Written by: Allen Ho, USCB Intern
Feature Photo:
Civilians waiting in line to buy increasingly scarce goods.
Human Rights Foundation of Monland
Part 2 will continue discussing the situation on the ground in Mon State since the attempted coup. Government abuse, discussed in Part 1, is unfortunately only one of Mon State’s problems. Armed conflict, a stagnating economy, and COVID-19 have all had devastating effects on the people.
Recently, armed conflict in Mon State has increased as the armed conflict between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Burmese military intensified. About 15,400 people have been displaced in Mon State alone since the beginning of the attempted coup. Conflict started on January 28th this year when over 300 villagers from Kyaikto Township were displaced by clashes. In addition to displacement, Junta soldiers abducted a villager during the battle to force them to be a guide, and he has not been seen since.
During March 2022, there was a chain of conflict. Another battle in Kyaikto township displaced over 100 people on March 14th. Afterwards, junta soldiers searched Mayan Chaung village and detained an unknown number of villagers. On the 18th, junta forces attacked a group of five People’s Defense Force (PDF) members. They fatally shot one and arrested another three. The next day, the junta fired at least 20 artillery shells during a battle with the KNLA in Thaton Township. Two of these hit a pagoda festival, killing two people and injuring seven others.
Photo taken by Cobra Column, posted by Myanmar Now
Conflict further ramped up in May. At the beginning of the month on May 3rd, the KNLA fought the military at Ingabo village in Kyaikto Township. The next day, junta forces retaliated by firing artillery shells at the villagers, displacing 1,000. Battles in Beelin Township during the second week later forced another 12,000 villagers to flee. The combination of the armed conflict and the junta’s arrest of 100 civilians to be used as porters and human shields fueled the widespread panic that set off the mass exodus of Mon villagers. On May 22nd, the KNLA collaborated with local resistance forces for the first time in an attack on the regime.
In September 2022, the Karen National Union (KNU) and PDF increased activity in Thanbyuzayat Township and Ye Township with occasional small-scale attacks. The Burmese military responded by increasing its presence too. Recently on October 10th, the Mon Peace and Defence Forces turned into a militia group to further support junta forces, further dividing the state. Mon people could soon be fighting themselves in battles between the newly founded militia and resistance forces. Two days later, junta soldiers killed three women during a battle with resistance forces after they started indiscriminately firing at people. At least, 17 other civilians were injured and hospitalized. In the state-controlled media, the junta accused the KNLA and PDF of these murders. Overall, tensions are building rapidly, and Mon State’s “quiet” may be ending soon.
Economically, Mon State has been struggling. November 2021 was supposed to be Mon State’s annual elephant yam harvest, but prices crashed and dropped over half last fall. Yams make up an important part of Ye Township’s economy, and this has caused severe unemployment. Power outages starting in March 2022 are leaving people with only 3-6 hours of electricity per day. People cannot cook, and on top of that, the water supply is failing too. Gas is in extreme shortage with people now being limited on how much they can buy. Prices for both electricity and gas have over quadrupled since the attempted coup. Electricity was 600 Kyat per kWh but is now 2,500. Gas increased from 440 Kyat per liter to 2,000. As of August 2022, nearly half of small and medium-sized businesses in Mon State are experiencing reduced operations because of these gas and electricity shortages. This could soon lead to even worse unemployment if these businesses fail entirely.
In early August 2022, hyperinflation caused prices for basic commodities to soar. Rice, cooking oil, chili, and onions are three times more expensive than normal. As a result, many people are struggling to survive. Prices all around are increasing, yet the economy is shrinking, which is a clear sign of stagflation. Combined, all these economic issues have contributed to a worker exodus in Mon State. Many young people are leaving to escape low job opportunities and poor living conditions. With no sign of improvement, this emigration is only going to increase.
At the same time, drug abuse among youth in Ye Township and Yebyu Township has skyrocketed to around 40%. WY tablets and Kratom leaves are popular because they are cheap and easy to access. However, junta village administrators are not intervening for fear of their own safety. At the same time, medicine for heart disease, diabetes, and renal stones have been out of stock since September 2022. Unstable exchange rates with the US dollar have limited imports and increased prices as much as 50%.
Photo by Mizzima
Meanwhile, the junta has inadequately addressed COVID-19. Even when hospitals were overwhelmed in July of last year, they did not open a testing center. The military even went as far as to actively restrict private hospitals and charity groups from buying oxygen tanks, instead keeping it all for military hospitals where the families of junta members are served. The military’s “Stay at Home” orders also caused food shortages at monasteries and widespread unemployment. By July 11th, there were over 2,600 cases and 80 deaths. Just a month later, Mawlamyine alone had nearly 800 deaths as part of a third wave. A fourth wave of COVID-19 broke out in February this year, killing 34 people from February 6th to March 3rd in Mawlamyine Township alone.
We may call Mon State quiet, but when put into perspective, it is not. The atrocities and issues Mon state faces are outrageous. If the people of Burma do not get the sanctions and international arms embargo they deserve, then the Burmese junta will only continue what they are doing. The situation in Mon State could change at any moment. We need justice, accountability, and tangible actions, such as a coordinated arms embargo, to make a difference. This applies not only to Mon State, but all of Burma.
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