At least 50 people are said to have died in Tuesday’s attack in the country’s central Sagaing state. Civilians opposing the military junta are constantly the target of violent attacks.
The target of Tuesday’s attack was the office of the People’s Defense Force (PDF), an armed group, which had an opening ceremony early on Tuesday.
– The opening of PDF’s office was at eight in the morning in the village of Pazi Gyi. We attacked there, said the army spokesman Zaw Min Tun.
Eyewitnesses tell the news agency AP that the fighter jet dropped the bombs directly on the crowd gathered at the PDF office. A little later, a helicopter is also said to have fired on the area.
The place is located about 100 kilometers north of Mandalay.
There is no certainty about the number of victims of the attack, but the local media and BBC Burma, among others, have reported that at least 50 people died and dozens were wounded. The number could not be confirmed.
Among the victims is reportedly a children’s dance group that was scheduled to perform at the opening ceremony.
Among other things, UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk strongly condemns the attack and says that the perpetrators should be brought to justice. Germany and the United States also strongly condemn the attack.
Opposition to the military regime continues fiercely
Opposition to the army, which fully returned to power just over two years ago, is strong in various parts of Myanmar. Fierce battles have taken place, for example, in the Sagaing area, where the army’s airstrike was carried out.
The PDF that was the target of the attack is the armed wing of the recently abolished NLD party, whose activities include students from big cities.
The military junta considers people who joined the ranks of the PDF to be “terrorists”, and claims that the group also forced civilians into its ranks.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s party was completely dissolved in March
The army is accused of continuous attacks on civilians. For example, last month in the northern Shan State, 30 people who sought refuge in a Buddhist monastery died. Among other things, the UN and several non-governmental organizations have collected evidence of human rights crimes committed by the army.
More than 3,000 civilians are estimated to have died since February 2021.
Deposed from power in February 2021 Aung San Suu Kyi led by The NLD party was dissolved at the end of March (you will switch to another service). The party refused to register under the terms of the military regime for the upcoming elections. Dozens of other parties were also dissolved. There is no information about the date of the elections.
Sources: AP, AFP