A six-year-old boy died after being hit in the head by indiscriminate junta mortar fire in Bilin Township in Mon State’s Thaton District, on 18 March.

At around 3:30 p.m. on 18 March, Artillery Regiment 314, based in Zeewun Village in Bilin Township fired mortars into Shweyaungpya Village-Tract, also in Bilin Township. One of the mortar shells landed near to a family fishing in a pond in Ahwungyi Village and shrapnel from the shell hit six-year-old Saw Poe Thingyan in the head. He died on the spot.

“At around 3:30 pm, artillery, fired by the Military Council, landed and exploded near a family fishing with nets in the fishing pond in Ahwungyi Village. One child died from brain injuries. The child's name is Saw Poe Thingyan”, said a Bilin Township resident to Mizzima.

“The parents were safe; however, it was heartbreaking for such a loss to happen in front of them," said a 37-year-old woman who witnessed the incident.

Until this incident, there had been no fighting in Bilin Township for two weeks and this latest attack was just aimed at innocent civilians.

“The fighting had already stopped for half a month in Bilin. But now, this shooting for no reason was done with the intention of killing civilians”, said a member of a local defence force.