A spokesman for Myanmar’s government-in-exile told BBC Burma that at least 24 people were killed and 47 injured during protests against Myanmar’s military government after a military-powered paraglider dropped two bombs on a crowd.
On Monday evening, the military attacked a crowd of about 100 people in central Myanmar’s Chaung Ou township to mark a national holiday.
Since the military seized power in 2021, thousands of people have been killed, millions have been displaced and civil war against armed resistance groups and ethnic militias has sparked.
After losing control of more than half of the country, the military is again making significant gains, especially through bloody air raids and massive bombing raids.
The township attacked on Monday is in the Sagaing region, which was a major battleground in the war. Much of it is under the control of volunteer militias set up to fight the post-coup military junta.
These groups, known as the People’s Defense Forces (PDF), also run local administration. A local PDF official told BBC Burmese that they had received information about a potential aerial attack during Monday’s meeting.
They tried to end the protest quickly, but paramotors arrived on the scene earlier than expected, he said.
“It all happened in seven minutes,” he said, adding that the explosion killed several people nearby, although he injured his leg.
Local residents said the aftermath made it difficult to identify the bodies.
“The children were completely scattered,” another woman who helped organize the event told AFP. She was not at the scene but attended Tuesday’s funeral, adding that they were still “collecting body parts.”
Amnesty International said in a statement on Tuesday that the military’s use of motorized paragliders to attack local communities was part of a “disturbing trend”.
BBC Burmese recently reported that the military is increasingly turning to paramotors amid a shortage of aircraft and helicopters.
Over the past few years, international sanctions have made it more difficult for Myanmar’s rulers to procure military equipment.
But advanced drones and military technology from China and Russia have given the military a new edge on the battlefield, according to analysts.
Joe Freeman, Amnesty International’s Myanmar researcher, said the attack “should serve as a chilling wake-up call that Myanmar’s civilians need urgent protection.”
He also called on Asean, a regional bloc in Southeast Asia scheduled to convene later this month, “to increase pressure on the military and revise an approach that has failed the people of Myanmar for nearly five years.”
Monday’s candlelight vigil was organized as part of a peaceful protest against military conscription and the upcoming general election. They were also demanding the release of political prisoners, including democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was overthrown in a coup and imprisoned.
Myanmar is scheduled to hold a general election in December, the first vote since the 2021 coup. But critics say the vote will not be free and fair and is aimed at legitimizing military rule. Many opposition parties have been banned, and voting is likely to take place only in military-controlled areas, about half the country.
