Running Out Of Time: The Escalation of Human Rights Violations in Karenni State in 2024
Since the failed coup on 1 February 2021, the situation in Karenni State has worsened due to the military junta’s violent actions. The Burma Army is violating the rights of civilians daily through ongoing indiscriminate firing, including artillery and mortar shells, as well as through air strikes. As a result, the Karenni people have suffered immensely.
KnHRG has been extensively documenting the violations being perpetrated by the military junta. The Burma Army has arbitrarily arrested and killed civilians. They’ve been burned alive, and they have been fired at with guns. They’ve been used as human shields and brutally tortured. Homes and properties have been confiscated, raided, and burned down.
Alarmingly, the deliberate targeting of local infrastructure, including internal displacement camps and temporary shelters, by junta- deployed warplanes is also on the rise. The Blood Money Campaign – Action Network (BMC) reported that between early 2021 and November 2024, the junta conducted around 4,020 airstrikes across the country, leading to roughly 2,250 fatalities and approximately 3,400 injuries. This has resulted in a rise in displaced individuals, who are frequently and unjustly forced to abandon their homes.
In 2024, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Karenni State reached at least 210,000.5 This is an increase from 2023 when KnHRG recorded 180,000 IDPs, representing roughly 40 percent of the population.6 Across the country, 19.9 million individuals urgently need humanitarian assistance, reflecting a worrying rise of over one million people since 2024.7 This includes 6.3 million children and over 7 million women.8 While the UN estimates the total number of displaced people at 3.5 million9, local organizations are reporting even higher figures in their target areas.
More than 80% of the Karenni population is forcibly displaced and living in over 325 temporary shelters and 93 internal displacement camps in Karenni State and 11 along the Karenni-Shan border.10These places of refuge are not only under-resourced and funded but lack adequate shelter, including clean water.
In temporary shelters and internal displacement camps, the close living conditions and shortages of clean water supply are also contributing to the rapid spread of diseases, significantly impacting young children, the elderly and women. Of additional concern is that the military junta has not hesitated to fire upon IDP camps.
