{"id":5729,"date":"2025-04-16T04:00:45","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T21:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/?p=5729"},"modified":"2025-04-16T04:00:45","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T21:30:45","slug":"airstrikes-intensify-two-weeks-after-the-earthquake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2025\/04\/airstrikes-intensify-two-weeks-after-the-earthquake\/","title":{"rendered":"Airstrikes Intensify Two Weeks After the Earthquake"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-1-2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5730\" src=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-1-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-1-2.png 640w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-1-2-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-1-2-560x420.png 560w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-1-2-260x195.png 260w, https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-1-2-160x120.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Myanmar Spring Chronicle \u2013 April 14 Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>published by <em>MoeMaKa<\/em> on April 15, 2025:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\ud83d\uded1 <strong>Airstrikes Intensify Two Weeks After the Earthquake<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In the two weeks following the powerful March 28 earthquake, the Myanmar military junta has intensified airstrikes across the country \u2014 particularly in regions where active ground fighting is limited or nonexistent.<\/p>\n<p>Daily airstrikes have been reported in:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Rakhine State<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Chin State<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Northern Sagaing<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Karenni (Kayah) State<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Kayin (Karen) State<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Bago Region<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Mandalay Region<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>On the afternoon of March 28 \u2014 the very day of the earthquake \u2014 the military launched airstrikes on villages in Naungcho Township, an area near the quake\u2019s epicenter. In the following days, after the junta lost control of <strong>Falam<\/strong> and <strong>Htantlang<\/strong> in Chin State to resistance forces, it retaliated with bombings near Wuntho Township in Indaw, killing dozens of civilians.<\/p>\n<p>Around the Thingyan (Water Festival) holidays, the military also carried out airstrikes on towns controlled by the <strong>Arakan Army (AA)<\/strong> in Rakhine State, resulting in additional casualties. Other villages in <strong>Mandalay\u2019s Singu Township<\/strong>, <strong>Depayin Township<\/strong>, and <strong>Tantse Township<\/strong> were bombed, damaging monasteries and killing civilians, including monks and children.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\ud83d\udd0d <strong>Nature of the Airstrikes<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>An analysis of the airstrikes suggests:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Some were <strong>retaliatory attacks<\/strong> in response to lost towns or battles.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Others targeted areas where <strong>PDF (People\u2019s Defense Force) troops were believed to be gathering<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>However, in many cases, the bombings have caused <strong>civilian casualties<\/strong> rather than hitting military targets \u2014 destroying homes, killing non-combatants, and terrorizing local populations.<\/p>\n<p>In airstrikes across Sagaing villages, <strong>no reports of resistance casualties<\/strong> have emerged \u2014 only civilian deaths and injuries, including children.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\u2696\ufe0f <strong>Violation of Ceasefire &amp; Humanitarian Appeals<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>These attacks directly <strong>violate the junta\u2019s own unilateral ceasefire announcement<\/strong>. At a time when millions are still suffering from the earthquake, the international community \u2014 including the United Nations \u2014 has called for halting attacks to focus on humanitarian aid and reconstruction.<\/p>\n<p>Despite that, the junta has ramped up military aggression <strong>instead of prioritizing relief efforts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Some international governments have begun <strong>re-engaging diplomatically<\/strong> with the junta under the pretext of coordinating earthquake relief, allowing the junta to break out of diplomatic isolation. In the coming days, <strong>ASEAN leaders<\/strong>, including Malaysia\u2019s Prime Minister (ASEAN Chair), are scheduled to meet junta leader <strong>Min Aung Hlaing<\/strong> in Bangkok.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\ud83e\udde9 <strong>Diplomatic Gain, Military Escalation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The junta appears to be using the earthquake as an opportunity to <strong>gain diplomatic legitimacy<\/strong>, while simultaneously <strong>intensifying military operations<\/strong> on the ground. Though international actors urge peace talks, both sides remain entrenched.<\/p>\n<p>Resistance forces, in turn, have no intention of backing down from besieging and attempting to capture junta-controlled cities, even during this period.<\/p>\n<p>The junta\u2019s reliance on airstrikes \u2014 especially in retaking lost towns or camps \u2014 has <strong>not proven effective<\/strong> militarily. Instead, it seems aimed at <strong>disrupting the resistance\u2019s ability to hold territory<\/strong>, even if that means inflicting mass harm on civilians.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\u2708\ufe0f <strong>Push for Airstrike Restrictions<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The NUG and several civil society organizations have been calling for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Jet fuel bans<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Bans on sale of military aircraft parts<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But nations friendly to the junta \u2014 <strong>Russia, China, Vietnam, and Belarus<\/strong> \u2014 continue to provide access to fuel and parts, <strong>undermining sanctions efforts<\/strong> and enabling ongoing airstrikes.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\ud83e\uddf1 <strong>Rebuilding and Peace Remain Distant<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Rebuilding from the massive March 28 earthquake will take <strong>years, not months<\/strong>, and must occur amid an active civil war. The dream of a peaceful resolution \u2014 or even a meaningful ceasefire \u2014 feels increasingly <strong>out of reach<\/strong>. For now, \u201cpeace\u201d remains just a word, not a reality.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Myanmar Spring Chronicle \u2013 April 14 Overview published by MoeMaKa on April 15, 2025: \ud83d\uded1 Airstrikes Intensify Two Weeks After the Earthquake In the two weeks following the powerful March 28 earthquake, the Myanmar military junta has intensified airstrikes across&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2025\/04\/airstrikes-intensify-two-weeks-after-the-earthquake\/\">Read more &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9,58],"tags":[100],"class_list":["post-5729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current","category-features","tag-myanmar-spring-revolution"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-1-2.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3RDLm-1up","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5729"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5729\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5731,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5729\/revisions\/5731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}