Several Chin organizations have issued strong condemnations following the deadly airstrike on Mrauk-U General Hospital in Rakhine State asserting that the junta military committed a war crime.
The Chin Council (CC), in a statement on 14 December, and the Chin Brotherhood (CB), in a statement on 13 December, denounced the 10 December bombing that killed a total of 33 people including patients, patient attendants, and hospital staff and injured 77 others.
The Chin Council strongly condemned the bombing as an “inhumane act of terror.” The statement read, in part, “This act is a brazen violation of International Humanitarian Laws and fundamental human rights principles, constituting a war crime, and also a direct violation of the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.”
The Chin Council urged the international community to immediately stop and take action against the junta for its ongoing bombing attacks targeting civilian infrastructure across Myanmar, and to stand in solidarity with those affected.
Similarly, the Chin Brotherhood (CB), an ally of the Arakan Army (AA) which controls the Mrauk-U area, expressed grief and strong condemnation, stating that the “bombing and killing of patients, their families, and staff undergoing treatment in the hospital constitutes a war crime.”
The CB affirmed its commitment to cooperating with the Arakan National Council/Arakan Army (ANC/AA) in the fight to overthrow the military dictatorship and establish a Federal Democratic Union.
The Arakan National Council (ANC) released a statement on 14 December expressing gratitude for the condemnation and solidarity from the Chin groups. The ANC noted that the strong stance provided immense strength and called for continued cooperation to achieve justice for the deceased and injured victims, as well as assistance with urgently needed hospital equipment and medicines.
The junta’s propaganda unit, the True News Information Team, stated on 13 December that the operation was conducted as a counter-terrorism measure. It claimed to have received information that the AA, local People’s Defence Forces (PDF), Bamar People’s Liberation Army (BPLA), and Asho Chin forces were using the Mrauk-U hospital as a military base and to conduct administrative affairs, and that those killed or injured were not civilians but members and supporters of armed groups.
