In the past month, the Myanmar junta has killed more than 210 people in aerial attacks according to The Irrawaddy.
Since mid-last year, the junta has increasingly relied on aerial attacks nationwide as part of the ‘four cuts’ policy according to a recent report by the UN Human Rights Office.
The ‘four cuts’ is a strategy that has been used for decades against Myanmar ethnic nationalities and non-junta armed groups. The policy aims to cut access to food, finances, intelligence and recruits by terrorising civilians with air strikes and artillery shelling, destroying villages, causing mass displacement and preventing humanitarian aid.
The number of internally displaced persons within Myanmar has now jumped to 1.8 million, with an estimated 17.6 million in need of humanitarian assistance. Over 60,000 civilian properties, including houses, hospitals and schools have been destroyed by the junta.
Pa Zi Gyi Massacre – deadliest air strike since the coup
Pa Zi Gyi village in Sagaing Region of northern Myanmar was hit with a brutal assault on April 11, 2023. While a large crowd gathered to celebrate the public opening local administration office, a jet fighter dropped two bombs on the village, followed by two Mi-35 helicopter gunships firing machine guns at the crowd.
The death toll from the attack is now estimated to be 175, including at least 27 women and 38 children.
Calls on the Australian Government to take immediate action
In response to the recent horrifying aerial attack on the Pa Zi Gyi Village, the Myanmar Campaign Network (MCN) has called for the Australian government to impose stronger sanctions on the Myanmar junta.
A rally at Canberra Parliament House in February 2023 to commemorate the second anniversary of the Myanmar Spring Revolution.
While the Australian government has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the people of Myanmar by imposing sanctions on 16 individuals and two military-owned business conglomerates in February this year, these measures currently account for only 5% of international sanctions action.
MCN believes that stronger and more extensive sanctions are needed to effectively pressure the junta and restrict its capacity to buy and produce arms.
To this end, MCN calls on the Australian government to expand its sanctions to include state-owned enterprises whose accounts are under the control of the junta. These enterprises, which serve as vital sources of revenue for the military regime, include Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), Myanma Mining Enterprise 1 and 2 (ME1, ME2), and Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE). By targeting these organizations, Australia can significantly undermine the junta’s financial resources and weaken its grip on power.
International activists call for aviation fuel sanctions
Burma Campaign UK is calling on five British insurance companies to stop providing insurance cover for deliveries of aviation fuel to Burma. The five companies UK P&I, Steamship Mutual, Britannia P&I, North Standard and Shipowners Club were revealed in Deadly Cargo, Amnesty International’s report on the aviation fuel supply chain.
Actions you can take today
Sign the Burma Campaign UK petition: Stop Insuring Aviation Fuel Deliveries to Burma
Sign the Amnesty International petition: Companies and governments must stand up for people in Myanmar