In a recent interview, Daw Ohn Mar Khaing, a volunteer teacher at the Bangkok camp for internally displaced people in Pekhon township, opened up about the harrowing experiences her community has faced amid Myanmar’s escalated military airstrikes. Last month marked a turning point as the military conducted its most extensive bombardments since the 2021 coup, resulting in at least 26 fatalities, including ten children, during a series of airstrikes from September 3 to 6.
“The military has been accused of carrying out indiscriminate aerial attacks,” Daw Ohn Mar Khaing explained. “Even though there was no fighting in our township and no opposing forces nearby, our camp was targeted.” She vividly recalled the terrifying events on the night of September 5 when a fighter jet flew dangerously low over the camp, leading teachers to urgently alert residents, especially the children, to seek shelter. “They dropped two bombs that landed just 100 meters from where we were hiding.”
When she emerged from her bunker after the attack, chaos greeted her. “Some shelters were flattened, and I saw a family of seven trapped beneath the debris,” she said, her voice heavy with grief. The attack claimed the lives of 16-year-old Wai Wai Aung, her mother, five younger siblings, and two other camp residents, including a two-year-old boy. “It was horrific. There were bodies without heads and hands,” she remembered, describing the chaotic scene as residents scrambled to rescue the injured and transport them to nearby hospitals.
This incident is the second time this year that the military has targeted the camp, with residents reporting multiple airstrikes in adjacent areas. Daw Ohn Mar Khaing pointed out that in previous years, airstrikes during the rainy season from June to October were considerably less frequent. This uptick reflects a broader trend of escalating violence; local rights group Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica reported over 350 aerial attacks across Myanmar in August, the highest number recorded since the coup.
As the military continues its confrontations with various opposition groups, including newly formed people’s defense forces and established ethnic armed groups, it increasingly relies on airstrikes to suppress resistance. The psychological toll of these bombings has left many in the community traumatized. “My students flinch at any loud noise, even the sound of a car engine,” Daw Ohn Mar Khaing said. “They’re always on edge, ready to hide in a bunker at the faintest sign of danger.”
The gravity of the situation is further underscored by a viral video of a toddler waving a slipper at the sky in a futile attempt to ward off a fighter jet. This poignant image has struck a chord with many, encapsulating the trauma that children across Myanmar are experiencing.
Following the September 5 attack, victims were quickly transported to clinics in nearby Karenni state. Dr. Tracy*, a 26-year-old physician tirelessly working to assist those impacted by military violence, shared her heartbreaking experiences from that day. “I witnessed the death of a two-year-old boy, and a pregnant woman sustained severe injuries,” she recounted. “A missile penetrated her abdomen, resulting in the loss of her unborn child.”
Reflecting on her time in this crisis, Dr. Tracy revealed, “In the early days of the coup, I would have broken down in tears, but now, after three years of ongoing conflict, I’ve become desensitized to these horrors.” She revealed a troubling sense of relief at reports of casualties among army soldiers, highlighting the deep emotional scars borne by the community. “Everyone is grappling with trauma and PTSD,” she shared. “No matter how resilient we may appear, we’re all affected.”
(*Name changed for anonymity)
