In the rugged terrain of Myawaddi Township, the frontline is no longer a static trench, but a shadow game of survival. In Karen State, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and displaced civilians live under the persistent hum of the Myanmar military’s aerial campaign.
From the Wale frontline, where mobile KNLA units must relocate constantly to evade precision airstrikes and artillery, to the Kanele Htaw IDP camp huddled against the Thai border, the threat is omnipresent. Despite the proximity of an international boundary, these makeshift sanctuaries offer little protection from increasingly frequent drone attacks. This is the stark reality of a people caught in a high-tech war of attrition—from the improvised clinics treating the wounded to the quiet moments of domesticity in a landscape defined by displacement. In the crosshairs of a modern conflict, survival in Karen State is an act of defiance.
A KNLA member stands at the edge of a rice field near the Wale frontline. Even during agricultural cycles, the landscape is a potential battleground, monitored by a military that increasingly uses drones to strike beyond the forest's edge. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
A view of the camp’s perimeter shows the proximity of the dense Karen State hills. This terrain provides cover, but the open spaces between huts remain vulnerable to the "silent" threat of loitering munitions and drones. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
A KNLA soldier at a temporary structure. In Wale, the threat of drone surveillance dictates a life lived largely under cover or within the deep shade of the jungle canopy. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
A young resident walks through the center of Kanele Htaw. For the children here, the sound of an approaching engine doesn't mean a vehicle—it often signals the arrival of a reconnaissance or attack drone. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
Logistics and personnel at the Wale camp are kept in a state of constant readiness. With drone attacks occurring with increasing frequency, the ability to pack and relocate in minutes is a tactical necessity. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
Life continues at the Kanele Htaw IDP camp. While the Thai border is nearby, it offers no physical shield against the Myanmar military’s reach, leaving displaced families to rebuild in constant uncertainty. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
An elderly woman sits inside the temporary health post at Kanele Htaw. In a conflict zone where drone strikes are a daily reality, medical facilities are both a lifeline and a high-risk location. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
At a KNLA outpost in Myawaddi Township, soldiers maintain a minimalist camp. Because the Myanmar military frequently targets fixed positions with airstrikes and artillery, these units remain highly mobile to survive. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
A lone figure walks through the dirt paths of the camp. The infrastructure here is temporary by design, reflecting a population that is caught between the home they lost and a border they cannot fully cross. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
A family installing a cable on the main thoroughfare of the IDP camp. The proximity to the Thai border serves as a reminder of the thin line between safety and the ongoing civil war. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
A health worker stands outside the camp’s makeshift clinic. Medical supplies are scarce, and the staff must operate under the psychological weight of knowing that humanitarian sites are not off-limits to military drones. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
The sun sets over the thatch roofs of Kanele Htaw. As the conflict in Myawaddi Township intensifies, these camps become the final stand for thousands of Karen people seeking refuge from the junta’s air campaign. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
A makeshift shelter at the Wale frontline blends into the foliage. These small, decentralized camps are the KNLA's primary defense against the technologically superior but geographically restricted Myanmar military forces. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
Sunlight filters through the Kanele Htaw camp. Despite the serene appearance, the camp remains a high-alert zone as the Myanmar military increasingly ignores the proximity of the international border during its operations. Kayin State, Myanmar, January 2026
