When a Myanmar air force fighter jet roared over Tak Province in Thailand last month, prompting the Thais to scramble jets and sending emergency calls for Thai schoolkids to take cover, the Myanmar junta’s war on the Karen people was briefly exposed to the world.

The incident was short-lived and the Myanmar junta apologized to the Thai government. 

But what is largely a hidden war - diligently covered by independent media and through social media - was now very much out in the open, if only briefly.

EMBATTLED KAREN

The Myanmar junta is fighting a brutal war with artillery, fighter jets and helicopter gunships against the minority Karen people, an onslaught that ratcheted up in the wake of the Myanmar generals’ illegal power grab in February 2021.

In the most recent spat, fierce fighting erupted between the Myanmar military and the combined forces of the Karen National Defense  Organization (KNDO) and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) after a military outpost near the Myawaddy township was attacked on 26 June, the International Karen Organization (IKO) reports.

The fighting that saw a Myanmar fighter jet intrude into Thai airspace is the latest in a string of clashes that have broken out. In addition, bullets fired by Myanmar fighter jets attacking Thae Baw Bo Village in Myanmar’s Myawaddy District – killing three villagers- hit houses and a car across the border in Thailand on 1 July, according to Thai news agencies, prompting further angst among the Thai authorities.

Thae Baw Bo Village is near to the Myanmar-Thailand border in the Wale Myaing area of Karen (Kayin) State, just south of Myawaddy Township in territory controlled by the Karen National Union (KNU) 6th Brigade.

While both the Thai and Myanmar governments appeared keen to play down the incidents infringing on Thai territory, they highlight the bitter battles for territory and control between the Myanmar junta and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAO) in Karen State, a resumption of Naypyitaw’s long-standing gripe against the Karen.

BROKEN PEACE

Relatively peaceful eastern Myanmar witnessed the first air strikes in 20 years on 27 March 2021, after a Myanmar army post was overrun near the border in an incident that claimed 10 lives, IKO reports.

Over the last three months, clashes have intensified, driving thousands of Karen villagers to attempt to take shelter in the forests or cross the river border into Thailand.

Karen State has suffered from more than 60 years of conflict between successive military regimes and the Karen National Union (KNU) which has left about 90,000 refugees, mostly ethnic Karen, in camps on the Thai side of the border. The Karen make up about 5 million of Myanmar’s 54 million population and are the third largest ethnic group after the Bamar and Shan. While the majority of Karen, also known as Kayin, are Theravada Buddhists, about 15 per cent are Christians.

DIVIDE & RULE

Myanmar junta forces are stretched. The military are pressed on a number of fronts across the country, both in ethnic and Bamar-majority areas, and are seeking to help maintain the neutrality of some ethnic groups – such as the Wa and the Shan – while hammering groups like the Karen armed groups not willing to bow to the junta’s recent divide-and-rule “peace” narrative.

Junta forces have been increasing their assaults in Karen State, firing artillery shells into villages, arresting and killing civilians and burning homes in the region, according to the IKO.

At least 200,000 people have already been displaced in Karen State alone over the last year and they are in desperate need of food, medicine and shelter amid the military’s blockade of humanitarian supplies, according to aid groups. What photos are released show families hiding out in the forests and hills, or camped out on the Myanmar-Thailand border.

Karen communities around the world have called for sanctions against Myanmar companies involved in the supply of aviation fuel to the military and sanctions to stop international companies from being involved in any aspect of aviation supplies.

The situation in Karen State appears to matter to the generals in Naypyitaw. According to journalist and security analyst Anthony Davis, writing in Asia Times, what can be clearly stated is the role of ethnic armies – Karen, Kachin, Chin and Kayah – around the national borderlands will be critical for the junta.

Analyst Davis suggests the Myanmar military is feeling the heat on a number of fronts, particularly with a slew of People’s Defence Forces increasing their attacks, and working with some ethnic armed groups.

Maintaining military base footholds in Karen State clearly matters to the junta, particularly in an area that includes an economic corridor with Thailand through Myawaddy and Mae Sot.

Since 24 June, the Myanmar military have been aggressively increasing their assaults, firing artillery shells into civilian villages, arresting, killing, and using civilians as human shields, IKO reports. Long range artillery is used indiscriminately, a violation of international law. Attacks have taken place in five districts of Kawthoolei (Karen land), Doo Tha Htu, Kler Lwee Htu, Mutraw, Ternawtheri and Dooplaya.

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

The IKO in a recent statement said it “believes the international community is doing too little too late to respond to the crisis. The response is too slow both in terms of responding to the humanitarian crisis and in imposing targeted sanctions to limit the ability of the Burmese military to carry out attacks.”

The IKO points out that airstrikes are a constant reality in Dooplaya, Karen State. IKO said “the Burmese military are using drones on a daily basis to identify targets, including civilian targets and IDPs.”

With more than a million people now displaced and in need of aid (throughout Myanmar), cuts to aid budgets must be reversed and instead increased significantly beyond pre-coup level, the NGO says.

“Donors must also change their approach on how aid is delivered, being prepared to fund cross border aid through community organisations and working with informal civil society groups throughout the country. Unreasonable sourcing and reporting requirements, which are impossible to meet in conflict zones and place unnecessary burdens on civil society organisations must be removed,” IKO says.

While the Myanmar air force may take more care to avoid its jets entering foreign airspace, following the recent embarrassing incident, there is little to indicate bombing runs over Karen State will drop any time soon.