Latest news with #MyanmarWitness
NHK
4 days ago
- Politics
- NHK
Clues undermine Myanmar junta's claims on school air strike
An investigation by NHK and Myanmar Witness reveals strong evidence that a school there was targeted by a military air strike that killed over 20 children. The findings contradict the junta's claims and raise concerns about escalating attacks on civilians.
New Straits Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Myanmar jet crash killed four civilians
YANGON: A Myanmar junta jet that crashed in a war zone this week killed four people as it smashed into a village where civilians were sheltering from fighting, a local official said on Friday. Myanmar has been consumed by civil war since the military ousted a democratic government in 2021. More than three million people are currently displaced, according to United Nations figures. Anti-coup guerrillas claimed they downed the jet on Tuesday after four days of intense combat in the central Sagaing region, while Myanmar's junta said it crashed due to "sudden engine failure." Zaw Htet, a local administrator from the rebel-held area, said there were four fatalities as the jet destroyed five buildings on impact in the village of Sa Par Sayt. "They were killed in their houses. Three of them were IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) who had come to stay at the village," said Zaw Htet. Analysis of social media images of the crash site by the Britain-based Centre for Information Resilience's Myanmar Witness project identified the jet as a Chinese-manufactured single-seat Chengdu F-7. Myanmar's military has suffered stinging territorial losses in recent months, but analysts say its air force, backed by China and Russia, has been key to fending off its myriad opponents. The military and some of its adversaries have pledged a truce this month as the country continues to recover from March's devastating magnitude-7.7 earthquake, which killed nearly 3,800 people. However, the People's Liberation Army – a communist group that took up arms after the coup – said it downed the jet 130 kilometres (80 miles) west of Mandalay city, the area worst hit by the tremor. The junta's information team said the jet had been on a training flight when it was stricken by a technical malfunction.
The Star
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Myanmar jet crash in village killed four civilians: local official
YANGON (AFP): A Myanmar junta jet that crashed in a war zone this week killed four people as it smashed into a village where civilians were sheltering from fighting, a local official said Friday. Myanmar has been consumed by civil war since the military ousted a democratic government in 2021. More than three million people are currently displaced, according to United Nations figures. Anti-coup guerillas claimed they downed the jet on Tuesday after four days of intense combat in central Sagaing region, while Myanmar's junta said it crashed because of "sudden engine failure". Zaw Htet, a local administrator from the rebel-held area, said there were four fatalities as the jet destroyed five buildings on impact in the village of Sa Par Sayt. "They were killed in their houses. Three of them were IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) who came to stay at the village," said Zaw Htet. Analysis of social media images of the crash site by the Britain-based Centre for Information Resilience's Myanmar Witness project identified the jet as a Chinese-manufactured single-seat Chengdu F-7. Myanmar's military has suffered stinging territorial losses in recent months, but analysts say its air force backed by China and Russia has been key to fending off its myriad opponents. The military and some of its adversaries have pledged a truce this month as the country continues to recover from March's devastating magnitude-7.7 earthquake which killed nearly 3,800 people. But the People's Liberation Army -- a communist group which took up arms after the coup -- said it downed the jet 130 kilometres (80 miles) west of Mandalay city, the area worst-hit by the tremor. The junta information team said the jet had been on a training flight when it was stricken by a technical malfunction. - AFP
Straits Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Myanmar jet crash killed four civilians: local official
YANGON - A Myanmar junta jet that crashed in a war zone this week killed four people as it smashed into a village where civilians were sheltering from fighting, a local official said on June 13. Myanmar has been consumed by civil war since the military ousted a democratic government in 2021. More than three million people are currently displaced, according to United Nations figures. Anti-coup guerillas claimed they downed the jet on June 10 after four days of intense combat in central Sagaing region, while Myanmar's junta said it crashed because of 'sudden engine failure'. Mr Zaw Htet, a local administrator from the rebel-held area, said there were four fatalities as the jet destroyed five buildings on impact in the village of Sa Par Sayt. 'They were killed in their houses. Three of them were IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) who came to stay at the village,' said Mr Zaw Htet. Analysis of social media images of the crash site by the Britain-based Centre for Information Resilience's Myanmar Witness project identified the jet as a Chinese-manufactured single-seat Chengdu F-7. Myanmar's military has suffered stinging territorial losses in recent months, but analysts say its air force backed by China and Russia has been key to fending off its myriad opponents. The military and some of its adversaries have pledged a truce this month as the country continues to recover from March's devastating magnitude-7.7 earthquake which killed nearly 3,800 people. But the People's Liberation Army – a communist group which took up arms after the coup – said it downed the jet 130km west of Mandalay city, the area worst-hit by the tremor. The junta information team said the jet had been on a training flight when it was stricken by a technical malfunction. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Humanitarian needs remain pressing month after Myanmar's deadly quake
