According to a statement from a representative of the Thaung Tha Township Public Movement Committee, buildings within a monastery compound in Magyi Pin Tae village, Thaung Tha Township, Mandalay Region, were damaged following an aerial bombardment by the military council’s forces using helicopter gunships. The attack occurred in the morning of March 18, when two military helicopters from the Meiktila Air Base conducted an airstrike, dropping eight bombs on the area. While the attack resulted in damage to several structures within the monastery compound and one civilian house, fortunately, there were no civilian casualties reported, the official confirmed.
The military council has been conducting daily aerial attacks with the apparent intention of terrorizing and intimidating local residents. The Thaung Tha Township Public Movement Committee has issued warnings to local civilians to immediately seek shelter in bomb shelters upon hearing aircraft or helicopter sounds. Local residents have emphasized the need for extreme caution, as the military council forces regularly target civilian areas, schools, hospitals, and religious buildings. The pattern of these attacks demonstrates a systematic approach to targeting civilian infrastructure and creating an atmosphere of fear among the local population.
Human rights observers note that such attacks on religious buildings constitute violations of international humanitarian law and could be classified as war crimes. Since the military coup, the council has been systematically targeting civilians and has shown no restraint in destroying religious buildings and civilian infrastructure. The Thaung Tha Township Public Movement Committee reports that these actions have led to increasingly severe impacts on both the physical security and psychological well-being of local residents. The targeting of religious buildings, which should be protected under international law, represents a particularly egregious aspect of the military council’s campaign of violence against civilian populations.
