By Shoon Naing
(Reuters) – Dozens of people were killed in an airstrike by Myanmar’s military government in the western state of Rakhine this week, the United Nations said, as the civil war in the Southeast Asian nation approaches its fourth year.
The shadow civilian government and the Arakan Army, a Rakhine-based ethnic militia fighting for the region’s autonomy, also reported that the attack had killed dozens of people.
The junta attacked the Kyauk Ni Maw village of Yanbye township on Wednesday afternoon, destroying around 500 homes and killing more than 40 people, according to the Government of National Unity and a UN statement released late on Friday. .
Reuters could not immediately verify the reports. An army spokesman did not respond to phone calls seeking comment. The junta rejects accusations of committing atrocities against civilians and says it is fighting “terrorists.”
The Arakan Army released the names of 26 Muslim villagers it said were killed and 12 wounded in the attack.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military overthrew the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, sparking mass protests that evolved into a widespread armed rebellion on multiple fronts.
The UN declaration urged all parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law.
The Blood Money Campaign, a coalition of Myanmar activists working to cut off revenue to the junta, urged international governments to quickly sanction entities that supply it with aviation fuel.
“Only when this support stops will the airstrikes truly come to an end,” said Mulan, a spokesperson for the Blood Money Campaign, which goes by one name.