In Mon and Karen states, as well as Tanintharyi Region, new governance bodies are emerging. But communities are watching with unease, and they have demands.
Guest contributors
Nai Aue Mon and Maggi Quadrini
Civilians are bearing the highest cost of Myanmar’s worsening war, yet their perspectives remain sidelined in the discussions that matter most.
Stakeholders at the forefront of those talks must address widening gaps in federal policy inclusion, invest in early warning systems to prevent clashes, offensives, or other attacks, and work to rebuild trust in the areas they control.
A new report released today by the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), ’From the Ground Up,’ examines the relationships among pro-democracy actors that have emerged since the 2021 coup.
In Mon and Karen states, as well as Tanintharyi Region, new governance bodies are emerging amid fragile relations between ethnic revolutionary organizations, and local communities are watching with growing unease.
People are raising pointed concerns about accountability and oversight, demanding that policymakers guarantee women’s participation and open the door to greater transparency.
Communities aren’t waiting passively; they are calling on local governance actors to show up, communicate openly, and take their concerns, fears, and aspirations seriously.
Many people across southeastern Myanmar still carry painful memories of abuses by the previous junta forces, some dating back to the early 1990s after the New Mon State Party (NMSP) signed a ceasefire and continuing to the present.
Their desire for justice and reparations has been evident for decades. Today, they are demanding localized systems, transparency in governance, and protections
Communities are clearly asking for local systems to be more present, transparent, and accountable, with protection, women’s participation, early warning, and trust-building at the centre.
HURFOM fieldworkers spoke to numerous people who have direct experience in the conflict, many of whom have survived junta attacks.
They repeatedly expressed fatigue and frustration at the lack of protection for villagers. Many communities rely on information for safety, wanting timely updates through simple, trusted warning systems.
They need key stakeholders to consult communities about the offensives taking place in their areas so that local people can prepare themselves and their families to seek shelter.
There must also be support systems in place which prioritize civilian safety, such as established safe zones to flee to and strengthened communication channels which prioritize the flow of life-saving information.
A 55-year-old village committee member from the eastern Ye Township, Mon State, explained: “As ordinary civilians displaced by the conflict, we usually receive information through the nearest local administration. In some situations, we only hear what is happening after the danger has already reached us. By then, it is already too late.
If something is going to happen, please tell us as early as possible. Give us time to prepare. Sometimes the firing starts suddenly, and we cannot even collect our clothes, food, or basic belongings. We do not know which way to run, and some people become trapped inside the village.”
Another commonly made call was for the inclusion and prioritization of women’s voices.
Women play a key role in upholding local protections and needs on the ground. They often carry out these duties without official leadership titles.
In numerous villages and areas where internally displaced people are sheltering, women are often the first to identify groups lacking food, children who have dropped out of school, elderly individuals needing medicine, pregnant women at risk, and households too scared to speak out loud about the security concerns they are facing.
Women also encounter significant patriarchal and societal obstacles. They bear the burden of survival, but often lack a voice in decision-making.
Early-warning systems may not directly involve them, and village meetings are frequently dominated by men. Often, protection plans are made without consulting women about their needs for relocating children, elderly relatives, or sick family members during emergencies.
Communities are also looking to civil society organizations to amplify their concerns through inclusive documentation.
“People come and ask questions,” A local community member expressed. “We answer because we hope something will change. Later, we want to know what happened. Even if there is no big result, tell us. Then we know our voices did not disappear.”
Survival runs on trust networks, built over years, impossible to manufacture from outside. People know which roads are safe, which leaders are honest, and which organizations won’t expose them.
That knowledge is important infrastructure and cannot be overlooked.
While many challenges remain, communities are tiring of being expected to exhibit resilience, even in the face of immense strain and struggle.
Healthcare, education, and livelihoods are all collapsing. This is driving poverty and deepening trauma. Yet communities in HURFOM’s target areas aren’t waiting for outside help.
They are sustaining each other, quietly, even as they face continuous airstrikes, drone attacks, forced conscription, landmines, and repeated displacement.
People have not forgotten the past or their hope for justice.
But right now, they also need their local systems to respond to and resolve the urgent problems and threats they face. The strongest message from these communities is that they do not want to live only as victims. They want to survive, but they also want to rebuild.
And for this to work, they want local systems that are safer, fairer, and more accountable than what they experienced under military rule. They want federal governance to mean something in daily life, not only in political speeches.
It is not only about stopping harm. It is also about building trust, dignity, participation, and local systems that can carry communities through conflict and toward a federal future.
Nai Aue Mon is the program director of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) and a member of the management board of the Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma).
Maggi Quadrini is a women’s rights advocate who provides technical assistance to community-based organizations along the Thailand-Myanmar border. She focuses on gender equality and localized humanitarian solutions.
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