21-12-2023 (YANGON) Amnesty International has raised concerns that Myanmar’s military has likely committed indiscriminate attacks on civilians and used banned cluster munitions in its ongoing conflict with ethnic minority insurgents. The human rights organization called for an investigation into these suspected war crimes.
Since the military coup in 2021, the junta has faced a significant challenge on the battlefield, with coordinated rebel attacks targeting military posts in Shan state, which shares a border with China, as well as in western Rakhine state.
Amnesty International stated that an airstrike in Shan state earlier this month utilized bombs that were highly likely to be cluster munitions. The organization’s weapon investigator analyzed the evidence supporting this claim. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), one of the three groups within the rebel “Three Brotherhood Alliance,” reported that the attack resulted in the death of a resident and injured five others.
According to Amnesty, interviews with ten civilians revealed that residents in Pauk Taw, Rakhine state, have been subjected to looting, arbitrary arrests, inhumane treatment, and torture.
“The Myanmar military has a history of indiscriminate attacks that have had devastating consequences for civilians, and its brutal response to the major offensive by armed groups aligns with a longstanding pattern,” said Matt Wells, director of Amnesty’s Crisis Response Programme.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the report, and the junta’s spokesperson, Zaw Min Tun, could not be reached for comment. However, he has previously denied allegations that state forces target civilians, referring to their actions as legitimate operations against “terrorists.”
Since late October, more than 300,000 people have been displaced due to the ongoing fighting, adding to the over 2 million already displaced following the coup, as reported by the United Nations (UN).
The military coup in Myanmar overturned a decade of democracy and reform, leading to widespread anger and resistance. The military crackdown has fueled a resistance movement and intensified clashes with ethnic minority rebels.
Last week, China claimed to have mediated a ceasefire between the rebels and the military, although the alliance stated that their campaign would continue.
In a statement issued before the Amnesty report, the alliance mentioned that the military frequently threatened civilians through arbitrary arrests, the use of human shields, and torture.
Separately, Human Rights Watch, based in New York, accused one group within the rebel alliance of abducting and forcibly recruiting civilians who were fleeing the conflict in Shan state.
“The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) is violating the laws of war,” stated Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
“Civilians should be able to seek safety from fighting without fearing that the Myanmar military or ethnic armed groups will force them into their armies.”
The MNDAA has not yet responded to requests for comment.
