UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the escalation of conflict in Myanmar, after military airstrikes in western Myanmar killed at least 25 Rohingya Muslims, including children.
Escalation of Violence
According to the reports, the airstrikes took place early on Monday morning and targeted the village of Thada, north of Minbya township in Rakhine state. The strikes also left another 25 people wounded. The junta made no immediate comment on the reports.
Two individuals from Thada village informed The Associated Press (AP) on Monday night that a military aircraft released two bombs on their village at approximately 1:30 a.m. According to them, among the 25 fatalities, six were children. The individuals chose to remain anonymous due to concerns about potential arrests and retaliation.
The victims reportedly included individuals who had escaped from conflict in neighboring villages. However, due to severe reporting limitations and extensive phone service disruptions imposed by the military government in the affected region, AP could not independently verify the airstrike’s specifics.
21 #Rohingya civilians, including children and the elderly, tragically lost their lives in a #Myanmar military airstrike on a village in #Minbya township. This senseless loss of life must stop. The #international community must take action and sanction aviation fuel to prevent… pic.twitter.com/N05Z8NQQnu
— Rohingya Human Rights Initiative - R4R (ROHRIngya) (@ROHRIngya) March 18, 2024
Comments from the UN
Subsequently, according to a spokesperson, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over “the deteriorating situation and escalation of conflict in Myanmar.”
The UN chief “condemns all forms of violence and reiterates his call for the protection of civilians, including aid workers in accordance with international humanitarian law, for the cessation of hostilities, and humanitarian access,” Guterres’ deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said in a statement on Monday.
“The expansion of conflict in Rakhine State is driving displacement and exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities and discrimination,” he added.
Haq also said that the UN chief was “alarmed by reports of ongoing airstrikes by the military,” including the one in Minbya.
Implications of Conflict
Echoing similar concerns, UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews said in a statement on Tuesday that the junta’s actions are “impacting not only the people of Myanmar but also the region and the wider world.”
“Thousands of desperate people continue to flee into neighboring countries, while junta fighter jets have violated the airspace of Myanmar’s neighbors, [and] bombs have landed across borders,” he said.
“International criminal networks have found safe haven in Myanmar, which is now the top opium producer in the world and a global center for cyber-scam operations that enslave tens of thousands and victimise untold numbers of people around the world,” he added.