At a donation ceremony for earthquake relief in Naypyidaw, military council leader Min Aung Hlaing called on ethnic armed organizations to observe a temporary ceasefire. He stated that the military council had declared a temporary cessation of hostilities from April 2 until the end of May for earthquake recovery efforts. He urged ethnic armed organizations and relevant parties to seriously consider and comply with the temporary ceasefire announcement, claiming it was in the interest of the state and its people.
However, NUG Presidential Office spokesperson U Kyaw Zaw exposed the military council’s ceasefire announcement as fraudulent. He revealed that in reality, the military continues to conduct airstrikes targeting civilians. On May 12, a military jet fighter bombed a school in Ohteinpin village in Sagaing Region, killing at least 24 people including students and teachers, while injuring over 100 others. U Kyaw Zaw emphasized that this incident clearly demonstrates the military’s ongoing targeting of civilians despite their ceasefire claims.
Records show that between January 2023 and May 12, 2025, the military council conducted nearly 2,700 airstrikes in non-conflict areas. These attacks resulted in over 3,000 deaths and more than 5,000 injuries, including hundreds of children. The bombardments destroyed 240 schools and over 500 hospitals, clinics, and religious buildings. These statistics highlight the scale of destruction caused by the military’s air campaign against civilian targets.
On May 29, the National Unity Government issued a statement emphasizing that without a systematic ceasefire monitoring mechanism led by ASEAN with international participation, civilian protection cannot be effectively guaranteed. The statement warned that ASEAN and the international community should not continue to trust the military council’s pretense of humanitarian ceasefire. The NUG called for strong opposition to the bombing of civilians, schools, and medical facilities, and urged effective punitive measures against these actions. The statement highlighted the urgent need for concrete international action to prevent the military council’s ongoing attacks against civilian targets.
