The Karenni Human Rights Group (KnHRG), documenting human rights violations in Karenni State, reported over 80 civilian casualties, and a surge of more than 90,000 war-displaced individuals during 'Operation 11.11,' on the border of Karenni State and Shan State.
Approximately 40% of the civilian fatalities consisted of women and children, with Ko Banyar, the founder of KnHRG, attributing the main causes of these deaths to the Military Council's airstrikes, shelling, and indiscriminate shootings.
Furthermore, he stated that the conflicts have elevated the count of displaced individuals in Loikaw Township to approximately 60,000, with an additional 30,000 war-displaced people seeking refuge in Pekon Township near the Shan-Karenni border.
"The estimated total of residents compelled to be displaced since the initiation of 'Operation 11.11' ranges between 90,000 – 100,000”, Ko Banyar said.
Commencing on November 11th, the resistance forces initiated 'Operation 11.11' in Karenni State, leading to the capture of some of the Military Council bases in Loikaw, Mongpai (Mobye), and Pekon, accompanied by intense and ongoing combat.
At present, clashes continue to increase in the vicinity of Loikaw and Pekon, with the Military Council conducting airstrikes not only in active conflict zones, but also in areas devoid of ongoing fighting.
In a recent incident, the Military Council executed an airstrike in an area within Demoso Township in Karenni State, despite the absence of any ongoing clashes.
According to KnHRG, since the coup in February 2021, the tally of individuals displaced by the conflicts on the Shan-Karenni border has surged to approximately 350,000, with a reported loss of around 500 civilian lives.
With the rising number of displaced individuals, the operational support capacity of aid organizations is diminishing. Compounded by halted flow routes of goods due to the ongoing conflict, endeavors to effectively provide displaced people with essential items such as food and clothing, are encountering mounting hardships.
