"Introduction: The villagers in Southeast Burma (Myanmar) have been facing conflict for as long as they can remember. Generations have grown up amidst the fighting, and have lived their whole lives under a fear of attacks. The 2021 coup reinvigorated the open and direct violence of the Burma Army, under the command of the State Administration Council (SAC), in locally-defined Karen State. These attacks are deliberately directed towards civilian areas and communities, including by indiscriminately shelling villages and plantations. From January to October 2023 alone, KHRG recorded more than 192 incidents of indiscriminate shelling committed by the SAC, which killed and wounded villagers, destroyed civilian houses, buildings, and plantations, affected livelihoods, and caused displacement. This briefing paper investigates the consequences of SAC shelling in civilian areas and its impacts on the lives of rural villagers in Southeast Burma. The first section gives an overview of the history of violence and oppression in the region by the Burma Army. The second section presents the immediate consequences of shelling on villagers, including deaths and injuries, the destruction of property, and livelihoods harmed. The third section analyses longer-term impacts, including displacement, persistent fear among villagers, restricted access to education, and the heightened risk of unexploded ordnance (UXOs). Finally, a security and legal analysis of the current situation is conducted, and recommendations addressed to relevant stakeholders are presented..."