Myanmar: Attack on Refugee Camp Kills at Least 29

Facts

  • On Monday night, at least 29 people were killed in an aerial strike on a camp of internally displaced people in Northern Myanmar near the border with China.1
  • The rebel Kachin Independence Army was investigating whether Myanmar's military had used a drone in the attack as the locals reportedly 'did not hear any aircraft.'2
  • Furthermore, Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government (NUG) has claimed that the junta had launched the airstrike in retaliation to its continued losses in fighting the rebel forces in Kachin State.3
  • Meanwhile, the junta has denied responsibility for the attack, stating that stockpiled explosives likely caused the powerful blast that destroyed parts of the Mong Lai Khet camp.4
  • However, Myanmar's military had admitted to attacking a northwestern village in April that had killed 50 people during a ceremony by the People's Defense Force.5
  • Myanmar has descended into chaos since the military takeover in 2021, which has reportedly killed at least 4.1K civilians.6

Sources: 1New York Times, 2Al Jazeera, 3Independent, 4BBC News, 5Voa and 6The telegraph.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Global times. Regional stakeholders such as ASEAN and China have sought to smooth things over to ensure peace and stability in Myanmar, but Western support for armed resistance and extremist political action have bolstered pro-NUG militants to descend the country into civil war. Myanmar is in chaos, and the NUG's calls for revolution will only worsen it.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Radio free asia. The international community must remain firm against Myanmar's war-criminal military rule, imposing further coordinated sanctions on the junta and supporting the pro-democracy NUG. Otherwise, the military will continue to step up its aerial offensive to indiscriminately kill civilians and violently suppress resistance to its takeover.

Predictions