Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, fierce air and ground offensives by the regime’s troops in Mutraw (Papun) District of northern Karen State have inflicted dozens of civilian casualties, and displaced over 70,000 – nearly 90% of the district’s entire rural population — causing a dire humanitarian crisis.
While the regime has sought to blame the Karen National Union for instigating the violence, this briefing paper provides historical background, showing that the latest attacks are simply an escalation of ongoing operations over decades to seize this strategic border region.
Karen Peace Support Network appeals to Thailand to stop forcing refugees back to Burma, and to grant refuge and humanitarian access to all persons fleeing the ongoing attacks and persecution by the Burma Army. KPSN calls for the international community to impose a global arms embargo on Burma, cut off all forms of economic support for the military regime, and provide urgently needed cross-border humanitarian aid.