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Taw Oo District Situation Update: SAC shelling, drone attacks, forced recruitment, threats, and other military activity, causing casualties and livelihood challenges in Htaw Ta Htoo and Daw Hpah Hkoh Townships (November 2024 to January 2025)

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This Situation Update describes events occurring in Htaw Ta Htoo (Htantabin) and Daw Hpah Hkoh (Thandaunggyi) Townships, Taw Oo (Toungoo) District, from November 2024 to January 2025, including State Administration Council (SAC)’s military activity, shelling, forced recruitment, threats, looting, and villagers’ livelihood challenges. From November 2024 to January 2025, SAC troops fired numerous rounds of mortar into Htaw Ta Htoo Township and Daw Hpah Hkoh Township. As a result, at least one villager was killed and five villagers were injured. Three villagers’ houses were also damaged, as well as plantations. In January 2025, SAC troops from Infantry Battalion (IB) #39 conducted drone attacks in Day Loh village tract, Htaw Ta Htoo Township, injuring two villagers and damaging one house. From November 2024 to January 2025, the SAC also increased restrictions on villagers’ movements and transportation of goods by setting up multiple checkpoints. As a result, villagers have faced livelihood challenges as they could not travel to work freely. Villagers also worried that fighting would occur in their villages, and that the SAC soldiers would arrest them and use them as human shields and navigators. In November 2024, the SAC verbally threatened villagers from A--- village, Day Loh village tract, that they would burn down their properties after SAC military vehicles were attacked by local armed resistance groups. The SAC also looted villagers’ property, including batteries. In December 2024, the SAC ordered a village head from A--- village, Day Loh village tract, Daw Hpah Hkoh Township, to recruit five villagers to be soldiers. This caused fear and anxiety among local villagers. Many villagers in Taw Oo District have been displaced for over a year due to the armed conflict, and have been facing many challenges and difficulties in terms of their livelihood, accommodation, healthcare and education. Although some local religious organisations delivered aid, this was not sufficient to help all displaced villagers. [1]

Situation Update: November 2024 to January 2025

This report describes the human rights situation in Day Loh village tract[2], in Htaw Ta Htoo Township, and P’Saw Loh village tract, in Daw Hpah Hkoh Township, Taw Oo District, from November 2024 to January 2025 including military activity by the State Administration Council (SAC)[3] and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[4], along with SAC imposed transportation restrictions, shelling, forced recruitment, explicit threats and drone attacks, which all caused livelihood restrictions [for villagers]. [Shelling and air strikes by the SAC also caused eight civilian casualties.]

Military activity: SAC and KNLA troops

From November 2024 to January 2025, an unknown SAC military unit [from Taw Oo District] travelled [within the district] to cooperate [stay and operate] with SAC Infantry Battalion (IB)[5] #39 (which is based in Lay Maing village, Thandaunggyi Road, Toungoo Town, Taw Oo District). During these three months, they [SAC combined forces] often patrolled along the way from Lay Maing village to A--- village and other villages in Day Loh village tract and other village tracts to conduct military operations. Due to this military activity, villagers worried that the SAC soldiers would arrest them and use them as human shields and navigators when they were patrolling. Some SAC troops from P’Saw Loh village tract also often conducted indiscriminate shelling [into civilian areas in P’Saw Loh village tract] during these three months.

From November 2024 to January 2025, combined forces of KNLA and local armed groups conducted military operations and activities in Day Loh village tract and other village tracts, in Htaw Ta Htoo Township, Taw Oo District. Due to the military activities, villagers worried that fighting would happen in their villages between SAC and combined forces of KNLA and resistance armed groups.

  • November 2024: Physical violence, threats, and property confiscation by the SAC in Day Loh village tract

On November 3rd 2024, at around 2 pm, an unknown armed [resistance] group attacked SAC military vehicles by using tripwire mines. As a result, a skirmish occurred between the unknown armed [resistance] group and SAC soldiers. The incident happened on Thandaunggyi road near A--- village, between Shel Tho Maing (13 Miles) Town and Shel Maing (10 Miles) place, Toungoo District. The unknown armed group attacked the SAC military vehicles while the SAC were transporting their troops, food rations, and ammunition from Toungoo Town to Thandaunggyi mountainous areas [where their troops are temporarily based].

[Villagers believe that] the SAC were angry with this kind of attack, and therefore, on November 4th 2024, at around 1 pm, about 40 SAC soldiers, who are based in the permanent army camp in Shel Tho Maing (13 Miles) Town, went to A--- village, Day Loh village tract, Htaw Ta Htoo Township, Taw Oo District. Then, they stopped and took positions at an intersection in the village, in front of a grocery store owned by a villager named B---. They [SAC soldiers] stopped local villagers who were travelling and they checked the villagers’ phones and questioned the villagers. They ordered the villagers to kneel down and raise their hands up when they questioned and checked them.

After this, the SAC soldiers questioned a 55-year-old villager, named C---, a family member of B---. They asked C--- if he knew about the attack that occurred the previous day. After they asked, one of the SAC soldiers slapped C---’s ear three times. Then, they searched everything in the grocery store. They found batteries, wire and phone chargers. After, they accused C--- of supplying these materials to armed resistance groups. Then, they put the batteries, wire and phone chargers in two bags and confiscated all of them [and returned to their base in Shel Tho Maing (13 Miles) Town]. According to C---: “They [SAC soldiers] took wire, batteries and phone chargers. […] Apart from these things, I don’t know what else they took from the grocery store. At that time, I did not dare to look at what they were doing as I had to kneel down and raise my hands up.”

Later on the same day [November 4th 2024], the [same] SAC soldiers went to A--- village, Day Loh village tract [again] and they entered a local villager’s shop. The shop owner is named D--- (40 years old). They questioned D--- and they accused him of supporting the local People’s Defence Force (PDF)[6]. Then, they searched everything in the shop and they found batteries and wire in the shop. They put the batteries and wire in their two bags and confiscated all of those things. As explained by D--- to KHRG: “The SAC soldiers threatened me and told me, ‘We did not find any evidence to prove it [that he was supporting the PDF]. If we can find the evidence, your shop and house will be burned down with a bucket of gasoline and one lighter. You better watch out.’”

Indiscriminate shelling and air strikes in Day Loh and P’Saw Loh village tracts

From November 2024 to January 2025, SAC troops from many army camps, based in Day Loh village tract (Htaw Ta Htoo Township) and Daw Hpah Hkoh Township, conducted indiscriminate shelling into Day Loh village tract and P’Saw Loh village tract (Daw Hpah Hkoh Township). During these three months, the SAC fired [at least] a total of 90 rounds of mortar into many villages in Day Loh village tract, based on the information I [a KHRG researcher] have documented. The number of rounds of mortar in Day Loh village tract has decreased, compared to the previous three months (August to October 2024). At least one villager was killed and at least five villagers were injured in Day Loh and P’Saw Loh village tracts due to the SAC indiscriminate shelling during these three months [as detailed below].

[The KHRG researcher could not fully document three of the injured villagers’ incidents due to travel restrictions and security concerns.]

  • December 2024: SAC shelling in Day Loh village tract

On December 27th 2024, between 5:32 pm and 10:50 pm, SAC IB #39 indiscriminately fired 13 rounds of mortar into E---, F--- and G--- villages in Day Loh village tract, Htaw Ta Htoo Township. They also fired rounds of mortar into H--- village and other villages in Daw Hpah Hkoh Township. Day Loh village tract and Seik Pu Tuang village tract are [located] very close [to one another]. It [the shelling] caused fear and panic among local villagers from these two village tracts. On that day, fighting did not happen in the area, but [SAC] IB #39 conducted shelling into the villages. IB #39 is based in Lay Maing village, Day Loh village tract.

One of the mortar shells landed and exploded in a small banana plantation, owned by a villager named U[7] I---, in E--- village. Some banana trees were damaged [as a result]. Shrapnel from the mortar round also hit and damaged some mango trees and bamboo trees, owned by another villager named J---, close to the banana plantation. The mortar shelling also hit and damaged a rice farm nearby, owned by a local religious [animist] group. Three other mortar shells landed and exploded in a lake which is located in H--- village, Seik Pu Taung village tract, Daw Hpah Hkoh Township, but nothing was damaged.

One of the other mortar shells landed and exploded on a Koh Ko [Monkey pod] tree near a villager’s house in G--- village. The house is owned by a villager named Ma[8] K--- (also known as Ma L---). Shrapnel from the mortar shell hit Ma K---’s house. The wall, ladder, door, roof, kitchen, and window of the house were damaged. Also, a banana tree, mango tree and rice barn near the house were damaged by the shelling.

No villagers from these two villages were hit and injured by the shelling, as they had already fled from their villages in September 2023 due to the military conflict before this incident.[9]

  • December 2024: SAC shelling in Day Loh village tract

On December 28th 2024, at 9:30 pm, SAC IB #39 indiscriminately fired one round of 120 mm mortar into N--- village, Day Loh village tract. On that day, fighting did not happen in the area, but IB #39 conducted shelling into the village. The mortar landed and exploded on a fence between Maung[10] O---’s house and Saw[11] P---’s house in the village. The shrapnel from the mortar hit their houses and their plantations. The fence was damaged. It also caused minor damage to their houses and plantations: a coconut tree and other trees, owned by Maung O---, were damaged; Maung O---’s house was damaged, including the roof, kitchen and ladder; and the wall of Saw P---’s house was damaged. A rice barn, a cowshed and some trees, owned by Saw P---, were [also] damaged. These two villagers, along with their family members, had already fled from their village before this incident. Therefore, no villager was hit or injured by the shelling.

