Devastation in Central Myanmar: A Family’s Tragic Story
The family sought refuge under furniture as junta jets roared ominously overhead, a terrifying reminder of the conflict engulfing central Myanmar. U Har San and his wife hurriedly crawled beneath a sturdy table, while their daughter, who was eight months pregnant, found herself hiding in the cramped space under a bed. In a horrifying turn of events, bombs began to rain down on their village, even though no rebel fighters were present in the area.
Tragically, one bomb claimed the life of their beloved daughter, Ma Zar Zar Win. “She was our only child, and now our family line has been irrevocably cut off,” lamented Mr. Har San, his voice thick with grief.
This attack, which occurred last month in the village of Lat Pan Hla, exemplifies the brutal strategy employed by Myanmar’s military regime. Faced with the inability to defeat rebel forces on the ground, the junta has resorted to escalating its indiscriminate bombing campaigns targeting civilian populations, aiming to instill fear and terror among the people.
The airstrikes have not only inflicted a heavy toll on innocent civilians but have also impacted the resistance fighters. Nevertheless, the spirit of resistance remains unbroken, with rebel armies making significant strides on the battlefield. Recently, one group successfully seized a prison in Shan State, liberating hundreds of political prisoners. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the country, another rebel faction captured a civilian airport in Rakhine State.
The mounting attacks on civilians underscore a troubling reality: the Myanmar junta is adept at evading international sanctions designed to prevent the flow of jet fuel, which is crucial for sustaining its aerial bombardments with bombers, fighter jets, and helicopter gunships. In a series of separate, devastating attacks, the junta has bombed a wedding celebration and a monastery, resulting in the deaths of approximately 60 individuals.
According to the Myanmar Peace Monitor, a nonprofit organization dedicated to tracking aerial assaults, at least 1,188 civilians have lost their lives due to aerial bombings since the military coup in February 2021. The group’s data indicates that the regime has already conducted more aerial assaults in the first half of this year than in the entirety of the previous year, highlighting the regime’s alarming ability to circumvent sanctions and continue its reign of terror.
