Human Rights Watch report on the April 11 shelling that killed more than 160 people in the village of Pa Zi Gyi. These types of weapons are designed to deal large-scale damage using the surrounding oxygen. Once again, the importance of approving sanctions against the transfer of weapons and fuel to the coup military emerges.
Yangon () – In the ruthless attack on April 11 against the village of Pa Zi Gyi, in the northern region of Sagaing, which killed more than 160 people, the Burmese coup junta used a thermobaric bomb, a type of explosive designed to deliberately cause large-scale damage. This was denounced yesterday by the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) after analyzing dozens of photos and videos of the bombing, noting that it could be a war crime.
Since the coup d’état on February 1, 2021, when the army overthrew the previous government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the bombardments against the population have been incessant: just two days ago, the Burmese air force dropped four bombs on a school than 300 students in the town of Htan Taw. According to the local resistance forces, the explosions damaged the library and the door of the school, where the children were an hour and a half before the event: a new massacre was avoided because they had brought the school leaving time earlier, the witnesses explained. .
Bombardments with powered weapons against civilians are a violation of international law, explained HRW: “For the Burmese army to use a weapon designed to cause the maximum number of casualties in an area crowded with civilians shows a flagrant disregard for human life,” it declared. Elaine Pearson, regional director for Asia at the organization.
In thermobaric weapons, an explosive material is used that is dispersed in the form of a vapor cloud and, when detonated, fuels combustion through oxygen in the air. The HRW experts were able to identify this type of weapon based on the analysis of the injuries suffered by the victims, among whom were also 40 children: many bodies were torn to pieces beyond recognition or had been burned alive.
Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for the military, claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that he intended to attack the troops of the Popular Defense Forces (FDP), a militia that emerged in April 2021 after the coup and allied with the other ethnic militias. of the country to fight the army.
Although the civil war in Myanmar is treated as a local conflict, international involvement is evident: Russia and China are the main suppliers of arms to the Burmese coup junta, making vicious attacks like this one against the village of Pa Zi Gyi possible. Therefore, “foreign governments must cut off funding and supplies of weapons and fuel for the junta’s planes, in order to prevent further atrocities,” HRW declared. “The Myanmar junta’s illegal military operations depend on its ability to procure weapons and other materiel. ASEAN and the UN Security Council should reconsider their shaky stance on the Myanmar junta and take tougher action.” Pearson added.
