UN Human Rights lawyerasks : How many Myanmar people need to die before world leaders take strong, coordinated action to stopthis carnage?” Kanbalu Township- SagaingDivision

NarinjaraNews, 12 April, 2023

Ghastly scenes have been recounted by eye-witness survivorsof the massacre of a 300 -strongcrowd gathered at Pazigyi village, Kanbalu Township of Sagaing Division on April 11th.

An eyewitness, who hid in a tunnel during the attack,described a scene of horror as he approachedthe site of the military airstrike – of children dying, women screaming, and bodies heaped on the ground.

At least 100 people, including women and children, werekilled after Myanmar’s military junta bombedKanbalu township in the central Sagaing region on Tuesday, according to the Kyunhla activist group, which was atthe scene.

The group said at least 20 children were killed in the strike and 50 peopleinjured.

About 300 people had gathered in Pazigyi Village early onTuesday morning to celebrate the openingof a local administration office , Families had traveled from nearby villagesfor the event, where tea and foodwas offered .

The new office was being opened under the authority of the shadow National Unity Government(NUG), for the people, as part of the anti-junta resistance which coincided with the start of the Thingyan NewYear celebrations.

Localresidents have claimed that the Military Councilconducted another airstrike in Pazigyi village, located in Kanbalu Township ofSagaing Division, at 5:00 p.m.”

“ From5:35 p.m. to 5:40 p.m., the jet fighter flew 3 times for 5 minutes and dropped 4 more bombs. Houses were alsobombed. I think they keep shooting so that we don’tpick up the bodies or leave any evidence. We are unable to pick up thebodies because of the continuous airstrikes,”said a local who was assisting in thepicking up of the bodies on April 11 after6:00 p.m.

Myanmar’s junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun confirmedthe airstrike on Pazigyi Village and saidif civilian casualties occurred it was because they were forced to help“terrorists,” Reuters reported.

The international community, including the UN SecretaryGeneral, has criticized the actionsof the Military Council, and labeled it as a war crime. The strike wascondemned internationally, withone top UN official saying global indifference to the situation in Myanmar contributed to the attack.

Tom Andrews, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on theSituation of Human Rights in Myanmarlamented ,“The Myanmar military’s attacks against innocent people, including

 today’s airstrike in Sagaing, isenabled by world indifference and those supplying them

with weapons. How many Myanmar children need to die beforeworld leaders take strong, coordinatedaction to stop this carnage?”