logo
'Children are innocent': Myanmar families in grief after school air strike

'Children are innocent': Myanmar families in grief after school air strike

Yahoo14-05-2025

Ko Min said he found his son and daughter's bodies in the ruins of a schoolhouse in central Myanmar, moments after a deadly air strike that witnesses said came as a military jet circled the village.
"One had no face and one's body was cut. They were cuddling their books," the 43-year-old told AFP, speaking under a pseudonym.
"My heart is broken. I value my children more than my own life."
The Monday morning air strike on the village of Oe Htein Kwin in Myanmar's Sagaing region killed 20 students and two teachers, according to a school staff member, a local administrator, and other witnesses.
It occurred during a purported truce -- to ease aid after March's devastating magnitude-7.7 quake -- between the junta, which seized power in 2021, and guerrilla fighters.
The junta denounced reports of the air strike as "fabricated news".
But the aquamarine school building -- where just under 300 pupils were enrolled -- was shattered with the hallmarks of a blast as villagers roamed the site on Monday afternoon and Tuesday.
The corrugated roof was blown away with holes punched in the brickwork, an abandoned ball under pockmarked walls smeared with what appeared to be blood.
An exercise book lay open, showing geometry notes. Colourful unclaimed bags, some stuffed with blood-stained books, had been piled outside under a pole flying a Myanmar flag.
The community buried the victims on the same day as the air strike, scooping earth out of the hard-packed ground.
Over shrouded bodies, the children's finest clothing had been draped on, and families wailed before onlookers covered the dead in earth with their bare hands.
"The children are innocent. They cannot even hold their pen or pencils firmly," said Ko Min. "Why do they attack these children?"
Myanmar's exiled self-declared "National Unity Government" said the youngest victim was seven-years-old.
- 'Dark like night' -
Myanmar has been riven by civil war since the military deposed the civilian leadership in 2021, with the junta suffering stinging losses to a myriad of anti-coup guerrillas and long-active ethnic armed groups.
Conflict monitors say the junta has turned to increasing air strikes with Russian-supplied jets as it struggles to fend off its opponents on the ground.
The military had pledged a ceasefire throughout May "to continue the rebuilding and rehabilitation process" after the March 28 quake that killed nearly 3,800 people.
But around 100 kilometres (62 miles) northwest of the epicentre, a 22-year-old volunteer teacher said the hush of his classroom was shattered Monday by the airstrike locals said hit around 10:00 am.
"It became dark immediately like night. We could not see each other," said the teacher. "We could not breathe because of the smell of gunpowder."
He carried a wounded pupil away to safety but turned back to see another girl in shock running from the blast, holding her own severed hand.
"That gave me goosebumps," he said. "She wasn't even crying."
His fellow teacher said the jet had struck after circling above as children played outside, in the area which is beyond the control of junta troops.
Locals and officials said dozens more children were also wounded, some in critical condition.
"These schoolchildren are the next generation of our country," said a 41-year-old local administration official.
"If these schoolchildren are killed, our country's future is also killed."
- 'Never seen such a scene' -
Rushing to the schoolhouse moments after the detonation, 27-year-old villager Ko Kyaw bypassed bodies and ran straight to those who might still be alive -- some with missing arms and legs.
But some died as he worked.
"I couldn't help everybody," he said, also speaking under a pseudonym. "I have never seen that kind of scene."
UN chief Antonio Guterres has said he is "deeply alarmed" by reports of the strike. News of the aerial bombardment of hospitals and monasteries is now commonplace in Myanmar.
But for the mother of Ko Min's two children -- a boy aged 13 and a nine-year-old girl who died on the school steps -- the grief is anything but commonplace.
"I want to ask the military if my children have done anything wrong," she said. "Come to us and fight us if you are brave, the children are innocent."
"Are there any countries to help us?" she pleaded. "Will it only be condemnations?"
bur-jts/pdw/dhc

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Putin calls for major upgrade to Russia's Ground Forces
Putin calls for major upgrade to Russia's Ground Forces

Yahoo

time30 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Putin calls for major upgrade to Russia's Ground Forces

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has directed his military command to substantially enhance the combat capabilities of Russia's ground forces. Source: Putin's statement at a meeting on the state armaments programme, as reported by Kremlin-aligned Russian Telegram channel Smotri Quote: "The ground forces remain the dominant force in conducting modern military operations of any scale and intensity. It is crucial to enhance their combat capabilities as quickly as possible, to establish a solid foundation for development and to ensure the creation of advanced weapons systems with the highest tactical and technical specifications and modernisation potential." Details: Alongside this, Putin instructed the development of the Russian navy. Background: Putin previously claimed that 95% of Russia's nuclear triad consists of modern weapons, asserting this as the highest figure globally. He directed officials to prioritise nuclear weapons as a cornerstone of Russia's sovereignty in the new state armaments programme, set for 2027–2036. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!

Putin claims Russia has world's most advanced nuclear triad
Putin claims Russia has world's most advanced nuclear triad

Yahoo

time31 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Putin claims Russia has world's most advanced nuclear triad

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has once again highlighted his country's nuclear capabilities in the defence sector. Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency TASS, citing Putin's statement at a meeting on the state armaments programme Details: He claimed that the share of modern weapons in Russia's nuclear triad is 95%, asserting this is the highest figure globally. Quote: "The share of modern weapons and equipment in the strategic nuclear forces is now 95%. This is a strong indicator, indeed the highest among all nuclear powers worldwide." More details: Putin instructed officials to prioritise the nuclear triad as a cornerstone of Russia's sovereignty in the new state armaments programme, set for 2027–2036. Quote: "Our task today is to develop a new long-term programme for the entire complex of systems and weapons, including, of course, advanced ones, leveraging the experience of the special military operation [as the Russians call the war against Ukraine – ed.], various regional conflicts and it is vital to consider global trends in the development of military technologies."Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!

German Chancellor rejects Social Democratic Party's calls for restoring relations with Russia
German Chancellor rejects Social Democratic Party's calls for restoring relations with Russia

Yahoo

time31 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

German Chancellor rejects Social Democratic Party's calls for restoring relations with Russia

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has affirmed the unity of his coalition government, comprising the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD), despite calls from some SPD members for a review of policy towards Russia. Source: n-tv, as reported by European Pravda Details: Speaking at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday, Merz responded to calls from certain SPD figures for diplomatic rapprochement with Russia and an end to Germany's arms policy. He emphasised that the coalition remains united on these matters. "In the federal government, between the CDU, CSU and SPD, we are fully united in our assessment of the war Russia is waging against Ukraine and the conclusions that must be drawn from it. I hope this unity will persist," he said. More details: Highlighting recent Russian attacks on Ukraine, Merz stressed the need to recognise Russia as a threat to the security of the entire NATO Alliance. "Russia poses a security risk on both sides of the Atlantic." He added that the upcoming NATO summit will address a long-term increase in defence spending. Background: A document titled "Manifesto," signed by over 100 SPD-associated figures, has sparked significant controversy in Germany. It advocates for a shift in security and defence policy, including negotiations with Russia and halting the deployment of new US medium-range missiles in Germany. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has already publicly rejected these proposals. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store