In a troubling escalation of violence in Myanmar, an airstrike by the military on a hospital in Rakhine has resulted in the deaths of at least 33 individuals, including healthcare workers and patients. This devastating incident has drawn widespread condemnation from international organizations, underscoring the urgent need for accountability and a cessation of hostilities in a nation already grappling with profound humanitarian crises. As the conflict intensifies amidst calls for justice, the affected communities face not only physical harm but the looming threat of further military aggression.
Myanmar’s military has acknowledged conducting an airstrike on a hospital in the western state of Rakhine, claiming that 33 individuals killed were armed members of opposition groups and their supporters, rather than civilians. However, various witnesses, aid workers, and rebel groups, alongside the United Nations, assert that the victims were indeed civilians seeking medical care at the facility.
In a statement published by the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, the military’s information office claimed that armed organizations, including the Arakan Army and the People’s Defence Force, utilized the hospital as a base for their operations. The military described the airstrike as part of a counterterrorism initiative responding to these groups.
The United Nations condemned the attack on the hospital, which had been providing essential emergency care, obstetric, and surgical services, asserting that the violence against civilian facilities reflects a broader pattern of harmful strikes that are devastating communities throughout Myanmar. UN rights chief Volker Turk condemned the actions “in the strongest possible terms” and called for an investigation, stating that such attacks could potentially constitute a war crime. He urged for accountability and a cessation of fighting in the region.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed profound dismay at the incident, remarking that the attack resulted in at least 33 fatalities, including health workers and family members, with crucial hospital infrastructure significantly damaged.
The region remains mired in ongoing civil strife, with Mrauk-U, situated 530 kilometers northwest of Yangon, falling under the control of the Arakan Army since February 2024. The Arakan Army represents the militarized wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, which seeks greater autonomy from the central government of Myanmar. The conflict resumed with increased intensity following the military’s counterinsurgency efforts in November 2023.
Rakhine state was previously the site of a brutal military campaign in 2017 that led to the mass displacement of approximately 740,000 Rohingya, who fled to Bangladesh seeking refuge. The region continues to grapple with deep-seated ethnic tensions, particularly between the predominantly Buddhist Rakhine people and the Muslim Rohingya.
In light of the airstrike, the Arakan Army has pledged to work with international organizations to seek accountability for the military’s actions and to ensure justice, calling for “strong and decisive action” against those responsible for the attack.
The military government has intensified its air operations in anticipation of scheduled elections on December 28, which critics argue will neither be free nor fair and are intended primarily to solidify the army’s grip on power. Since the military coup in 2021, Myanmar has been engulfed in turmoil, marked by widespread public dissent and armed conflict as many citizens take up arms against military rule, rendering significant portions of the country embroiled in violence.
#WorldNews #MiddleEastNews