At least 24 killed as army paraglider bombs Buddhist festival
At least 24 people were killed and 47 injured when an army powered paraglider dropped two bombs into a crowd protesting Myanmar’s military government, a spokesman for the government-in-exile told BBC Burmese.
The army launched an attack on Monday evening after about 100 people gathered in the town of Chaung U in central Myanmar for the national holiday.
Thousands of people have died and millions have been displaced since 2021, when the military seized power and triggered a civil war with armed resistance groups and ethnic militias.
The army, which lost control of more than half of the country, is making significant gains again, especially with bloody air strikes and heavy bombardments.
The town attacked on Monday is located in the Sagaing region, a key battleground in the war. Much of it is under the control of volunteer militias set up after the coup to fight against the military government, or junta.
These groups, known as the People’s Defense Force (PDF), also run the local government. An official from the local PDF told BBC Burmese that they received information about a possible airstrike during Monday’s meeting.
He said they tried to end the protest quickly, but paramotors reached the scene earlier than expected.
He said it all happened in seven minutes. He said the explosion injured his leg, but some people near him died.
Local people said it was difficult to identify the bodies after the incident.
“The kids are completely torn apart,” another woman who helped organize the event told the AFP news agency. He was not at the scene but attended the funerals on Tuesday, adding that they were still “collecting body parts.”
The junta’s use of powered paragliders to attack communities is part of a “disturbing trend”, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.
BBC Burmese recently reported that the junta is increasingly opting for paramotors due to the lack of planes and helicopters.
International sanctions over the past few years have made it difficult for Myanmar’s rulers to procure military equipment.
But advanced drones and military technology provided by China and Russia have given the junta a new advantage on the battlefield, analysts say.
Joe Freeman, Amnesty International’s Myanmar researcher, said the attack “should be a dire wake-up call that civilians in Myanmar need urgent protection”.
He also called on Asean, the South East Asian regional bloc that meets at the end of this month, to “increase pressure on the junta and review the approach that has failed the people of Myanmar for almost five years.”
Monday’s candlelight vigil was held as a peaceful protest against the junta’s military recruitment and upcoming national elections. They were also calling for the release of political prisoners, including democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was deposed and jailed in the coup.
A general election is planned to be held in Myanmar in December, the first vote since the 2021 coup. But critics say the vote will not be free and fair and is aimed at maintaining military rule. Many opposition parties have been banned and the vote is expected to be held in only half of the country due to conflict.