  • January 2025: SAC shelling and drone strikes in Day Loh village tract

On January 10th 2025, at around 11 am, three SAC [military] officers [unknown rank] from Bin Yin Naung army camp in Thandaunggyi Town, wearing military [officer] uniforms and carrying weapons, were travelling from Toungoo Town to Thandaunggyi Town (in Taw Oo District) in a white car. When they arrived in a place between Q--- village and R--- village on Thandaunggyi Road, Day Loh village tract, [they found that] KNLA Company #3 (under the command of Battalion #5) had set up a temporary checkpoint. When the SAC officers saw the checkpoint, they started to turn back on the road. The KNLA soldiers yelled at them to stop and shot and attacked them [when the car did not stop]. One of the SAC officers was able to escape from the attack [by jumping out of the moving car and running away]. The other two SAC officers died in the attack. Then, the KNLA soldiers confiscated weapons (including one MA1 machine gun, one K3 machine gun, and bullets) and other military equipment from the SAC car and [after] they burned down the car.

In response to the attack, from January 10th 2025, at 2:19 pm to January 12th 2025, at 5:25 pm, SAC soldiers from IB #39 army camp, based in Lay Maing village, Thandaunggyi Road, Day Loh village tract, indiscriminately fired numerous rounds of mortar into E---, S---, T---, F---, G---, N---, Q--- and R--- villages, in Day Loh village tract.

On January 12th 2025, around 5:30 pm, the SAC soldiers dropped several [six] bombs in Day Loh village tract by using a drone. [Three bombs were dropped near E--- village while the other three were dropped in and near F--- village.] In addition, SAC combined troops of IB #39 and other [SAC] unknown battalions went to Q---, R---, T--- and G--- villages, Day Loh village tract, in order to conduct military operations [traveling to villages to look for PDF and KNLA soldiers].

Two of the bombs from the drone also landed and exploded on a villager’s house near E--- village, Day Loh village tract. The house is owned by a villager named U--- and it is located on his farm. When the SAC conducted the drone attack, U--- and his son were staying in the house. Due to the bomb explosion, U--- (82 years) and his son named V--- (42 years) were hit and injured by the explosion. U---’s right hand, chest, and eyebrow bone were injured and V---’s forehead, chin, legs, and hands were injured. Many household materials in the house were also damaged. U--- was sent to [SAC-run] Toungoo Hospital in Toungoo Town by their other family members to get treatment and V--- received medical treatment at home. U--- was discharged from the hospital in February 2025 as he recovered from his injuries. His family had to pay the medical costs for the treatment. V--- has also recovered from his injuries [as of February 2025].

[The third bomb dropped near E--- village landed and exploded in a rubber plantation nearby E--- village. The explosion damaged some of the rubber trees. Of the three bombs that were dropped near F--- village, one bomb landed and exploded near a villager’s house. The house’s roof and four betel nut[12] trees belonging to the villager were damaged. The other two bombs landed outside the village so no damages were reported.]

  • January 2025: SAC shelling in P’Saw Loh village tract

On January 13th 2025, SAC soldiers from an unknown battalion temporarily occupied a village monastery in A--- village, Day Loh village tract, Htaw Ta Htoo Township.

On January 15th 2025, at around noon, those SAC soldiers fired guns and fired rounds of mortar into W--- village and other villages in P’Saw Loh village tract, Daw Hpah Hkoh Township. Fighting did not happen in the area [prior to the soldiers’ actions] but the SAC soldiers indiscriminately fired rounds of mortar into villages.

One of the mortars landed and exploded in a rubber plantation where a villager named X--- was working, near W--- village. Shrapnel from the mortar shell hit his hands, chest, legs and nape [of his neck]. As a result, he died on the spot. X--- worked as a plantation worker to earn an income in order to support his family’s livelihood. X--- is survived by his wife, named Ma Y---, his son, named Maung Z--- (10 years old), and his daughter, named Aa--- (3 years old). X---’s family are now facing livelihood challenges as they lost a father who was the breadwinner. His family has not received any compensation or any support from anyone.

