Weekly Update: Women and Children Brutally Targeted in Attacks by the Military Junta

October 14, 2024

Scaled-up attacks by the military junta remain ongoing across the country. Civilians have been forced to carry the burden of a conflict that has been fueled and worsened by the regime for the last three and a half years. The terrorist military constantly and violently disrupts attempts by local people to live peacefully. Among the many wounded and killed are women and children. In September, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) documented nearly a dozen cases of attacks that resulted in the death or injury of a woman or child in target areas of Mon State, Karen State and the Tanintharyi region.

A woman tragically lost her life in an airstrike launched by the junta’s military forces in Hpapun Township, Karen State, even though there were no active clashes in the area, as reported by the Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 5.

On October 2, at 2 PM, two military jets dropped ten bombs across Wards 1 and 2 in Hpapun Township. One of the bombs directly struck 50-year-old Naw Heh Khu, a mother of six, who had been gathering vegetables near her old house. She died instantly from the attack.

The military junta continues to intensify its offensive operations in Hpapun, carrying out daily artillery strikes and air attacks from their strategic bases and battalions stationed in the southern part of the township. According to the KNU Brigade 5, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) has controlled the area since late February. However, it remains under constant threat from junta forces.

In a separate incident, three villagers, including a child, lost their lives in separate airstrikes launched by the junta in the Hpapun District, Karen State, according to a statement from the KNU Brigade 5.

On October 5, junta forces carried out airstrikes on Day Law Pu village in KNU’s Hpapun District, dropping two 500-pound bombs. The attack killed a 25-year-old man and his three-year-old daughter instantly, as confirmed by the KNU. Additionally, a 14-year-old girl was injured in the same attack. Earlier, on October 2, ten bombs were dropped on Wards 1 and 2 in Hpapun town. A 50-year-old woman who was foraging for vegetables near her old house was killed instantly.

In September alone, one civilian was killed, and similar attacks in the area injured five others. Junta forces in Hpapun have increasingly relied on airstrikes, as their military bases are being surrounded and cut off by joint resistance forces led by the KNLA.

These acts of violence, specifically targeting areas where civilians congregate, constitute war crimes under international law. Beyond the immediate loss of life, the junta’s deliberate attacks on civilians have created an atmosphere of fear and instability, forcing communities to flee their homes and disrupting livelihoods. The impact of these actions is not only physical but also deeply psychological, as the population is left vulnerable, without any protection or avenues for justice.

The international community must take urgent steps to address these violations. The Junta’s continued impunity for such grave crimes cannot be tolerated. Human rights organizations call for international legal mechanisms to hold the military accountable and protect the civilian population. The use of indiscriminate weapons, such as artillery shells and drone bombs, in civilian areas is a blatant violation of the Geneva Conventions and requires immediate investigation.

Human rights defenders and local civil society organizations are urging immediate action, emphasizing that these crimes will continue without accountability and justice. The international community must impose stronger sanctions, investigate these crimes, and support justice mechanisms to ensure that the people of Burma receive the protection and dignity they deserve.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under Analysis, News