Normally the village elders have strict rules on where and how much fishing they allow to keep it sustainable, but that year people were so desperate they fished the river clean. You couldn't catch even the smallest fish, and it took several years to recover.
[1] There was too much rain and the slash-and-burn farms never had a chance to dry out. Slash-and-burn farms are very dependent on an old forest (usually 10 to 20 years or more) and a dry period in which to burn it off and expose the rich soil underneath.
[2] The Karen would try to hide their rice silos in the forest so the Burmese troops would be able to find it. If the soldiers did find them they'd take what they wanted and burn the rest.