According to the Karenni Human Rights Group (KnHRG), 106 civilians were killed and 450 injured in Karenni (Kayah) State and Pekhon Township during conflicts in 2024 as a result of the military coup, as announced on 28 February.
The press release detailed that civilian deaths were caused by military junta forces through drone strikes, aerial attacks, artillery, direct killings, indiscriminate shootings, unexploded ordnance, and landmines. The report also noted that one young boy and one young girl died due to malnutrition.
U Banya, the founder of the KnHRG, said that within a single year, 450 people were injured.
“If we look at the pattern of injuries, most were caused by artillery shelling, airstrikes, and landmines,” U Banya said.
He noted that aerial attacks by the military junta caused the highest number of fatalities, with Pekon Township experiencing the most deaths and injuries.
Since September 2024, the military junta has frequently conducted airstrikes and artillery shelling in the Shan-Karenni border area of Pekon Township, resulting in civilian deaths and displacing over a thousand people.
Meanwhile, local aid workers and residents report increasing food insecurity among displaced families as the displacement period lengthens.
As of 28 February 2025, 550 civilians have been killed in Karenni State and Pekon Township since the 2021 military coup, the Progressive Karenni People Force (PKPF) announced on 1 March.
Sent by Kantarawaddy Times.