Canada’s Foreign Minister officially announced on March 8 that the country has imposed additional sanctions on 13 Myanmar military council officials, including generals, ministers, and deputy ministers, along with three organizations. These sanctions were implemented in response to the military council’s continued oppression of Myanmar’s people and are intended to increase international pressure on the regime. The sanctions target key figures within the military administration who are directly involved in the implementation of policies that have led to human rights violations and the suppression of democratic freedoms in Myanmar.
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 Wisudda, was killed in the bombing, according to local residents. This incident starkly contradicts the military council’s frequent claims of protecting Buddhism, as it demonstrates their willingness to attack religious figures and structures. The unprovoked airstrike on a religious site highlights the military’s disregard for civilian and religious institutions, despite their public rhetoric about being guardians of Buddhism in Myanmar.
In Nyaung-U Township, Mandalay Region, two military council-appointed administrators, Htun Wai and Pyu Saw Htee Soe Lwin, were shot and killed in an attack that resulted in their immediate deaths. This incident reflects the continuing collapse of the military council’s administrative structure and demonstrates the intensifying public resistance against the military dictatorship. The event underscores the lack of legitimate authority held by the military council, which continues to operate against the will of the people. The increasing frequency of such attacks against military council representatives indicates the growing rejection of their attempted governance and the strengthening of public opposition to their rule throughout the country.
