Canada has officially announced new sanctions against 13 Myanmar military council officials, including generals, ministers, and deputy ministers, along with three organizations, as declared by the Canadian Foreign Minister on March 8. These sanctions represent an escalation in international pressure against the military council’s continued oppression of Myanmar’s civilians. The sanctions demonstrate the growing international community’s response to the ongoing crisis in Myanmar and their commitment to holding the military council accountable for its actions.
In Papun Township, Karen State, the military council conducted an airstrike on a monastery in Kyauk Kwin village, despite there being no active fighting in the area. The resident abbot, Venerable Bhaddanta Wisudha, was killed when struck by bomb fragments from the aerial attack. This incident starkly contradicts the military council’s frequent claims of protecting Buddhism, as they continue to carry out attacks that harm religious figures and institutions. The death of the venerable abbot represents a significant loss for the local community and highlights the military council’s brutal tactics, which spare neither religious institutions nor civilian targets. Local residents reported that the attack was unprovoked and occurred in an area where there was no military engagement.
In Nyaung-U Township, Mandalay Region, two military council-appointed administrators, Htun Wai and Pyu Saw Htee Soe Lwin, were killed in an attack. Both died immediately at the scene. This incident demonstrates the continuing deterioration of the military council’s administrative control and reflects the intensifying resistance against the military dictatorship at the local level. The military council is facing increasing difficulties in maintaining control over township-level administration, with their appointed officials becoming targets of attacks. This situation illustrates the growing challenges the military council faces in implementing their authority at the local level, as even their administrative personnel are no longer safe from resistance actions.
