This Situation Update covers events that occurred in Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District, between January and April 2025. On January 22nd 2025, at around 7 am, a Burma Army fighter jet dropped two 500-pound bombs on Kyaikdon (Kyeh Doh) Town, killing a 51-year-old woman and damaging at least 50 houses. On March 4th 2025, a Burma Army fighter jet dropped four bombs near a school in Khoh Ther See village tract, injuring a 15-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman, and damaging both the school building and the school’s well. On March 5th 2025, at around 1 am, a Burma Army aircraft dropped two 500-pound bombs on A’Kyoo village tract, injuring two villagers and damaging houses. On April 17th 2025, the SAC conducted an air strike and dropped several 500-pound bombs in Ywar Tar Shin (Th’Waw Htaw) village tract, destroying a school and many houses. Fighting and SAC air strikes and shelling caused livelihood challenges and travel restrictions for local villagers. Villagers also faced difficulties accessing healthcare and education due to conflict-related concerns and a shortage of medical and school supplies. In addition, many villagers were forced to flee their homes out of fear of further air strikes and shelling.[1]

 

 

January to April 2025: State Administration Council (SAC)[2] air strikes caused casualties and damage in Kaw T’Ree Township

  • January 22nd: SAC air strike on Kyaikdon (Kyeh Doh) Town

On January 22nd 2025, at around 7 am, a Burma Army[3] fighter jet dropped two 500-pound bombs on Kyaikdon (Kyeh Doh) Town, Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District. There was no fighting occurring in the area at that time. The Burma Army aircraft dropped the bombs indiscriminately, killing a 51-year-old woman villager named Daw[4] A---, who died instantly after the explosion. The bombs also struck an SAC fire station building. Shrapnel from the 500-pound bombs damaged several houses and a monastery in the town. The shrapnel hit almost every house in Kyaikdon Town. In Section #3, around 20 houses were struck by shrapnel, and in Section #2, about 4 or 5 houses were also hit [by shrapnel]. Because two 500-pound bombs were dropped, many houses were affected. In Sections #5 and #6, most of the roofs were damaged, with holes caused by the shrapnel. In total, around 50 houses sustained roof damage.

After the incident, civilians were shocked and afraid. They avoided going outside and turned off their lights at night to stay hidden. Some villagers moved to safer places to sleep, while others who had bunkers under their house stayed in them for protection. Those without bunkers went to sleep in plantation areas located far away from Kyaikdon Town.

  • March 4th 2025: SAC air strike on Khoh Ther See village tract

On March 4th 2025, a Burma Army fighter jet dropped four bombs near a school in Aa--- village, Khoh Ther See village tract[5], Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District. Shrapnel from the explosions lightly injured two villagers: B---, a 15-year-old boy, and a 20-year-old woman. It also damaged the school as well as the school’s well. Following the air strike, villagers were afraid to sleep in their homes. Some stayed under their [stilted] houses for safety, while others temporarily fled to areas farther away from the village.

  • March 5th 2025: SAC air strike on A’Kyoo village tract

On March 5th 2025, at around 1 am, a Burma Army aircraft dropped two 500-pound bombs on Ab--- village, A’Kyoo village tract, Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya District. The bombs landed on residential areas, damaging three houses, two toilets, one water tank, and one rice barn. The air strike injured a villager named Naw[6] C--- and her aunt Ma[7] D--- while they were sleeping in their house. Naw C--- sustained injuries to her left leg, and her aunt Ma D--- was wounded on her arm. [Both Naw C--- and Ma D--- were only injured lightly and were treated on site.]

After the air strike, villagers were afraid to sleep in the village [so they temporarily fled to the forest].

[Other air strikes were conducted in March elsewhere in the Township.[8]]

  • April 2025: SAC air strikes near Kaw T’Ree Town

The fighting between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[9] and the State Administration Council (SAC) escalated in Kaw T’Ree Town and [in other parts of] Kaw T’Ree Township in April 2025.[10] Following clashes, the SAC carried out air strikes and shelling in villages near Kaw T’Ree Town, damaging schools, religious buildings, and villagers’ houses. The villages located near Kaw T’Ree Town are Ac--- and Ad--- villages of Maw Ma village tract; Ae--- village, Aj--- village, Af--- village, and Ag--- village of Kaw Nweh village tract; Ah--- village of Khoh Ther See village tract; and Ai--- village of Ywar Tar Shin (Th’Waw Htaw) village tract.