AP file photo BANGKOK: The humanitarian needs of hundreds of thousands of survivors remain desperately pressing a month after Myanmar 's deadly earthquake, compounded by airstrikes that the military government is reportedly carrying out despite ceasefires meant to aid relief efforts during the country's civil war. The 7.7 magnitude March 28 quake hit a wide swath of the country, causing significant damage to six regions and states, including the capital, Naypyitaw. Myanmar's Department of Meteorology and Hydrology reported Monday that there had been 157 aftershocks after the big quake, ranging in magnitude from 2.8 to 7.5. Quake death toll rises State-run MRTV television reported on Sunday the quake's death toll had reached 3,769, with 5,106 people injured and 107 still missing. The earthquake left many areas without power, telephone or cell connections and damaged roads and bridges, in addition to tens of thousands of buildings. In some quake-hit areas, bereaved relatives and friends of the disaster's victims on Monday offered donations to monks, a Buddhist tradition to transfer merit and blessings to the deceased. Military airstrikes continue A report released Monday by the Myanmar Witness project of the London-based Centre for Information Resilience said the group had documented 80 post-quake airstrikes by the military across multiple regions, including 65 after the army declared its unilateral ceasefire on April 2, following similar declarations by its battlefield foes. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army's 2021 takeover ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, which led to nationwide peaceful protests that escalated into armed resistance, uniting pro-democracy activists and ethnic minority guerrilla groups that have long been fighting for autonomy "Myanmar's population was already on its knees after years of SAC aggression and armed conflict," said Myanmar Witness project director Robert Dolan, referring to the military's ruling State Administration Council. "The layers of suffering are hard to comprehend - we've seen regions wrecked by war and then the earthquake, only to sustain further damage from continued airstrikes." The shadow National Unity Government, the main opposition group coordinating resistance to military rule, said Saturday in a statement that the post-quake bombings "have primarily targeted civilian areas - markets, residential zones, Buddhist monasteries, and Christian churches - resulting in the deaths of over 200 civilians, including at least 24 children, from March 28 to April 19, 2025." The military government hasn't directly commented on the airstrikes, but when it extended its ceasefire on April 22, it reserved the right to respond as "necessary" to certain activities by the resistance forces. Independent evaluation of most war claims by either side is impossible, due to the military's restrictions on reporting and the remoteness of where many incidents take place. Agencies warn of dire living conditions UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations, meanwhile, stress that living conditions remain dire for earthquake survivors. They note that even before the earthquake, the civil war had displaced more than 3 million people and left nearly 20 million in need. "Critical needs remain for safe shelter, clean water and sanitation, physical and mental health care, comprehensive protection services and cash assistance," the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday in its latest situation report. Many who lost their homes are still in makeshift tents with little to protect them from pre-monsoon storms ahead of the months-long rainy season, which normally begins in May, humanitarian services say. "The delay in removing earthquake debris is increasing the risk of vector-borne diseases, as stagnant water and poor sanitation create breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects," said the UN report. "Limited access to safe drinking water and clean sanitation poses a significant threat of waterborne diseases, compounded by the absence of rapid diagnostic tests, which delays the detection of potential outbreaks." The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a report released Monday that displaced people were living outdoors in temperatures of up to forty degrees Celsius, with an overwhelming fear of further aftershocks. Reconstruction starts In Naypyitaw, the damaged buildings of the labour and foreign ministries have been demolished for new construction, said a resident who asked not to be named for security reasons. Debris at markets and schools has been cleaned by municipal workers, while thousands of people, who lost their homes, were still living under tarpaulin sheets, he said. He said that he was told that the departments and offices of several ministries will be temporarily relocated to Yangon, the country's former capital and largest city, until their offices can be rebuilt.
