Market airstrike underlines ‘grave plight’ of Myanmar civilians, says UN

GENEVA: The United Nations human rights chief expressed deep concern on Tuesday over a deadly airstrike on a market in Myanmar, highlighting the dire conditions faced by civilians during the country's ongoing civil war. The airstrike, carried out by Myanmar's military on Monday, killed at least 50 people in Kyauktaw town, located in the country's western Rakhine State.

This incident, one of the deadliest in recent months, has raised serious questions about the adherence to international humanitarian law during hostilities, according to Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. He emphasized that all parties involved must respect the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack.

The market and adjacent bridge, which had been bustling with trade since the civil war began following a military coup in 2021, were targeted. The area is currently under the control of the Arakan Army, an ethnic rebel group. Turk underscored the severe plight of civilians across Myanmar, but particularly in Rakhine State, where the conflict has led to widespread human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual violence, and forced labor.

Rakhine has been severely affected, with nearly half a million people displaced due to the ongoing conflict.