On April 17th 2025, the SAC conducted an air strike and dropped several 500-pound bombs in Ywar Tar Shin (Th’Waw Htaw) village tract, Kaw T’Ree Township. The attack destroyed the school in Ah--- village and damaged several houses in Ai---village. As a result of the air strikes, villagers became fearful and fled from their homes.

Education challenges in Kaw T’Ree Township

[During January to April 2025,] fighting frequently occurred in the western part of Kaw T’Ree Township. As a result, villagers living near the conflict areas were afraid to send their children to school. [During this period,] all schools in villages close to Kaw T’Ree Town were closed. Due to SAC air strikes, many parents fear for their children’s safety. In some villages, schools were also damaged by air strikes. The fear of shelling adds to their concerns. Because of these ongoing attacks, students have to study in fear. They can only attend classes when the situation is calm, but learning becomes impossible when fighting resumes.

Healthcare challenges in Kaw T’Ree Township

[During January to April 2025,] the healthcare supplies were not enough to serve every village. There were not enough medical supplies for [villagers to receive medical] treatment in [rural clinics in] villages.

The situation in the country is not good, [there is a lot of fighting,] so villagers are afraid to go to town to receive medical treatment. Some villagers did not have money, so they cannot afford treatment [in the towns, usually in SAC-controlled hospitals]. Some people need to buy medicine, but they cannot because the situation is not good [they cannot travel].

In the areas where the situation is good [areas without active fighting], there are clinics, and people can receive treatment [commonly in free-of-charge clinics administered by the Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW)[11]]. However, some villagers said that there were still not enough medical supplies in some clinics.

Livelihood difficulties in Kaw T’Ree Township

In 2025, in villages located near the main road [the Asian Highway[12]] in Kaw T’Ree Town, including Ac--- and Ad--- villages, of Maw Ma village tract, and Ag--- village and Aj village, of Kaw Nweh village tract, villagers were unable to do farming due to fighting, shelling, and air strikes.

In the areas where fighting did not happen [villages located far from Kaw T’Ree Town], climate change [increased unseasonal flooding] and insects damaged the villagers’ crops and paddy plants. As a result, the villagers faced difficulties related to food shortages.

Travelling restrictions near Kaw T’Ree Town

During January to April 2025, it was very difficult to travel in Kaw T’Ree Town and nearby villages. Villagers cannot travel on the Asian Highway because SAC soldiers are based there, and fighting often happens. If villagers want to go shopping in town [Kaw T’Ree and Kyeh Doh towns], they need to avoid the main roads due to security concerns. They have to travel on the unpaved and hilly roads when they go to buy food.

The villagers have to avoid the areas where there is fighting [between the SAC and combined KNLA forces], and when fighting happens, they cannot travel or go to work.

                    

 

 

Further background reading on the situation of air strikes near Kaw T’Ree Town in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports:

 
Tue, 16 Dec 2025

Footnotes: 

[1] The present document is based on information received from January to May 2025. It was provided by a community member in Dooplaya 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: #25-171-S1, #25-33-D1, #25-81-D1, #25-84-A1 to A3, and #25-90-A1 to A3.

[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. The military junta changed its name in July 31st 2025 to State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC).

[3] The terms Burma military, Burma Army, SAC, Tatmadaw, and junta are used interchangeably throughout this report to describe Burma’s armed forces. Villagers themselves commonly use Burma Army, Burmese soldiers, or alternatively the name adopted by the Burma military regime at the time -since the 2021 coup, the State Administration Council (SAC).

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

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

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

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

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

[11] 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.

[12] The Asian Highway Network is a United Nations Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific-supported project that aims to link 32 countries in Asia across 141,000 kilometres of roadway. In Burma/Myanmar the project has involved land confiscation and forced labour. For more information about the Asian Highway Network, see “Beautiful Words, Ugly Actions:The Asian Highway in Karen State, Burma”, KHRG, August 2016; “The Asia Highway: Planned Eindu to Kawkareik Town road construction threatens villagers’ livelihoods,” KHRG, March 2015

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