In early 1997, the State Law & Order Restoration Council (SLORC) military junta ruling Burma mounted a major offensive against the Karen National Union (KNU) and succeeded in capturing and occupying most of the remainder of Dooplaya District in central Karen State. Since that time the SLORC has changed its name to the State Peace & Development Council (SPDC), but its occupation troops have continued to strengthen their control over the rural Karen villagers who live in the region. This report provides an update on the current situation for villagers in Dooplaya?s farming communities under the SPDC occupation and for some of those who have attempted to flee to Thailand. It looks closely at the difficulties currently faced by the Dta La Ku, a Karen religious minority who have been targetted for persecution by armies on all sides of the conflict but who are almost completely ignored by the outside world, and at the formation of a new Army in the Dooplaya region: the "Nyein Chan Yay A?Pway", or "Peace Force", who call themselves the "Karen Peace Army" in English and are working closely with the SPDC regime. For further background on the 1997 offensive in Dooplaya and its immediate aftermath, see the previously released reports "Refugees from the SLORC Occupation" (KHRG #97-07, 25/5/97) and "Clampdown in Southern Dooplaya" (KHRG #97-11, 18/11/97). "Developments in the SPDC Occupation of Dooplaya District..."