Don Kone village tract, and Hk’Rweh village tract, in Kyeh Htoh Township. One of the mortar shells landed on Ko I---’s and Ma J---’s house and destroyed it. These photos show the damage sustained to their house. [Photos: KHRG]
Footnotes:
[1] The present document is based on information received in June 2024. It was provided by a community member in Doo Tha Htoo (Thanton) District who has been trained by KHRG 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: # 24-296-D1 and # 24-296-D2.
[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 is the armed wing of the Karen National Union.
[4] 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.
[5] 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).
[6] ‘U’ is a Burmese title used for elder men, used before their name.
[7] ‘Daw’ is a Burmese female honorific title used before a person’s name.
[8] ‘Ko’ is a Burmese title meaning older brother. It can be used for relatives as well as non-relatives.
[9] ‘Ma’ is a Burmese female honorific title used before a person’s name.
[10] ‘A Pwar’ is a Burmese prefix used for elderly women, meaning 'grandmother', but it does not necessarily signify any actual familial relationship.
