Myanmar Military drops bombs on festival protest, killing 40, witnesses report

Myanmar Military: In Myanmar, a military strike has killed more than 40 individuals at the Thadingyut festival, witnesses say. Amnesty International has requested the immediate protection for the civilians of Myanmar, amid the strike.

The incident occurred on Monday evening when several people had gathered in the township of central Myanmar’s Chaung U to celebrate the full moon festival. The victims and witnesses are sharing their deadly encounters and experiences after surviving the military strike. Apart from the death toll, the number of injured individuals goes beyond 80. Victims of the brutal attack include children as well.

What are the witnesses reporting?

The witnesses, after surviving the brutal strike, have shared their experiences. One said, “The committee alerted people, and one-third of the crowd was able to escape. But sooner, a motor-powered paraglider flew right over them, and the children were completely torn apart.” In addition, she stated that they were collecting bodies from the ground until Wednesday morning, and the body parts and pieces, such as flesh and limbs, were completely shattered.

Another one mentioned that the paramotor dropped two bombs while he was telling his people not to run, resulting in the death of two of his known people right in front of him.

What’s Amnesty International’s response?

Amnesty International, an organisation working for human rights, gave a statement that the attack, “should serve as a gruesome wake-up call that civilians in Myanmar need urgent protection.” One of its researchers, Joe Freeman, stated, “The international community may have forgotten about the conflict in Myanmar, but the Myanmar military is taking advantage of reduced scrutiny to carry out war crimes with impunity.”

He urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to increase pressure on the Myanmar junta as ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) officials prepare for a meeting later this month.