Junta Efforts Attempt to Regain Control of Demoso
Demoso Township, Karenni State – Since August 5, military junta units from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 102 and Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 427, based in Demoso, have carried out some operations in the city quarters. As a consequence, clashes between junta troops and revolutionary forces have continued up to the present day.
The junta is aggressively pushing to regain full control of the strategic Loikaw–Demoso–Hpruso highway and has been advancing along the Union Highway. Junta columns from Demoso now reach the Hpruso Township border, where they are facing head-to-head clashes with the revolutionary forces.
On August 19, the junta announced that they had fully recaptured Demoso. However, fighting has continued in and around the area. The military has only managed to reoccupy neighborhoods inside the city where civilians have long since fled.
As part of its propaganda campaign, the junta released photographs on August 19 showing troops stationed near the Demoso town entrance signboard, Ngwedaung Dam, the township hall, hospital, and high school.
On August 20, the junta further announced that it had secured central Demoso, including key places such as the main market, the surrounding Ruphekhu quarter and Padawdu village, Shweyauk quarter’s gas stations, Aungmingalar quarter’s police station, fire station, township hospital, township administration office, the whole Shweyauk quarter, Sipin Thayar quarter’s township hall, and Myoma quarter’s church.
Civilians Flee Demoso as Junta Troops Advance
Residents of surrounding villages near central Demoso have been forced to flee again as junta forces push into the town. Artillery shells are being fired daily from military bases in Demoso, with some days seeing hundreds of rounds launched into civilian zones.
After the Karenni revolutionary forces launched the 1111 Operation in November 2023, the junta troops stationed in Demoso town withdrew. However, since this July, the junta troops have resumed offensives in an attempt to regain territorial control.
Villagers in Demoso Township, who had returned to their homes and resumed farming, have once again been forced to flee to places where they believed would be safe since August due to the junta’s offensives.
Civilian Arrests and Killings by the Junta During the Offensive
On August 8, in Padawdu village, the closest village to Demoso town, junta forces arrested a civilian vehicle carrying about 20 people. They executed two men and detained the rest, but later released them.
In addition, the Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF) released drone footage on August 18, showing that junta troops were using civilians as human shields and carrying out executions.
According to the KNDF, some junta columns forced civilians to serve as human shields, walk in the front line of the column, and transport military supplies. These acts were documented on video.
The KNDF’s footage also shows junta troops in a village of Demoso Township intentionally shooting at and arresting civilians traveling on motorbikes along the main road, without asking any questions to them.
Due to such inhumane acts by the junta, the KNDF issued a statement on August 10 warning the public to avoid traveling along the Demoso-Hpruso highway, where junta columns have been advancing.
Deadliest Airstrike in Mawchi Killing 33 Civilians
Mawchi, Hpasawng Township, Karenni State – Junta forces carried out six airstrikes on the Mawchi area of Hpasawng Township in August.
On the morning of August 17, around 8 a.m., a strike hit the old township hospital in Lokhalo village. Hours later, at around 11 a.m., another bomb fell on 16 Kone (local name). In total, 32 death tolls were recovered, with 18 men, 8 women, and 6 unidentified bodies, including at least five children.
On August 19, three more civilians were injured when junta aircraft bombed three additional sites in the Mawchi area.
Another airstrike on August 20 killed a man in his 20s. According to an investigation by Kantarawaddy Times, the military has conducted at least 15 airstrikes in Mawchi so far in 2025, but the actual number could be higher on the ground.
The August 17 attack on Mawchi, where dozens of civilians were killed at once, is considered one of the worst human rights violations and war crimes committed by the junta in Karenni State. On August 18, the Interim Executive Council (IEC) of Karenni State called on the United Nations, ASEAN, and the wider international community to take decisive action against the junta’s war crimes.
Earlier in the month, on August 8, a displacement camp in Hpasawng Township was also bombed, wounding three children aged around 12.
Throughout August alone, the junta carried out seven airstrikes in Hpasawng Township, all targeting civilian-populated areas. These strikes killed 33 civilians and injured at least 10 more.
Currently, the junta continues relying heavily on airpower in the region, particularly to protect its last remaining base, Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 135, in Hpasawng.
Although the revolutionary forces also suffered casualties in the battles, the Kantarawaddy Times has not been able to verify their numbers
Junta Prepares for Election in Loikaw Despite Ongoing Conflict
Loikaw, Karenni State – The junta is preparing to hold elections in December 2025 as part of its phased plan, with seven townships in Karenni State included. Loikaw and Bawlakhe are included to participate in the first phase.
Currently, the military controls only parts of Loikaw and Bawlakhe towns, while most of the remaining townships are under the control of revolutionary forces.
In Loikaw town, which the junta fully occupies, authorities have been pressuring displaced residents to return for the election.
A woman from Loikaw, currently displaced in Demoso, explained that in other townships, the junta is persuading town residents who are now displaced to return home through word of mouth passed among civilians.
“They say it’s safe to go back. Some people have already returned and are staying at monasteries or with friends. But for me, it’s still too dangerous to return,” said a female IDP from Loikaw.
In junta-controlled Loikaw town, daily activities such as market trading, road repairs, recreational spots, regular transportation routes, and restored phone services are being promoted to create an image of regularity and to convince displaced residents to return.
Moreover, in July, junta authorities also conducted a population census in some villages on the outskirts of Loikaw town under their control.
“Sometimes they (junta troops) patrol through the village. Just last month, they carried out a census. Each household had to provide details, including separate records for IDPs. Even if strangers come, it is required to inform them. It feels like everything is under their control now,” a Loikaw local resident explained.
The Kayan National Army (KNA) issued a statement on August 20, warning that the junta’s planned election, imposed without the people’s consent, will be strongly opposed both ideologically and practically.
Junta Troops Launch Offensive from Hpruso Bases, Shelling Civilian Areas
Hpruso Township, Karenni State – Junta forces based in Hpruso have stepped up operations, launching columns and artillery strikes that are threatening nearby villages and displacement camps.
Troops from the No. 14 Advanced Military Training School, Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 531, and Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 428 have been conducting offensives, including patrols into Hpruso town and surrounding villages, as well as launching offensives along the Hpruso–Demoso highway.
In addition, they have been shelling IDP camps and local villages with heavy weapons, causing fear among both residents and displaced people.
In July, the junta resupplied its Hpruso-based units with additional weapons, ammunition, and rations delivered by air. As a result, revolutionary forces have warned the public to remain cautious while traveling because of these ongoing military activities.
Observers note that junta offensives in preparation for the planned election are raising concerns of intensified clashes across Loikaw, Demoso, and Hpruso townships in the coming days.
