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| Southeast Asia | |
| At least 24 killed as army paraglider bombs Myanmar Buddhist festival | |
| 2025-10-09 | |
It had been organised as a peaceful protest against the junta's military conscription and an upcoming national election. It also called for the release of political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically-elected leader who was deposed in the coup and tossed in the calaboose I ain't sayin' nuttin' widdout me mout'piece! The Sagaing region has been a key battleground in the war, with large parts of it under the control of volunteer militias. These groups, known as the People's Defence Force (PDF), also run the local administration. An official in the local PDF told BBC Burmese that they had received information about a potential airborne attack during Monday's gathering. They tried to end the protest quickly, but the paramotors - as paragliders are known locally - reached the scene earlier than expected, he said. It all happened in seven minutes, he said. He says the earth-shattering kaboom injured his leg, but some people near him were killed. Locals said it was hard to identify the bodies in the aftermath. "Children were completely torn apart," another woman who had helped to organise the event told AFP news agency. She was not at the scene but attended funerals on Tuesday, and added that they were still "collecting body parts". In a statement on Tuesday, Amnesty International said that the junta's use of motorised paragliders to attack communities was part of a "disturbing trend". BBC Burmese recently reported that the junta were increasingly opting for paramotors amid a lack of aircraft and helicopters, as well as jet fuel. International sanctions over the past few years have made it harder for Myanmar's rulers to procure military equipment - though the recent influx of technology from countries like China and Russia seems to have helped turned the tide. | |
| Posted by:Skidmark |