Military sources on the ground report that junta forces have launched a heavy offensive and retaken control of Mawtaung, a town on the Thailand–Myanmar border in Tanintharyi Region, on May 19 after using local residents as human shields.
According to sources, a military column entered Ward No. (9) of Mawtaung on May 11 and detained more than 100 local residents, including monks, to be used as human shields.
The detained civilians were taken by the troops who advanced through town wards and border gate areas. They were also used as shields on the front lines, said a resistance fighter from a joint revolutionary force.
When junta troops entered Mawtaung, resistance forces were unable to return fire effectively and were forced to withdraw from the town. As a result, the military was able to retake control easily, he added.
“They didn’t retake the town because they had superior strength. They arrested local residents and used them as human shields. Because of that, we had to withdraw without firing. If we had fired, it would have hit civilians. Civilians would have died. We could do nothing but watch. That’s why they were able to retake the town so easily,” the fighter said.
Monks and local residents detained by the military column have not yet been released.
Another resistance fighter on the ground said, “It wasn’t just human shields. They were advancing while carrying out airstrikes from aircraft and drones continuously, and heavily shelling with artillery. They couldn’t advance with ground forces alone. Since they re-entered Mawtaung, locals have been forced to flee again.”
Today, junta forces are tightening their security measures and conducting inspections inside Mawtaung, while many residents remain displaced due to the fighting.
More than 4,700 local residents have fled to Thailand since April, while others have taken shelter near the Thailand–Myanmar border and in nearby forests and plantations.
Mawtaung is a strategically important border trade town between Thailand and Myanma. It was captured by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and allied resistance forces on November 14, 2025. The military regained control again on May 29, 2025
