"Civil Disobedience Movement: In early March, we learned that people involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM)[2] were fleeing to Dooplaya District to escape from the SAC military’s[3] torture and killing. Many people who joined the CDM came to these townships. They are teachers and doctors. They have to flee because SAC soldiers are trying to arrest them and kill them. They fled to the Karen revolutionary areas [to the areas controlled by the Karen National Union - KNU].[4] More and more people involved in the CDM are coming every day. As of March 7th 2021, 1,310 government staff involved in the CDM had sought refuge in the KNU areas of Dooplaya District. They are from Ayeyarwady Region, Kawkareik, Mawlamyine and Hpa-an. They used to work for the following agencies: Ministry of Health and Sports, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Ministry of Internal Affairs (Myanmar Police Force, Fire Service Department), Ministry of Education, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Electricity and Energy, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Social Welfare and Resettlement, Ministry of Defence (SAC military), Ministry of Justice, and Myanmar Economic Bank. There are also municipal employees, Township-level staff and village administrators [General Administration Department]. [There could be even more people involved in the CDM in KNU areas]. Some name lists have not been sent [by local administrators] to the [KNU] Township and District [authorities] yet [local authorities must report new arrivals of people involved in the CDM to the KNU]. Some of them [people involved in the CDM] are hiding in villages and the village heads have not sent their names yet [to the KNU authorities]. We are not sure whether more people involved in the CDM will come to our areas.....Military activity: The SAC military cut down bamboo in A--- village, Pone Yay village tract,[5] Kaw T’Ree Township to strengthen their army camp [KHRG was not able to establish the exact date]. The local villagers told them that SAC soldiers were not allowed to trespass into the restricted areas.[6] [The soldiers did not threaten or do anything to the local villagers but they did not listen to them and trespassed anyway]. Their commanding officer was Aung Zaw Lin, a deputy company commander from Infantry Battalion (IB)[7] #13, Column #1. The SAC military is stepping up its activities in the local areas. Since the military coup,[8] the local villagers have been seeing more SAC soldiers in the jungle or bushes around the villages, including in Kheh Hkoh [a place where villagers go to collect T’La Aw leaves], between B--- and C--- villages, Kyauk Hkee village tract, Kawkareik Township. Therefore, the local villagers are now afraid to go and collect Ta La Aw leaves. Since the protests against the military coup started, it has not been easy for patients to go to the hospital [because healthcare staff is participating in the CDM]. They have to buy medicine from outside [at the pharmacy]. One of the children from D--- village, Waw Loo village tract, Kaw T’Ree Township had a motorbike accident. He was sent to the hospital, but there was no one to look after him, give him medicine and clean his wounds. [KHRG was not able to establish the exact date of this incident]. The students who attend Myanmar government schools could not go to school this year. Since the first wave of Covid-19, they have to work instead. However, Karen Education and Culture Department (KECD)[9] schools are still open. Local villagers/civilians are concerned that fighting [between the SAC military and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)[10]] might break out. They have to live in fear now. Some of them are getting ready and storing food such as rice because they worry the situation might go back to what it was the past [before the 2012 preliminary ceasefire].[11] We realised that the SAC military had been stepping up its activities since March 7th 2021. They patrol at night, but we are not sure whether they are trying to find and arrest people who joined the protests; or if they are trying to find KNLA soldiers and shoot them. It creates concerns among local villagers. The SAC military also sent drones to KNU-controlled areas. SAC soldiers are now checking people on the main roads. They check people who go to Seikkyi Town, and sometimes they even check their phones. This is not happening every day, but they conduct surprise checks. On March 19th 2021 at midnight, SAC soldiers from IB #32 shot at a group of Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA)[12] soldiers in Kyainseikgyi Town. The DKBA soldiers were in the streets after 9 pm despite the curfew. They [SAC soldiers] could not kill any of them but they arrested one of them. We do not know what they did to him. The SAC military declared a curfew. No one can go out after 9 pm since March [but not everyone knows about the curfew]. These are just some of the SAC military activities this month [in March].....Anti-coup protests : In reaction to the military coup, protests were organised and held in every township of Dooplaya District. The demands of the protesters are: 1) Restore democracy; 2) Abolish the military dictatorship; 3) Free the detained people; 4) Abolish the 2008 constitution; 5) Establish a federal Union; 6) We do not want influential nationalism [Burmanisation]; and 7) All ethnic groups should be united. On March 9th 2021, around 500 villagers from Thay Baw Boe, Maw Hkee and Su Klee village tracts, Kawkareik Township planned to hold a protest against the military coup in Myawaddy. However, they were stopped by DKBA and SAC soldiers on their way [to the city], so they could not hold the protest in Myawaddy. On the same day, local villagers from Aw Hpa Hpa Doh village tract, Kawkareik Township held a protest against the military on the Asia highway. The local villagers from Kawkareik Township and Kruh Tuh Township held a protest on March 22nd 2021, and they plan to hold more protests in the future. They are going to hold protests in each of those townships on March 25th 2021. We heard that the SAC soldiers do not want the local villagers to hold protests. Therefore, we do not know what the situation will be on the days of the protests and we will have to monitor it. There are ongoing protests against the military because the local villagers are against military rule..."