Authorities in Myanmar’s Karenni (Kayah) State say they are facing significant legal hurdles in stopping the dangerous trade of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and battlefield remnants, as economic desperation drives locals to risk their lives for a meager profit.
The Karenni State Interim Executive Council (IEC) reported that despite local orders prohibiting the transport and sale of munitions, enforcement remains difficult. “We have issued local decrees and urged people to register any arms in their possession, but compliance has been non-existent,” said Ko Banya, Secretary-2 of the IEC.
The region is one of the most heavily landmined and contested areas in Myanmar. Sources close to the illegal trade told the Myanmar Pressphoto Agency (MPA) that locals are actively digging up mines laid by the military junta or collecting duds—unexploded shells—to sell to middlemen or back to resistance groups.
“To be blunt, people are digging up mines just to make enough money for a meal,” one source said. “A dud drone bomb can fetch between 100,000 and 150,000 kyats ($30–$45) once refurbished. It’s a gamble with death, but when you can’t find work, staying alive is harder than dying”.
The consequences of this trade are often fatal. On the morning of 22 February, an explosion occurred in western Demoso Township when two villagers attempted to repair a 60mm mortar shell for a local militia commander. Both villagers were killed instantly, and the commander suffered the loss of an arm.
The IEC has launched public awareness campaigns, using posters and community meetings to warn residents of the risks. However, with active frontlines nearby and a lack of alternative livelihoods, the council admits that education alone is failing to stop the scavenging.
“Beyond education, legal action is complicated on the ground,” Ko Banya admitted, noting that the sounds of accidental explosions have become a tragic but regular occurrence in the region.
International mine clearance experts have long warned that Myanmar is currently among the most contaminated countries in the world for landmines and UXOs. In Karenni State, where the conflict shows no sign of abating, these remnants of war remain a silent but deadly threat to a population already devastated by years of fighting.
