Paraglider Bombs Kill 24 During Myanmar Festival Protest

Chaung U, Myanmar — At least 24 people were killed and 47 others wounded when a motorized paraglider dropped two bombs on a crowd during a protest against Myanmar’s military government on Monday evening. The attack occurred as around 100 people had gathered in Chaung U township to celebrate the Thadingyut festival, a national holiday with Buddhist roots, according to a spokesperson for the government-in-exile speaking to BBC Burmese.

This incident marks one of the deadliest attacks amid ongoing civil unrest since the military seized power in a coup in 2021, triggering a violent conflict. Thousands of civilians have died, and millions have been displaced by the ongoing warfare involving armed resistance groups and ethnic militias.

The township of Chaung U is part of the Sagaing region, a critical battleground where volunteer militias, known as the People’s Defence Force (PDF), have been established to combat the military junta. An official with the PDF shared that their forces received warnings about a possible airborne attack during the festival and attempted to disperse the protest quickly.

However, the paraglider reached the gathering sooner than anticipated, launching the bombs within just seven minutes of arrival. “I was on the ground when the first bomb hit. It struck my knee, but I could hear people dying around me,” the official said.

Witnesses described horrific scenes in the aftermath. “Children were completely torn apart,” said a woman who helped organize the event but was not present during the attack. She later attended funerals and noted that they were still “collecting body parts.”

Amnesty International condemned the military’s use of paragliders for attacks against civilians, characterizing it as part of a “disturbing trend.” The organization noted that the junta’s choice of using paramotors arises from a diminished access to aircraft and helicopters due to international sanctions. Despite this, military technology provided by China and Russia has given the junta a new advantage on the battlefield.

Joe Freeman, a researcher for Amnesty International, emphasized the urgency for international protection for civilians in Myanmar and urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to increase pressure on the junta. Freeman stated the attack is a “gruesome wake-up call” for the dire situation civilians face in the country.

The candlelight vigil was intended to be a peaceful protest advocating against military conscription and calling for the release of political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, the ousted democratically elected leader. Myanmar is scheduled to hold general elections in December, the first since the 2021 coup, yet critics warn these elections will not be free and fair, potentially allowing the military to maintain its grip on power.