Transportation restrictions

From November 2024 to January 2025, villagers travelling by motorbikes, cars and tricycle motorcycles -to buy what they need- on the network of highways between several towns (Toungoo Town, Thandaunggyi Town, Leik Tho Town, Baw G’Lee Town and Htantabin Town) were stopped and questioned by SAC soldiers who have set up checkpoints, army camps, and temporary bases in multiple spots on the highways. Toungoo Town, Leik Tho Town, Baw G’Lee Town and Thandaunggyi Town are located in Daw Hpah Hkoh Township and Htantabin Town is located in Htaw Ta Htoo Township. When the SAC stopped and questioned villagers, they [SAC soldiers] sometimes [verbally] threatened villagers [by saying they could arrest and kill villagers]. Villagers were also asked if they were supporting the PDF and KNLA. Sometimes, they [SAC soldiers] demanded a toll fee from villagers which was higher than the limit previously set up [by SAC soldiers].

They also set up the rule that no villager is allowed to carry and transport more than five bags of rice. If the SAC found villagers who were transporting more than five bags of rice, the SAC would confiscate [all] the rice at once without [listening to] any explanation [from villagers].

Forced recruitment by the SAC

Since the SAC announced the [enactment of the] People’s Military Service Law in February 2024, most young (aged 16 to 19) and early middle-aged (aged 20 to 35) men in Taw Oo District dared not to travel anymore, especially on highways, because they were afraid that SAC soldiers would arrest them for [SAC] military conscription. This situation still applies in January 2025. Therefore, women [are the ones to] travel to work, travel to buy things they need and travel to participate in social and religious events on behalf of their family members (young and early middle-aged men) for them to avoid being arrested for conscription. Some women brought their young babies with them when they travelled because they believed that the SAC would not heavily question and check them at checkpoints [if their babies were with them].

On December 26th 2024, a general administrator from the General Administration Department in Thandaunggyi Town, Daw Hpah Hkoh Township, Taw Oo District called a village head, named U Ab---, from A--- village, Day Loh village tract, Htaw Ta Htoo Township over the phone in order to come and attend a meeting in the general administration office. [The general administration department oversees all issues within Thandaunggyi Township, including issues related to the enactment of the conscription law.] In the meeting, the general administrator told [ordered] U Ab--- to recruit five villagers from Day Loh village tract to be SAC soldiers.

U Ab--- explained to KHRG: “I replied [to the general administrator], ‘I will go back to my village tract. I will ask villagers who are interested in serving [in] the military. If villagers are interested in it, I will inform you.’ Then, the general administrator told me, ‘If you cannot recruit five villagers to serve in the military, I will go and arrest villagers by myself. Also, villagers cannot hold any assembly with many people in our village tract. If I find out that there is an assembly with many people in the village tract, we will conduct shelling into the assembly.’” The general administrator ordered U Ab--- to do what he asked. U Ab--- added: “The general administrator told me why he had to order me to recruit villagers saying, ‘Battalion Commander A’Ba Lay from the SAC army camp, based in Thandaunggyi Town, gave the order. So, I had to order you like he ordered me.’ Then, I replied, ‘Most of the villagers from our village tract are Karen people. So, we celebrate the Karen New Year[13] every year. Please allow us to celebrate our Karen New Year’s Day.’ Then, the general administrator said, ‘Then, inform me at once whether you can give me five villagers or not after you celebrate Karen New Year’s Day.’” After the meeting, U Ab--- went back to his village.

On the morning of December 30th 2024, the Karen New Year’s Day event was held in a church in W--- village, P’Saw Loh village tract. After the Karen Year’s Day event was celebrated, U Ab--- talked to villagers who were in the church. He explained to the villagers what the [SAC] general administrator ordered him [to do]. Then, he told villagers to stay alert [to avoid SAC soldiers] when they are staying in their houses, when they are travelling and when they are in the workplace.[14]

Livelihood challenges in Day Loh village tract

Many villagers including children, mothers and pregnant women from Day Loh village tract, Htaw Ta Htoo Township, have been fleeing for over a year from their villages due to the armed conflict. Those displaced villagers have been facing many challenges and difficulties in terms of their livelihood, accommodation, healthcare, education, and social and religious practices. Displaced villagers who are pregnant and women with young babies, have been particularly facing difficulties to access healthcare.

Humanitarian aid delivery in Day Loh village tract

From November 2024 and January 2025, religious authorities from a local Baptist convention and an Anglican convention, based in Toungoo Town, Taw Oo District, tried to help the members of their faith from Day Loh village tract who have been displaced already for over a year. They [the religious groups] provided them [villagers] with support including cash, food, rice, oil, clothes, blankets, hygiene items, medicine and tarpaulins on a monthly basis. However, the support is not enough for every displaced villager.

Further background reading on the situation in Taw Oo District in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports:

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