By Blackpanda / MPA
In the past nine months, 94 civilians have lost their lives in Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region due to targeted attacks by the ruling junta, civil society organizations and local sources report.
Since January 2024, the military council has launched a series of attacks on civilians in the Tanintharyi Region, leading to a tragic toll of civilian deaths. According to Ko Kyaw San Min of FE5 Tanintharyi, an organization documenting conflicts and socio-economic conditions, the highest number of fatalities occurred in September.
“September saw the most deaths, with 17 civilians killed. Junta troops primarily conducted raids on villages; some residents were shot, while others lost their lives en route after being taken by soldiers. These acts appear intentional,” said Ko Kyaw San Min.
Most of the 94 civilian casualties over the past nine months were concentrated in the Dawei and Myeik districts of Tanintharyi Region. A member of the Democracy Movement Strike Committee-Dawei emphasized that the high civilian death toll reflects deliberate targeting by junta forces during conflicts.
“Many deaths resulted from heavy artillery fired into residential areas, as well as from civilians being detained and killed in transit,” the source reported.
In September, the junta launched military operations in Launglon Township, resulting in civilian casualties and escalating violence in the area. Continued raids have also led to clashes with resistance forces.
“When we hear that junta troops are entering the villages, we have no choice but to flee. Staying behind means risking death or being used as human shields,” shared a female resident of Launglon.
Tanintharyi Region witnessed 77 clashes between junta and revolutionary forces in September alone, displacing nearly 60,000 people, according to local sources.
Since June, the military has carried out an average of seven airstrikes daily, causing substantial civilian casualties and widespread destruction, Myanmar’s UN Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun reported at the 79th United Nations General Assembly on October 14.
The ongoing conflicts since the military coup have displaced approximately four million people across Myanmar, according to ISP-Myanmar.
