A brutal airstrike by Myanmar’s military junta has left at least 22 people dead — 20 of them children — after a fighter jet bombed a primary school in the village of Oe Htein Kwin, roughly 100 kilometers northwest of the epicentre of the devastating March 28 earthquake. The attack comes despite a junta-declared ceasefire meant to allow recovery efforts following the natural disaster that killed nearly 3,800 people.
Eyewitnesses described a harrowing scene as bombs tore through the green school building at around 10:00 a.m. local time. The metal roof lay twisted and torn, the brick walls punctured by explosive blasts. Shattered school bags lay abandoned outside under the Myanmar flag, while anguished parents dug shallow graves for their children.
A local teacher, who survived the strike, said, “We tried to spread out the children, but the fighter was too fast and dropped its bombs. I haven’t been able to collect all the casualty data as parents are in a rush to bury their children.” She requested anonymity out of fear of reprisals.
The United Nations confirmed that Secretary-General António Guterres is “deeply alarmed” by the attack. "Schools must remain areas in which children have a safe place to learn and not be bombed," said his spokesperson in New York.
Despite on-the-ground evidence and consistent reporting from residents and education officials, the military junta dismissed the incident as “fabricated news,” claiming that “there was no airstrike on non-military targets.” This is a now-familiar pattern of denial from a regime widely accused of systematic human rights violations.
The junta, which seized power in a February 2021 coup, has waged a relentless campaign of violence against civilian populations, particularly in resistance strongholds like Sagaing region. Armed conflict has escalated dramatically since the earthquake, with the United Nations reporting over 200 civilian deaths from at least 243 junta-led military assaults — including 171 airstrikes — in the six weeks following the disaster.
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, underscored the dire humanitarian situation: “The needs are immense. My worry is that time is not on our side.” Monsoon rains are expected soon, threaten ing thousands still without shelter.
Despite announcing a ceasefire for April and May to “support rebuilding efforts,” the junta added a vague clause reserving the right to carry out “defensive measures.” Observers argue this has served as a pretext to continue offensives under the guise of security operations.
The United Nations and independent monitors warn that the junta is exploiting the earthquake crisis to intensify its suppression of dissent, targeting civilian infrastructure such as schools, clinics, and displacement camps. Meanwhile, anti-coup and ethnic armed groups have generally adhered to a pause in hostilities, although localized clashes persist.
To make matters worse, international relief efforts have been severely undermined by global funding shortfalls, compounded by the lasting effects of U.S. aid budget cuts enacted during the Trump administration.
As Myanmar reels from one of its deadliest natural disasters in decades, the junta's blatant disregard for human rights — bombing children even as survivors mourn the quake’s victims — reflects a chilling level of impunity. The international community faces growing pressure to respond not only with aid, but with accountability measures against a regime accused of war crimes.
BOB POST
