Context
Between the coup on the 1st of February 2021 and the end of June 2024, the State Administration Council (SAC) has killed over 5,350 civilians, detained and imprisoned over 26,500 human rights defenders. There are now over 3 million internally displaced persons (IDP) nationwide, with over 1.1 million IDPs in southeastern Myanmar.
The Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF), following widespread territorial losses on the ground, have continued to launch prolonged indiscriminate air strikes and heavy artillery fire throughout the country, with a devastating impact on the civil population. Hospitals, schools and places of worship have been destroyed by the MAF, in in clear violation of international humanitarian law. Human security continues to deteriorate around the country, but particularly in disputed terrorises due to heavy fighting, and the continued threat of airstrikes.
Refugee flows into Thailand from Myanmar have continued throughout the first half of 2024. This displacement has been exacerbated by the SAC’s announcement in February that they would introduce mandatory conscription into the armed forces. Displacement into Thailand has primarily been into refugee camps, remote communities in rural Thailand and increasingly urban areas.
Thailand launched a humanitarian initiative early in the year, aiming to provide aid to conflict affected communities in Myanmar, in part to reduce further displacement into Thailand. This effort was widely criticised by civil society and the NUG for its engagement with the SAC. There was one shipment of aid that took place in March. The potential for future versions of the Humanitarian Initiative which would instead engage civil society based cross-border aid modalities instead of the SAC seemed likely. However, momentum slowed following a cabinet reshuffle in April which led to the resignation of Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara, who had spearheaded the initiative.