Myanmar Junta Accused of Using Cluster Bombs on Karen School

ICJ

Myanmar’s military junta is facing fresh accusations of war crimes after allegedly deploying banned cluster munitions in an airstrike on a school in Karen State, killing four civilians including three children.

The attack took place on Monday afternoon in Paingyak village, near Kawkareik town, far from any active combat zones. According to the Karen National Union (KNU) and local residents, a junta fighter jet dropped a cluster bomb on the village school, killing a teacher and three pupils aged between six and eight.

Another 22 villagers — 18 of them children — were injured, and several homes and a monastery were damaged. “There was no fighting here,” said one resident. “The jet bombed a peaceful village with no military presence.”

This is not an isolated incident. The KNU reports that Myanmar’s military has stepped up aerial assaults on civilian sites in recent weeks. In late May, a school dormitory and a wedding reception were bombed in separate attacks, leaving dozens dead or wounded — including the bride and multiple teenagers.

More alarmingly, the same cluster munitions were allegedly used in a separate strike on 12 May in Sagaing Region, where 22 schoolchildren and two young teachers were killed.

Cluster bombs scatter dozens of smaller explosives across a wide area and are banned under international law by 111 countries. Myanmar has not signed the treaty, but deliberately targeting civilians — particularly children and schools — violates international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime.

The UN and rights groups have repeatedly condemned the junta for its brutal crackdown since the 2021 coup, which sparked a nationwide uprising and a violent military response. Civilian areas, including hospitals, religious sites, and schools, have increasingly become targets.

With civilian casualties mounting and global scrutiny intensifying, pressure is growing for the international community to take firmer action to hold Myanmar’s military regime accountable.

-2025-06-12