A school bombed in Myanmar's central region results in the death of approximately 22 individuals, as per reported accounts.
Updating the Headline:A Sagaing School Strike: Militaristic Mayhem, Casualty Counts, and Resistance Battle
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In the heart of Myanmar's Sagaing region, vicious militaristic bloody play unfolded on Monday, claiming the lives of up to 20 children and two teachers at a local village school, as stated by a resistance member, aid worker, and media reports.
The pre-dawn airstrike on the Ohe Htein Twin village's school wreaked havoc among its educators and learners, with dozens more youths wounded. The notorious junta government and the state-controlled media are eerily silent about the alleged airborne atrocity.
The junta has been steadily boosting its use of airstrikes to confront the widespread armed rebellion against its rule, which kicked off in February 2021 when the military seized authority from the elected government of the esteemed Aung San Suu Kyi. As per figures compiled by nongovernmental organizations, more than 6,600 civilians have been executed by security forces since then.
A combatant from the White Depeyin People's Defense Force, a resistance group fighting against military rule, disclosed to The Associated Press that a fighter jet dropped a bomb directly onto a classroom filled with pupils from primary to high school levels after 9 a.m. The area is roughly 115 kilometers (70 miles) northwest of Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city.
This unnamed resistance fighter raced to the site of the attack to aid the victims but did so under the cover of anonymity for fear of being apprehended by the military. He reported that 20 students and two teachers had perished in the assault, and around 50 others were wounded. Moreover, three nearby houses sustained damage.
In a conversation with the AP, Nay Phone Latt, a spokesman for the opposition's National Unity Government, also revealed the same death toll, expressing concerns that the figure might further increase. The organization spearheads the resistance movement against military rule.
Latt accused the military of mercilessly attacking civilians in monasteries, refugee camps, schools, and hospitals under the guise of resistance fighters hiding at such sites. However, he maintained that the bombings aimed to alienate the people from the resistance movement.
Independent Myanmar media reported conflicting death tolls ranging from 17 to surpassing 20. An unidentified Tabayin volunteer working with displaced individuals explained that he obtained information from the ground indicating 12 students had been confirmed deceased and around 30-50 more had been injured.
Sagaing, situated near India's border, has been a stronghold of resistance activities, and the military has escalated its airstrikes against the pro-democracy People's Defense Forces in the region. Regrettably, the resistance lacks a robust defense strategy against air assaults.
The military's aerial assault against a school in Let Yet Kone village, also in Tabayin township, took innocent lives in September 2022. Last April, airstrikes killed around 160 people, predominantly children, who were joyously celebrating their opposition to military rule outside Pazigyi village in Kanbalu township, Sagaing region.
Airstrikes in Myanmar have attracted international scrutiny after numerous credible reports from the United Nations and human rights groups claimed that they persisted even in the aftermath of the devastating March 28 earthquake, a period that saw the military and resistance groups jointly declare a ceasefire to facilitate aid operations.
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Despite the military's alleged attack on Ohe Htein Twin village's school, accountability remains elusive due to the junta's persistence in censoring independent media and silencing dissent. The use of censorship grants the military free rein to carry out its brutal agenda against civilians and resistance fighters without fear of public scrutiny or condemnation.
Unfortunately, Sagaing is not alone in bearing the brunt of air raids. The Myanmar military has turned the entire country into a battleground, utilizing air attacks as a formidable weapon to suppress opposition and maintain control. Cities in various regions, including Mandalay, Bago, and Kayah State, have also been hit by airstrikes.
The reasons underlying this barbaric military strategy can be traced back to the Tatmadaw military's insecurity and panic over losing control, resulting in their complicit behavior towards drug lords and organized crime. By stepping up its aggression against civilians and resistance groups, the military seeks to divert attention from its lawlessness and moral degeneracy.
- The tragic school strike in Sagaing, marred by militaristic mayhem and casualty counts, remains underscored due to the persistent censorship of independent media by the junta government.
- With Sagaing under constant threat, other cities like Mandalay, Bago, and Kayah State, too, have fallen victim to the Myanmar military's relentless airstrikes, as the military employs these attacks as a formidable tool to suppress dissent and maintain control.
- The global media spotlight has turned to Myanmar following numerous credible reports from the United Nations and human rights groups, indicating that airstrikes persist even in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, a period that allegedly witnessed a joint ceasefire between the military and the resistance groups to enable aid operations.
- In light of the military's escalating brutality against civilians and resistance fighters, concerns regarding the implications of their complicity with drug lords and organized crime have surfaced, as the military appears to be using escalated aggression as a means to divert attention from its lawlessness and moral degeneracy.
