BANGKOK (AP) – Up to 100 people, including many children, were killed in an air strike by the Myanmar military. They were present at a ceremony held by opponents of military rule, witnesses and members of local pro-democracy groups.
The military has increasingly used airstrikes to counter a widespread armed struggle against its rule, which began when it seized power from the elected Aung San Suu Kyi government in February 2021. Since then, more than 3,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed by security forces.
Witnesses told the Associated Press that fighter jets dropped bombs directly on a crowd that had gathered at 8 a.m. for the opening of the country’s opposition movement’s local office outside Pajijie village in Kanbal township in Sagaing district. The area is about 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of Mandalay, the country’s second largest city. About 30 minutes later, a helicopter appeared and shot at the scene of the crime, said a witness who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal from authorities.
Initial reports put the death toll at about 50, but later independent media figures put the death toll at about 100. There were no immediate reports of the attack in state media, which made it impossible to independently verify the details of the incident due to coverage restrictions imposed by the military government. In previous cases, the junta has said it will not use disproportionate force.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since a military takeover sparked widespread popular resistance. Much of the country is now embroiled in conflict, with many opposing the military government taking up arms after peaceful demonstrations were crushed with deadly force.
The military has carried out massive attacks in the countryside, burning villages to the ground and displacing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. In Sagaing, the historic center of Myanmar, she faces the most difficult situation. Resistance forces have no defense against air raids. Video of a destroyed village captured by AP shows survivors and bystanders stumbling through the attack area in a thick cloud of smoke with only the skeleton of a building standing in the distance. I couldn’t, but it matched other descriptions of the scene.
Some bikes remained intact, while others were reduced to frames or buried under tree branches. In one area, two victims lay side by side, one with only one arm bandaged.
Another victim was lying face down in a small grove of trees by the roadside. A small torso was visible a few meters away, missing at least one limb.
In January, Myanmar’s supreme leader told the military it must crack down on those who resist military rule.General Min Aung Hlaing denounces his government at a military parade on Armed Forces Day He said people showed indifference to the violence of their opponents.
Resistance forces were able to prevent the military from gaining firm control over large swaths of the country, but the weapon has a major drawback, especially when it comes to repelling airstrikes. Critics of the junta have advocated banning or limiting jet fuel sales to Myanmar to undermine the military’s dominance in air power.Many Western countries have imposed arms embargoes on the junta. The US and UK recently enacted new sanctions against individuals and companies involved in supplying aviation fuel to Myanmar.
Human rights group Amnesty International said in a statement on Tuesday: “Relentless airstrikes across Myanmar underscore the urgent need to halt the importation of aviation fuel. We have repeatedly called for them to stop shipping any cargo that could fall into the hands of the Myanmar Air Force.”
It also called on the UN Security Council to “take effective measures to hold the Myanmar military accountable, including referring the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court.”
