Airstrikes on Myanmar village feared to have killed 100

 

According to a witness, a member of a local pro-democracy group and independent media, airstrikes conducted by Myanmar's military on April 11 resulted in the deaths of up to 100 individuals, including numerous children who were attending a gathering held by opponents of army rule.
Security forces have reportedly killed over 3,000 civilians since seizing power from Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in February 2021, as they increasingly turn to airstrikes to combat a growing armed resistance against their rule.

An anonymous witness, who expressed concern of retribution from authorities, informed The Associated Press that a fighter jet released explosives directly onto a group of individuals congregating outside of Pazigyi village in Sagaing region's Kanbalu township at 8 a.m., as they awaited the opening of a local office for the opposition movement. The location is approximately 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of Myanmar's second largest city, Mandalay. Roughly thirty minutes later, a helicopter arrived and targeted the area with gunfire, according to the same witness.

Early accounts suggested that the number of casualties was approximately 50; however, subsequent reports from independent media outlets estimated that the death toll was closer to 100. Due to limitations on reporting imposed by the military government, it is not feasible to verify the specifics of the event independently.

According to the witness, they were standing at a short distance from a crowd when a friend contacted them on the phone to warn them of an approaching fighter jet. Suddenly, the jet dropped bombs directly on the crowd. In order to protect themselves, the witness jumped into a nearby ditch and hid. When they eventually stood up and looked around, they were confronted with a scene of devastation. People were cut to pieces and dead, and smoke filled the air. The witness noted that an office building had been destroyed by fire, and around 30 people were injured. As the wounded were being transported, a helicopter arrived and shot more people. The situation was so dire that the witness and others were forced to quickly cremate the bodies.

According to him, approximately 150 individuals had assembled for the inauguration event, including women and 20-30 children who perished. In addition to that, leaders of anti-government militias formed at the local level and other opposition groups were among those who lost their lives.
The opposition National Unity Government released a statement condemning the atrocious actions of the terrorist military. They stated that the use of excessive force against innocent civilians is a war crime, and this incident is yet another example of it. The NUG, which opposes the army and claims to be the legitimate government of the country, added that the office that was inaugurated on Tuesday was a part of its administrative network.

In a statement conveyed via state television MRTV, the military government's spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, acknowledged that the ceremony had been targeted in an attack. However, he blamed anti-government groups in the vicinity for conducting a vicious terror campaign. According to him, the People's Defense Forces, which is the armed division of the National Unity Government, had coerced residents into supporting them and had killed innocent individuals like Buddhist monks and teachers, while the military was striving to establish peace and order. The spokesperson also alleged that there was proof of secondary explosions caused by hidden explosives planted by the People's Defense Forces in the vicinity of the event.

Whenever faced with accusations of human rights violations, the military government frequently retorts by accusing pro-democracy groups of terrorism. However, various analysts from the United Nations and non-governmental organizations have compiled convincing proof of extensive human rights abuses committed by the army. These atrocities include the incineration of entire villages and the forced displacement of over a million people, leading to a dire humanitarian catastrophe

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Should it be verified, the casualty count resulting from the air assault on Tuesday may be the most significant number of fatalities in the ongoing civil strife that started with the military coup of 2021. In a similar incident in October of the previous year, up to 80 individuals lost their lives in a government air raid during an anniversary ceremony for the primary political group of the Kachin ethnic minority, which is also engaged in a struggle against the military regime in northern Myanmar.
Since the military coup that sparked extensive popular resistance, Myanmar has been in a state of unrest. Following the military's use of deadly force to quell nonviolent protests, numerous adversaries of the junta have resorted to armed resistance, leading to significant areas of the nation being embroiled in strife.

In Myanmar's cultural heartland of Sagaing, the military has undertaken significant operations against rural areas, which have witnessed some of the most unyielding opposition. The armed opposition groups have no means to defend against aerial assaults.
AP has viewed videos of the ravaged village in which survivors and spectators can be seen navigating through the site of the strike amid dense fumes of smoke, with only the skeletal framework of a building visible in the far-off distance. While the footage is consistent with other accounts of the incident, it cannot be confirmed immediately.

In certain parts of the affected zone, some motorbikes remained intact while others were reduced to their bare frames or buried beneath fallen tree branches. In one location, two victims were lying near each other, with one individual having only one arm still connected. Another victim was found lying face down in a small thicket next to the road. A few meters away, the remains of a small body missing at least one limb were visible.

In January, Myanmar's primary leader instructed the military to take decisive measures against those who resist army rule. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing stated at a military procession on Armed Forces Day that individuals who criticize his administration are demonstrating a lack of concern for the violence perpetrated by its adversaries.
The opposition groups have successfully prevented the military from gaining firm control over significant portions of the nation, but they are at a severe disadvantage in terms of weaponry, especially in countering aerial assaults.

Critics of the military junta propose prohibiting or restricting the sale of aviation fuel to Myanmar to weaken the military's advantage in air power. Several Western countries have enforced arms embargoes against the military government, and the United States and the United Kingdom have recently enforced new sanctions targeting individuals and businesses that supply jet fuel to Myanmar.
Amnesty International, a human rights organization, released a statement on Tuesday stating that "The continuous air strikes throughout Myanmar emphasize the crucial need to halt the import of aviation fuel. Amnesty International restates its appeal to all countries and companies to discontinue the delivery of supplies that could ultimately end up in the hands of the Myanmar Air Force."

The organization also called upon the United Nations Security Council to "implement effective measures to hold the Myanmar military responsible, including referring the country's situation to the International Criminal Court."