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Bo Bi’s militia was previously under the military-aligned Democratic Karen Buddhist Army – Brigade 5 but it split away from them in 2016. Initially they sought refuge in the Khyin Phawdawmu Monastery and as a result also became known as the Phawdawmu Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (Phawdawmu DKBA). A local said to the Karen Information Center (KIC): “There are many…

The junta-organised census, running from 1 to 15 October 2024, has no question about ethnicity, unlike the previous censuses in 1974, 1983 and 2014. But in this year’s census there is a question that asks what primary language respondents use at home. Though no figures relating to ethnicity were released after the 2014 census, despite there being a question about…

Since 4 October 2024, hundreds of junta troops have taken positions in downtown Hpa-An and surrounding areas, including the under-construction Zwegabin Plaza shopping mall on Bogyoke Road, the Denko fuel station at the junction leading to Hlaingbwe Town, Kyar Inn Hill, and along Htaungwi Kanna Road. “About 100 junta soldiers are stationed at the Zwegabin Plaza building, a high-rise building…

Since 1 October 2024, in Kamarmaung Town in Hpapun Township in Mutraw District and its surrounding villages names of local men aged between 30 and 60 years old are being collected mainly by BGF soldiers, according to officers from Brigade 5 and Kamarmaung residents. The names of people chosen for conscription into the junta army will come from these lists.…

The junta started carrying out census enumeration in downtown Kyainseikgyi Town on 1 October and it is believed this is what precipitated the drone attack. A Kyainseikgyi resident said: “Because they conducted the census, they were attacked with a drone. The explosion near the police station was extremely loud. We have not heard of any injuries so far. The census…

On 2 October, a resident of Yonkone Road in Hpa-An City said to KIC: “Yesterday, the junta’s enumeration staff conducted the census along Bogyoke Road, Yonekone Road, and in Pyidaungsu Ward of Hpa-An City. EAOs that signed the [Nationwide] Ceasefire [Agreement (NCA) of 2015], such as the KNU/KNLA Peace Council [a.k.a. Karen Peace Council (KPC)], along with [Karen] Border Guard…

During the last week of August, 200 soldiers, many of whom were newly conscripted, were sent by the junta to reinforce the Ahnankwin base, which is in Dooplaya District, an area mainly under the control of Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA) Brigade 6. 15 of the new conscripts surrendered to the KNLA, according to KNLA sources 10 of…

The artillery base, on a hill near Lay Kay Kaw Town, in Myawaddy Township north of Myawaddy Town, has been encircled by KNLA-led forces since July 2024. On 29 September 2024 the fighting around the base escalated. This prompted the junta to launch multiple airstrikes to try and defend the base, according to a KNLA frontline source familiar with the…

The 26 September statement by the junta was incoherent and self-pitying. With a remarkable lack of self-awareness it complained that the people had risen up against the junta when it had only tried to “peacefully end the political issues triggered by voting fraud in the multiparty democratic general election held in 2020.” This conveniently omitted to mention that the 2020…

Currently, the junta only fully controls Yangon and Ayeyarwady regions. Ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) and People Defence Forces (PDFs) control territory in all of the other states and regions in the country. Padoh Saw Kler Say said: “Given the current circumstances, I believe it’s inappropriate to conduct a census. The reason is that it should not be conducted when there…