At least 81,899 houses and buildings (including religious buildings) have been torched and destroyed since the coup two years ago. Of that number, almost 30% (at least 24,138 houses and buildings) were burned down in the first six months of 2023.

In the first five months of 2023, the number of civilian deaths reached a record high, with at least 748 individuals losing their lives in clashes. This figure accounts for nearly 60 percent of the total civilian casualties reported in the previous year. Since the coup, at least 8,640 civilians have been killed. Approximately 2,183 of these deaths were caused by gunshots inflicted by the State Administration Council (SAC), either during protests or while individuals were in SAC detention.

At least 9,347 clashes have occurred across Myanmar in more than two years since the coup, with 1,407 of them happening in just the first four months of 2023. More than half of these 1,407 clashes—about 58 percent— broke out between the combined EAO (Ethnic Armed Organizations) and PDF (People’s Defense Force) forces and SAC’s (State Administration Council) forces. The number of clashes between the combined EAO and PDF forces and the SAC’s forces within these four months is the second highest to the number in June 2022.

Traditionally, political prisoners in Myanmar are granted freedom by the military junta within two years since the coup, often coinciding with auspicious national holidays such as Myanmar New Year, Union Day, National Day, and Independence Day. However, this year marks the first time that political prisoners were released on the religious full-moon day of Kason, which falls on the second month of the traditional Burmese calendar. The timing of this amnesty is notable, as it occurred just one day after Chinese Foreign Minister Mr. Qin Gang's visit to Naypyitaw, where he met with Myanmar's State Administration Council (SAC) leaders. This has led some to speculate that the amnesty was arranged to coincide with Mr. Qin's diplomatic trip.

Since the coup, at least 2,694,567 people have been internally displaced as of April 20, 2023 due to violent clashes. Prior to the coup, there were some 497,200 internally displaced people (IDPs). In total, there are over three million IDPs in Myanmar. Furthermore, at least one million people, including the Rohingya, remain IDPs who have fled across borders to seek refuge.

The State Administration Council (SAC) imposed martial law two years since the coup and stepped up their offensives in areas where there was substantial resistance. The frequency of airstrikes increased as fighting between the military and local resistance forces grew more intense in Kayah State, Southern Shan State, Kayin State, Chin State, and the Sagaing Region. Battles between armed forces are occurring more frequently and throughout wider geographic areas because of the military's offensives. ISP-Myanmar will highlight and provide a brief explanation of battles between Karenni resistance forces and the military that took place in Shan and Kayah States.

During post-coup armed conflicts and clashes, at least 57,807 houses and buildings (including religious buildings) have been torched and destroyed as of January 15, 2023. Between November 2022 and mid-January 2023 alone, at least 19,239 houses and buildings were torched and destroyed. Moreover, at least 673 houses and buildings have been torched and destroyed in 10 townships that had previously experienced no acts of arson. Among them, Myingyan township, Sagaing Region experienced the largest amount of destruction with over 300 houses and buildings torched and destroyed.

The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Myanmar due to armed conflict following the coup has reached at least 1,912,769 as of December 14, 2022. There were already at least 497,200 IDPs on the run before the coup, and the number of cross-border refugees before and since the coup has reached at least 1,019,190. These numbers indicate that almost 7 percent of the country’s total population are now fleeing from armed conflict. 

From the start of the military coup to November 15 this year, at least 7,855 clashes have erupted across the country. Of these, at least 4,548 clashes broke out between the State Administration Council (SAC) forces and Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations (EROs). Around 2,267 clashes erupted between the SAC forces and the People Defense Forces (PDFs) including LDF, CDF, CNDF, and KNDF, while there were at least 925 clashes between the SAC forces and combined forces of EROs and PDFs. 

Data Matters No. 36 As of October 31, 2022, at least 38,568 houses and buildings (including religious buildings) have been torched and destroyed during armed conflicts since the coup. The number of torched buildings increased this year and it accounts for over 94 percent of the total. Sagaing Region has the highest total so far […]