An attack in Sagaing in January killed 17 people, including two villagers attending Sunday prayers.
Amnesty International said Myanmar's military should be investigated for war crimes over an airstrike last month that killed 17 villagers, including two children, who were attending Sunday services.
Amnesty International said analysis of photos and videos and interviews with witnesses showed that the Myanmar Air Force dropped bombs at three locations near St. Peter the Baptist Church in Kanan village on the morning of January 7.
This village is located in the Sagaing region, near the border between Myanmar and India.
At least 20 people were injured.
The damage is “consistent with an airstrike,” the rights group said in a statement Thursday. “The combined photographic and video evidence points to at least three impact locations, each crater consistent with an approximately 250kg aircraft bomb.”
Myanmar's military had previously denied responsibility for the attack, saying no aircraft were flying in the area at the time.
But Amnesty International said a review of the video taken during the strike showed “the distinctive swept-wing silhouette of an A-5 fighter jet flying over the village,” indicating that it was flying Chinese-made aircraft. He pointed out that only the military has. Additionally, satellite images from Tadawu Air Base near Mandalay show active A-5 operations at the airfield, and plane watchers believe the A-5 takeoff coincided with the attack on Kanan that morning. , flight, and landing were reported.
“The Myanmar military's deadly attacks on civilians show no signs of slowing,” said Matt Wells, head of Amnesty International's crisis response program. “These attacks must be investigated as war crimes and the UN Security Council should refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The perpetrators of these crimes must be prosecuted under international law. must be judged.”
Myanmar has erupted into armed resistance three years ago after generals seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking mass protests and the military hitting back with brutal force. That's when I was in crisis.
At least 4,485 civilians have been killed since the coup, and violence has become increasingly rampant.
Sagaing is known for brutal attacks by the military, which has launched air raids and destroyed villages as part of a long-standing strategy known as the “four cuts” aimed at separating opponents from potential civilian supporters. I burned it down.
At the time of the attack on the church, the village of Canaan was under the control of a unit of the People's Defense Forces (PDF). The People's Defense Forces is an anti-coup armed organization established by the Government of National Unity, which is made up of parliamentarians and democratic activists who were removed in the coup.
“Toothless remark”
The United Nations estimates that at least 2.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes by fighting in Myanmar, with millions more in need of humanitarian assistance, prompting calls for the international community to do more to address the worsening situation. It's increasing.
The United States and its allies have imposed some sanctions, but the response has largely fallen to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional group that Myanmar joined in 1997.
In April 2021, ASEAN agreed to a so-called five-point agreement aimed at ending the violence in emergency talks with Myanmar's military chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, but the military regime has ignored the agreement, and ASEAN has refused to agree to the agreement. Little has been done to ensure compliance.
“The crisis in Myanmar is rapidly escalating and the people of Myanmar urgently need support and protection from the United Nations Security Council,” said a member of the Special Advisory Committee on Myanmar (SAC-M) and UN Independent International Facts. said Marzuki Darusman, former chairman of the -The Mission on Myanmar said in a statement after a closed meeting of the Council on Wednesday.
Ahead of the meeting, nine members of the 15-member council issued a statement calling on the military to stop attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure and release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi. Announced.
“It is not enough for the Security Council to issue a toothless statement and follow an even more toothless ASEAN. The military regime must be brought to justice for its deplorable actions,” added Darsman. Ta.
Fellow SAC-M member Chris Sedoti said the Security Council should have referred Myanmar to the ICC long ago.
“If they cannot or will not do so, then other countries must act to ultimately bring the perpetrators of serious international crimes in Myanmar to justice, either through the ICC or a special tribunal.” Sedoti said. Mission.
In 2018, the mission questioned Min Aung Hlaing and his military leaders over their treatment of several ethnic and religious minorities, including the majority Muslims in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states. It called for investigations and prosecutions of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Rohingya.
SAC-M was established by a group of international independent experts to support the people of Myanmar in their fight for justice and accountability after the coup.