Human rights organization Fortify Rights has urged the United Nations Security Council to implement an immediate embargo on aviation fuel and weapons to the Myanmar military junta following a deadly airstrike that killed nine internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Pekon Township.
The attack occurred on September 5, 2024, when a junta jet targeted the “Bangkok Camp,” a refuge for more than 600 displaced individuals on the Karenni-Shan state border, killing six children and leaving 19 others injured.
“The Myanmar junta’s jets continue to pound civilian communities with complete impunity as the world watches and stays silent,” said Fortify Rights’ Human Rights Associate, Chit Seng.
He emphasized the need for international intervention, saying, “The U.N. Security Council and U.N. Member States…can and should cut the aviation fuel supplies and weapon flows that enable the junta’s continued reign of terror.”
The airstrike struck around 9:15 p.m., reportedly destroying 49 shelters and a school in the camp. Witnesses reported that the camp, far from any active combat zones, had no resistance fighters at the time.
Survivors recounted horrific scenes, including “Akayar,” a math teacher who lost his wife and young son in the bombing. He described watching his hut vanish and finding his loved ones fatally injured.
“I found [my wife] lying face down…I turned her around and saw that her face was gone… I just focused on finding my son,” Akayar told Fortify Rights.
Medical responders, like “Dr. Hla,” struggled to save the young victims. Dr. Hla recounted the difficulty of treating “Thar Thar,” Akayar’s two-year-old son, due to the severity of his injuries.
“There was a lot of blood and brain tissue,” Dr. Hla said. Tragically, the child succumbed to his wounds shortly after arriving at the hospital.
In a press release, Fortify Rights highlighted that the airstrike on the Bangkok IDP camp was a violation of international humanitarian law.
Under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, non-combatants are to be treated humanely and protected from direct attacks in conflict zones, making the junta’s assault on civilian shelters and schools a potential war crime.
“This attack appears to represent a grave breach of international humanitarian law,” Fortify Rights noted.
Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, civilian casualties have escalated in Myanmar. A recent U.N. report documented at least 2,414 civilian deaths from junta violence between April 2023 and June 2024, with a dramatic increase in fatalities from airstrikes.
The attack on the Bangkok IDP camp is the latest in a series of assaults that have targeted civilians in conflict areas.
International governments, including the U.S., have previously imposed sanctions to restrict the junta’s access to jet fuel.
Despite these measures, the Myanmar military continues to obtain fuel supplies, enabling airstrikes on civilian areas. Fortify Rights calls for the U.K., as the incoming president of the U.N. Security Council, to lead a resolution for a global aviation fuel and arms embargo on Myanmar’s military.
“Grounding the junta’s jets would go a long way to prevent any more needless deaths,” said Chit Seng.
The U.N. Security Council has passed resolutions addressing the crisis in Myanmar but has yet to mandate definitive action.
Fortify Rights warns that continued inaction may embolden the junta, escalating violence and civilian displacement.
“Ending the junta’s reliance on aviation fuel is a strategic lifeline that must now be cut,” added Chit Seng.
