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Myanmar military kills over 100 in record breaking airstrike
The Myanmar military launched an airstrike on a civilian area on Tuesday, leaving over 100 people dead and many others injured, making it one of the deadliest incidents of the ongoing civil war. Survivors have reported at least 80 deaths so far, but expect the toll to rise.
The attack targeted a village in the north-western Sagaing region, where anti-coup militias known as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) are actively fighting against the military. The Myanmar military has been using air strikes more frequently since seizing power in February 2021, and has been targeting symbols of opposition, including schools and health clinics. In some cases, entire villages have been destroyed in a “scorched earth campaign” aimed at wearing down the resistance movement.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">More than 100 people feared dead after Myanmar military airstrike <a href="https://t.co/gBP15JZOqo">https://t.co/gBP15JZOqo</a></p>— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/1646103880843788288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Eyewitnesses have reported that the military used fighter jets and helicopters to carry out the attack. Many of the victims are said to be women and children who were caught in the crossfire.
The village of Pa Zi Gyi was targeted by the Myanmar military because it was holding a ceremony to mark the opening of an office for their local volunteer defense force. Witnesses say a military jet flew over the village and dropped a bomb on the community leaders’ meeting hall, followed by a helicopter gunship that attacked the village for 20 minutes. The aircraft returned later to fire on those attempting to collect the dead. Residents uploaded videos of the carnage that followed, with dismembered bodies lying on the ground and several buildings on fire.
The United Nations has condemned the attack, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has accused the military of blatant disregard for international law. Since the coup, thousands have been killed, and 1.4 million have been displaced. The exiled National Unity Government reports that the military has killed 155 civilians between October 2021 and September 2022. According to a BBC analysis of data from the conflict-monitoring group Acled, the military carried out at least 600 air attacks between February 2021 and January 2023, with an increasing reliance on Russian and Chinese aircraft to bomb opposition-controlled villages.
The international community has also expressed its outrage at the latest attack. The United States, which has imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s military leaders, has called for an immediate end to the violence and for the military to respect the will of the people.
The European Union has also condemned the attack and called for an immediate ceasefire. The EU has urged Myanmar’s military leaders to engage in a dialogue with the country’s democratic forces to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.
Meanwhile, neighboring countries such as Thailand and Indonesia have expressed concern over the violence and called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
The latest attack has once again highlighted the urgent need for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Myanmar. The international community must come together to put pressure on the military to end its offensive and respect the will of the people. Only then can Myanmar begin its journey towards democracy and peace.
