The Myanmar military junta conducted more than 1,300 airstrikes between June and September this year, resulting in the deaths of 581 civilians, including 168 women and children in all over Myanmar, as reported by the Blood Money Campaign, a local group focused on severing financial support for the junta.
A report published on 19 November reveals that the military carried out airstrikes and 98 drone strikes over the four-month period across Myanmar. Along with the fatalities, 897 people were injured, including 50 children and 118 women.
The bombings caused widespread destruction, with 665 homes, 13 medical facilities, 84 religious structures, 27 schools, 434 commercial buildings, two prisons, two IDP camps, and a UN office reportedly damaged or destroyed.
September saw the most intense attacks, with 386 airstrikes leading to 242 deaths and 386 injuries. Shan State was the hardest-hit region, suffering 429 airstrikes and 122 fatalities, while Rakhine State witnessed 209 airstrikes, resulting in 173 deaths.
The Blood Money Campaign emphasized that the report aims to pressure international businesses and governments to block the junta’s access to aviation fuel, aircraft, weapons, and maintenance supplies.
The data was gathered and verified from 45 local news outlets and 11 ground-based revolutionary forces. The campaign, founded in 2021, collaborates with revolutionary groups, civil society organizations, and unions to disrupt the junta’s financial sources.
The report only covers airstrikes until September, excluding attacks that occurred later. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council recently held private discussions on Myanmar’s ongoing crisis.
In light of these findings, the Blood Money Campaign and the people of Myanmar urge the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and ASEAN nations to urgently take action to halt the military’s airstrikes, which continue to claim innocent lives and disrupt access to essential services like education, food, shelter, and healthcare. The campaign also demands these governments immediately stop companies from exporting aviation fuel to the Myanmar military junta.
