There has been a troubling increase in civilians being injured by unexploded ordnance left by junta troops in  areas under Karen National Union (KNU) control, according to the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG).

KHRG said the junta practice of firing artillery and launching airstrikes against areas where there is no fighting often results in unexploded ordnance being left behind, which poses a significant risk to civilians who may come into contact with these dangerous remnants.

Naw Phaw Lar, Advocacy Officer at KHRG, highlighted recent incidents involving unexploded ordnance.

She said: “In our statement last week, we reported that two young men were injured when they tried to hit an unexploded shell, thinking it was inert. The shell exploded, killing one of the men and seriously injuring the other. In a separate incident, an unexploded mortar shell detonated when a child touched it. We have recently noticed a troubling increase in such incidents in local villages.”

On 14 July 2024, two teenagers, aged 16 and 17 came across an unexploded artillery round while fishing in the KNU's 5th Brigade area. Believing it to be harmless, they hit the shell which then exploded. One youth was killed in the blast, while the other sustained severe injuries.

KHRG has expressed serious concern over the proximity of unexploded ordnance to residential areas and it has emphasised the risk to to children, who may not fully understand the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance.

Naw Phaw Lar stressed that greater efforts are needed to mitigate the dangers associated with unexploded ordnance. These includes the implementation of educational programs aimed at informing communities, particularly children, about the risks.

In response to the crisis, ethnic revolutionary organisations (EROs) are actively involved in demining operations in the areas under their control and are working to neutralise the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance.