A United Nations (UN) investigation unit on Myanmar has issued a statement urging witnesses and anyone with information about the airstrike on a school in Thayettapin Village, Kyauktaw Township, Arakan (Rakhine) State, to come forward with evidence.

The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) has called for comprehensive information on the Thayettapin Village bombing, including details on casualties, damage, munitions used, aircraft and weapon types, as well as the identities of the pilots and the orders issued by their superiors.

“It’s a good step that this evidence is being collected. By doing so, a lot of information can be gathered that could lead to action against the junta. The junta has carried out many airstrikes that have killed people not only in Thayettapin but also in other parts of the country. That’s why the international community needs to take prompt action against it,” an Arakan State resident told DMG.

At least 22 people, mostly students, were killed and over 20 others injured in an airstrike on a private school in Thayettapin Village on September 12, the IIMM reported.

Since seizing power in the 2021 coup, the junta has frequently carried out airstrikes on schools, with this incident being one of the deadliest.

The IIMM condemned the airstrike, saying it worsens the dangers already faced by the diverse communities in Arakan State, who are struggling with attacks, killings, forced displacement, and starvation.

In Arakan State, the junta has carried out a series of air raids on civilian areas in townships under Arakan Army (AA) control, resulting in an increase in civilian casualties, including children.

“I want the international community to take action against (coup junta leader) Min Aung Hlaing for killing my son. I want them to do everything they can to help bring down the junta,” said Daw Ma Ni Khaing, a grieving mother from Minthartaung Village in Kyauktaw Township. Her 16-year-old son, Maung Myint Myat Soe, was among the students killed in the Thayettapin Village airstrike.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Arakan civil organizations, and the Arakan Army (AA) all strongly condemned the junta for killing children in the airstrike on a school in Thayettapin Village.

The AA has declared that it will take action against everyone responsible for the attack, including those who gave the orders and those involved, in pursuit of justice for the victims, their bereaved families, and the Arakan public.