Myanmar’s Ambassador to the United Nations, U Kyaw Moe Tun, reported the military council’s aerial bombing of a school in Ohteinpin village, Depayin Township, Sagaing Region, which resulted in the deaths of 20 students and 2 teachers. This presentation was made during the Sustainable Development Goals Conference held at the UN Headquarters in New York City on May 12. The ambassador detailed how the military’s airstrike not only caused these fatalities but also left many others severely injured.
According to the ambassador’s report, the Depayin region was already one of the areas most severely affected by the recent 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck just over a month ago. The military council’s continued indiscriminate aerial attacks and bombing campaigns have resulted in ongoing civilian casualties and widespread destruction of infrastructure. The ambassador emphasized that these attacks particularly target essential facilities crucial for sustainable development, such as schools and hospitals, causing extensive damage to civilian infrastructure and loss of life.
The ambassador specifically highlighted how certain countries continue to provide military equipment and political support to the military council, enabling them to carry out these attacks. He pointed out that such support, whether through material assistance or diplomatic backing, directly contributes to the loss of innocent lives, including children. The military council’s daily airstrikes and bombardments have caused extensive civilian casualties and property destruction, severely impacting the country’s sustainable development goals and basic infrastructure.
During the UN meeting, Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun called for an immediate cessation of the military council’s airstrikes and violence against civilians, as well as an end to international support for the military council. He emphasized that lasting peace and justice in Myanmar can only be achieved through the complete elimination of the military council and military dictatorship, followed by the establishment of a federal democratic union. The ambassador stressed that continued support for the military council, whether material or moral, enables them to continue their campaign of violence against civilians, including children, and must be stopped immediately for the sake of Myanmar’s future.
