Myanmar Spring Chronicle – September 17
Published by MoeMaKa on September 18, 2023
Rising Military Operations in Karen and Mon States; Remembering the One-Year Anniversary of the Let Yet Kone Air Raid That Claimed 7 Young Lives
Recently, military columns under the Southeastern Regional Command have launched incursions into villages located in Kyainseikgyi Township, Karen State, known locally as Kale-Takhon Taing villages. These areas share borders with Kyaikmaraw Township in Mon State, and reports indicate an imminent clash is looming. Simultaneously, news outlets have reported that approximately 15,000 local residents were forced to flee as military council troops encroached upon the territory of Battalion 16 of the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA) Brigade 6 in Win Ye Township.
In Karen State, frequent military activities and skirmishes have intensified around Myawaddy and Kawkareik Township. The military council is striving to regain control of camps that had previously been captured by the KNU and People’s Defense Force (PDF) coalition. News sources have also documented ongoing clashes in Hpapun in northern Karen State, as well as in Nyaunglebin, Mone, and Kyaukkyi regions in Bago Division.
While these events unfold in Karen State and Bago Division, military troops from the Southeastern Region Military Command have also invaded Kyainseikgyi Township in Karen State. This incursion may be in response to KNU/KNLA forces seizing a military base on the Thai border of Kyainseikgyi Township earlier this month. As a result of this military advance, thousands of local residents from Kale-Takhon Taing villages (referred to as the Win Ye region in KNU territory) have been compelled to flee their homes and villages, according to news reports. This exodus occurs amidst the continuous rains preceding the conclusion of the monsoon season, posing a considerable risk of flooding. Those displaced face challenges including a lack of secure shelter, difficulties in travel due to monsoon rains and swift mountain river currents, and the hardship of subsisting in unfamiliar territories, all of which expose them to health hazards in addition to the perils of armed conflict.
In the two and a half years following the military coup, armed confrontations have not been confined to the so-called “open season” between November and May, but have spanned the entire year, including winter, summer, and rainy seasons. Historically, the presence of poor roads, bridges, and communication infrastructure, combined with the logistical challenges of launching large-scale offensives during the monsoon season, had limited major battles during this period. However, since the coup, such conflicts have been ongoing, even during the rainy season.
Turning our attention to another news item, it has been one year since the tragic airstrike on a school in Let Yet Kone Village, Depayin Township, Sagaing Region. On September 16, 2022, a military council airstrike on the school claimed the lives of 7 children and 5 civilians, totaling 12 innocent souls. Some perished immediately in the attack, while others succumbed to their injuries after being rushed to the hospital. The bloodstained school bags and textbooks of these children stand as poignant evidence of the military council’s ruthless airstrikes.
These airstrikes have inflicted minimal damage on the armed forces while causing catastrophic loss when targeting civilian populations. The Pazigyi Village incident in Kanbalu Township, where hundreds perished, serves as a grim testament to this. Regrettably, there seems to be no effective recourse against the military council for the Let Yet Kone Village tragedy, where innocent children were senselessly killed. Among the myriad war crimes perpetrated by the military council, this incident is one that must be documented for accountability in the future. Sadly, we must acknowledge that, at present, there exists no effective mechanism or safeguard to prevent further airstrikes by the military council.