The Dawna Range (; th, ทิวเขาถนนธงชัยตะวันตก, ทิวเขาดอยมอนกุจู), also known as Dawna Hills, is a mountain range in eastern

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

and northwestern

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. Its northern end is located in

Kayah State Kayah State ( my, ကယားပြည်နယ်, formerly Karenni State) is a state of Myanmar. Situated in eastern Myanmar, it is bounded on the north by Shan State, on the east by Thailand's Mae Hong Son Province, and on the south and wes ...

where it meets the

Daen Lao Range The Daen Lao Range ( th, ทิวเขาแดนลาว,
; my, Loi La) is a mountain range of t ...

, a subrange of the

Shan Hills The Shan Hills ( my, ရှမ်းရိုးမ; ''Shan Yoma''), also known as Shan Highland, is a vast mountainous zone that extends through Yunnan to Myanmar and Thailand. The whole region is made up of numerous mountain ranges separated ...

. The range runs southwards along

Kayin State Kayin State ( my, ကရင်ပြည်နယ်, ; kjp, ဖၠုံခါန်ႋကၞင့်, italics=no; ksw, ကညီကီၢ်စဲၣ်, ), also known by the endonyms Kawthoolei and Karen State, is a state of Myanmar. The ...

as a natural border with

Mon State Mon State ( my, မွန်ပြည်နယ်, ; mnw, တွဵုရးဍုင်မန်, italics=no) is an administrative division of Myanmar. It lies between Kayin State to the east, the Andaman Sea to the west, Bago Region to the ...

in the west forming parallel ranges to the northern end of the

Tenasserim Hills The Tenasserim Hills or Tenasserim Range ( my, တနင်္သာရီ တောင်တန်း, ; th, ทิวเขาตะนาวศรี, , ; ms, Banjaran Tanah Seri/Banjaran Tenang Sari) is the geographical name of a r ...

further south and southeast. The Dawna Range extends east of the

Salween , ''Mae Nam Salawin'' ( , name_etymology = , image = Sweet_View_of_Salween_River_in_Tang_Yan_Township,_Shan_State,_Myanmar.jpg , image_size = , image_caption = Salween River in Shan State, Myanmar , map ...

southwards from the Shan Hills for about 350 km, at the western limit of the

Thai highlands The Thai highlands or Hills of northern Thailand is a mountainous natural region in the north of Thailand. Its mountain ranges are part of the system of hills extending through Laos, Burma, and China and linking to the Himalayas, of which they may ...

. Its southern end reaches the

Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...

-Myanmar border in the Umphang area, entering Thailand west of

Kamphaeng Phet Kamphaeng Phet is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in central Thailand, former capital of the Kamphaeng Phet Province. It covers the complete ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of the Mueang Kamphaeng Phet district. As of 2020, it has a population of 28,817. Hi ...

. The

Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary The Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary ( th, เขตรักษาพันธุ์สัตว์ป่าทุ่งใหญ่นเรศวร, ) is a protected area in Thailand in the northern part of Kanchanaburi Province and the ...

is in the Thai side of the range. Some geographers include the Dawna Range as the western and the southern part of the

Thanon Thong Chai Range The Thanon Thong Chai Range ( th, ทิวเขาถนนธงชัย, , formerly Thanon Range; Burmese ''Tanen Taunggyi'') is a mountain range in northern Thailand. Its tallest peak is Doi Inthanon, the highest point in Thailand. Most ...

(เทือกเขาถนนธงชัย). The highest point of the range is 2,080 m high

Mela Taung Mela Taung ( my, မယ်လတောင်) is the highest mountain of the Dawna Range. It is located in Kayin State, Burma, close to the border with Thailand. With a height of and a prominence of , Mela Taung is one of the ultra prominent pea ...

; 2,005 m high

Mulayit Taung Mount Mulayit, (မူႋလာအာ်) also known as Muleh Yit, is a mountain of the Dawna Range. It is located towards the southern end of the range in Kayin State, Burma, 12 km to the NNW of the border with Thailand. The Tenasserim whi ...

is located at the southern end of the range.

Ecology

The Dawna Range provides a habitat for the

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

, the wild

Asian elephant The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus ''Elephas'' and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the no ...

and

Fea's muntjak The Fea's muntjac or Tenasserim muntjac (''Muntiacus feae'') is a rare species of muntjac native to southern Myanmar and Thailand. It is a similar size to the common muntjac (adult weight is 18 – 21 kg (40 - 46 lb)). It is diurnal and ...

. Endangered species in the area are the

plain-pouched hornbill The plain-pouched hornbill (''Rhyticeros subruficollis'') is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found in forests of the Dawna Range and the Tenasserim Hills of southern Myanmar, adjacent parts of western Thailand and northern ...

and

Gurney's pitta Gurney's pitta (''Hydrornis gurneyi'') ( th, นกแต้วแร้วท้องดำ) is a medium-sized passerine bird. It breeds in the Malay Peninsula, with populations mainly in Myanmar. The common name and Latin binomial commemorate ...

. There are other rare species some of which have only recently been discovered. This narrow steep-sided range is geologically and ecologically homogeneous with the neighboring head of the Tenasserim Hills and the

Karen Hills The Karen Hills, () also known as Kayah-Karen Mountains, are one of the main hill ranges in eastern Burma. They are located at the SW corner of Shan State and in Kayah State, a mountainous region where the only relatively flat area is Loikaw, t ...

further north, so that frequently it is considered as a whole under the name "Dawna Tenasserim" or as "Kayah-Karen/Tenasserim". The Dawna Range is covered with

tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Description TSMF is generally found in large, discont ...

