It was a cold winter night in Hpruso township, an area in Karenni State where villagers had been lulled into a false sense of security. Then the bombs exploded in the dark, prompting people to flee.
At 1 am in the morning on January 17, the Myanmar air force dropped bombs either from a fighter jet or a helicopter gunship.
The surprise attack killed a 12-year-old, a 15-year-old and a 52-year-old man, ripping their bodies apart.
It was a chilling reminder that nowhere is safe in the hinterlands of Myanmar.
After the February 2021 coup, many internally displaced persons or IDPs from all over Karenni State took shelter in Hpruso township because it was seemingly the safest place in the area.
Amidst the darkness on that January night, that hunch proved wrong.
What did the damage is unclear. Locals reported that the military dropped four bombs from two fighter jets. However, a military officer who joined the CDM movement thinks that a MI-35 attack-helicopter which can operate even in the night was used to drop 80-pound bombs.
What were they targeting? Two bombs exploded fifty feet away from a building, housing about 200 IDPs. The explosions left a three feet deep and six feet wide hole in the ground. Two other bombs exploded very close to another building shattering the roof and the sides severely. Luckily, it was a new spare building which was vacant.
A spokesperson from Hpruso PDF said, “There were no fighting in this area. The IDP situation here is also well-known. This attack on civilians is intentional. It couldn’t be a mistake.”
He said that the international community should step up to take severe action against the Myanmar military to call them out on such an attack.
“It could have been more disastrous if we had put IDPs in the new building. Hundreds could have died,” said one local organizer.
Attacks against civilians are increasing. On December 24, military troops burned and killed 26 males and 5 females totaling 31 locals along with the trucks and cars near Moso village on the Moso-Kwai Ngan village road which is about 2 kilometers to the northwest of Hpruso.
Likewise, in Sagaing region battles, while facing local PDFs from Pale, Depayin and other townships, the military was seen using air strikes intensively, with civilians getting injured or losing their lives.
The bombing of Hpruso resulted in many more casualties, however, the exact number has not been confirmed. IDPs have left the targeted shelters in fear of another attack.
In the western part of Hpruso, there are more than 6,000 IDPs and the bombings has shocked IDPs from other camps as well, according to an aid worker.
Minister of Human Rights of the National Unity Government, Aung Myo Min, said attacking the shelters and killing IDPs is an inhumane act.
“We are trying to stop this kind of air strikes on civilians. Just our efforts as a government are not enough. The international community has to consider setting “No Fly Zones” to protect civilians. The international community has to act now to prevent more civilian casualties.”
Officer Zin Yaw said that responsible international organizations quickly need to take action against the military which targets civilians like this.
“We would like to request international governments and organizations to put pressure and take action against the military to prevent them from attacking noncombatant targets. Our revolutionary forces have no effective weapons to stop the airstrikes yet.”
