Thread by @MyanmarWitness

🔴 Lay Kay Kaw
🟡 Report out soon

Lay Kay Kaw (လေးကေ့ကော်) in Kayin (ကရင်) State, once designated a ‘town of peace’, has been the site of violent clashes between the Myanmar military and the Karen National Union (KNU), since December 2021.

#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
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Instead of providing a site of refuge to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returning refugees and KNU families, fighting in Lay Kay Kaw (လေးကေ့ကော်) has forced many residents to flee for their lives.

MW have published the first in a series of reports that document events in the region. It provides a detailed chronological reconstruction of the clashes between the military and oppositional forces between 13 and 28 December 2021.

Myanmar Witness has assessed claims found on social media and within Burmese news media that the military are responsible for the conflict in the region during this period.

This includes allegations that the military used excessive force, including heavy artillery within civilian areas; undertook potentially unjustified arrests, and incited violence and fighting.

By the end of December 2021, The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that the violence had caused the mass displacement of up to 4,600 people.

Many casualties have been reported, including at least one non-combatant journalist between 15-28 December 2022. The location of this violence is particularly contentious as it lies at the border with Thailand, placing a strain on cross-border relations.

Myanmar Witness believes with high likelihood that the Myanmar military were present in Lay Kay Kaw (လေးကေ့ကော်) during December 2021.

There is evidence to suggest that the military were responsible for the violent clashes, and also for the resultant displacement of civilians, some of which crossed the border into Thailand.

Violent clashes have since continued in this area, leading to further displacement and destruction.

This will be explored further in forthcoming reports.

Check our website myanmarwitness.org for the full Lay Kay Kaw report out soon.