. The Kayah-Karen montane rain forests that cover the mountains are part of the Kayah-Karen/Tenasserim moist forests

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

which is included in the

Global 200 The Global 200 is the list of ecoregions identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF), the global conservation organization, as priorities for conservation. According to WWF, an ecoregion is defined as a "relatively large unit of land or w ...

list of ecoregions identified by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as priorities for conservation.

Protected areas

Protected areas of the Dawna range are part of the

Western Forest Complex The Western Forest Complex, straddling two countries, Thailand and Myanmar, including 19 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, is the main biodiversity conservation corridor of the region. Covering 18,730 km2, it is one of the largest pro ...

Burma

Mulayit Wildlife Sanctuary Mulayit Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in Myanmar's Kayin State, covering . It ranges in elevation from and encompasses grassland, evergreen forest and mixed deciduous forest in Kyain Seikgyi Township. It was gazetted in 1936. It is locate ...

Thailand

Salawin National Park The Salawin National Park or Salween National Park( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติสาละวิน) is located in Mae Sariang and Sop Moei Districts in Mae Hong Son Province, northern Thailand, adjacent to its border with Bu ...

Mae Moei National Park Mae is an American rock band that formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 2001. The band's name is an acronym for "Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience", based on a course taken by drummer Jacob Marshall while a student at Old Dominion University. History ...

Khao Laem National Park Khao Laem National Park is a park of about 1,500 square kilometers in western Thailand, located in the northern area of the Tenasserim Hills, Kanchanaburi Province. It is a part of the Western Forest Complex, a system of protected wilderness in ...

Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary The Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary ( th, เขตรักษาพันธุ์สัตว์ป่าห้วยขาแข้ง, ) is in Uthai Thani and Tak Provinces, Thailand. The park was established in 1974, and is part of the l ...

* Khun Phawo National Park *

Namtok Pha Charoen National Park Namtok Pha Charoen National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติน้ำตกพาเจริญ) is a national park in the Phop Phra District, Tak Province, Thailand. Most of its area is high complex mountains of 1,765 m ele ...

Taksin Maharat National Park Taksin Maharat National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติตากสินมหาราช) is a national park in Tak Province, Thailand. Home to Thailand's largest tree, the park also features waterfalls, caves, and rock f ...

Lan Sang National Park Lan Sang National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติลานสาง) is in the Dawna Range, Tak Province, northern Thailand. Established in 1979, it is an IUCN Category II protected area measuring 65,000 rai ~ . On the Tak-Mae ...

Khlong Wang Chao National Park Khlong Wang Chao National Park ( Thai คลองวังเจ้า) is a national park in Thailand. Description Khlong Wang Chao National Park is situated in the Thanon Thong Chai Mountain Range. Most of the area consists of complicated m ...

Khlong Lan National Park Khlong Lan National Park (Thai อุทยานแห่งชาติคลองลาน) is a national park in Thailand. Description Khlong Lan National Park is situated in the Dawna Mountain Range. This park lies in Khlong Lan and Mu ...

Mae Wong National Park Mae Wong National Park ( Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติแม่วงก์) is a national park in Thailand. This park lies in Mae Wong and Mae Poen Districts of Nakhon Sawan Province and Pang Sila Thong District of Kampha ...

Phu Toei National Park Phu Toei National Park (อุทยานแห่งชาติพุเตย) is a national park, with an area of 198,422 rai ~ in Dan Chang District of Suphan Buri Province, Thailand. It has been the 86th national park since 30 September ...

History

In 1944 and 1945, at the time of the

Japanese conquest of Burma The Japanese invasion of Burma was the opening phase of the Burma campaign in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II, which took place over four years from 1942 to 1945. During the first year of the campaign (December 1941 to mid-1942) ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the eastern Dawna mountains provided a base from which the

Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand ** Karen languages or Karenic l ...

troops led by

Bo Mya Bo Mya ( my, ဘိုမြ ; born Htee Moo Kee; 20 January 1927 – 24 December 2006) was a Karen leader born in Papun District, which is in present-day Karen State, Myanmar. He was a long-standing chairman of the Karen National Union (KNU), ...

fought against the

Japanese Imperial Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...

on the side of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

. Owing to the unrest in Burma and the human rights abuses by the

Tatmadaw Tatmadaw (, , ) is the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include th ...

, some

refugee camp A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees and people in refugee-like situations. Refugee camps usually accommodate displaced people who have fled their home country, but camps are also made for internally displaced peo ...

s have been established for the cross-border refugees in the Thai side of the range. The largest is the

Mae La refugee camp Mae La, Beh klaw (alternatively spelled Maela),( ksw, မဲၣ်လးဒဲကဝီၤ, ဘဲကျီး) is a refugee camp in Thailand. It was established in 1984 in Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province in the Dawna Range area and hous ...

, established in 1984 in Tha Song Yang District,

Tak Province Tak ( th, ตาก, , Burmese: တာ့ခ် pronounced ak is one of Thailand's seventy-seven provinces (''changwat'') and lies in lower northern Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, ...

and currently houses over 40,000 refugees

Landmine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...

s have been laid in the border area and this affects wildlife as well.Thai elephant steps on landmine in Burma
/ref>

References

External links

Google Books, ''The Physical Geography of Southeast Asia''The Geology of Burma (Myanmar)Picture of peak on the Thai side of the rangeKNU - Forest policy
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012065915/http://karennationalunion.net/index.php/burma/departments/forestry , date=2017-10-12 Mountain ranges of Myanmar Mountain ranges of Thailand