Laiza massacre

On October 9, 2023, the Myanmar military launched an artillery attack targeting an IDP camp near Laiza, a town in northern Myanmar that serves as the capital of the Kachin Independence Army. In the massacre,[1][2] over 29 civilians were killed and 57 were injured.[3] The incident occurred before the anniversary of the Myanmar Air Force's airstrike in Hpakant that killed at least 80 civilians killed and other KIO officials and soldiers on 23 October 2022.[4]

Laiza massacre
Part of Myanmar civil war (2021–present)
LocationLaiza, Kachin State, Myanmar

24.7540°N 97.35505°E / 24.7540; 97.35505

Laiza is located in Myanmar
Laiza
Laiza
Laiza (Myanmar)
DateOctober 9, 2023
11:30 pm MST
Target Kachin Independence Organization
Kachin Independence Army
Deaths29+ civilians killed
Injured57 injured
Perpetrator Tatmadaw

Prelude

The Myanmar civil war broke out in 2021 following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, in which the Tatmadaw deposed the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Minority rebel groups across the country, which had all been fighting low-level insurgencies against the government since Burmese independence in 1948, rebelled along with anti-junta civilian groups. One of the groups that rebelled was the Kachin Independence Army of Kachin State, which controlled the state capital of Laiza.[5] 400 people lived in Mung Lai Hkyet prior to the attack.[5]

Airstrike

The airstrike occurred at the Mung Lai Hkyet refugee camp in northern Laiza, at around 11:30 pm local time.[5][6] Colonel Naw Bu, a spokesman for the KIA, stated that it is unknown how the attack was carried out, as the sound of a jet was not heard overhead prior to the attack.[5] Bu stated that in the attack, 29 people were killed, including 11 children under 16, along with 57 others injured.[5] Kachin Human Rights Watch gave a different toll, of 19 adults killed and 13 children killed.[5] The camp, which had around 100 households at the time of the attack, was "effectively destroyed."[7] Bu also stated that the search for missing individuals was continuing.[8][3]

Reactions
  • United Nations A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed alarm at the reports of killings and said he "condemns all forms of violence, including the military’s intensifying attacks throughout the country, which continue to fuel regional instability."[9]
  • US: State Department said, "We are deeply concerned by reports of a Burma military attack on an internally displaced persons camp near Mung Lai Hkyet village in Kachin State on October 9".[10]
  • France: France denounced the attack, calling it a massacre and stating it was "further evidence of the Myanmar security forces' total contempt for international humanitarian law."[11]
  • NUG: The NUG condemned the attack, calling it "war crime and crime against humanity".[12]
  • Junta: The junta denied responsibility, but claimed that explosions might have occurred in an area used for storage by the KIA.[5] The KIA denounced these claims.[13][12]
  • ASEAN: ASEAN deeply concerned over and condemn the bombing.[14] The junta's Foreign Affairs said the ASEAN's statement was misled.[15]

See also

References
  1. Irrawaddy, The (2023-10-14). "Myanmar Junta Intensifies Bombing in Two Kachin State Townships". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  2. étrangères, Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires. "Myanmar – France condemns the airstrike on an internally displaced persons camp in Laiza (10.10.23)". France Diplomacy – Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  3. "KIO ဌာနချုပ် လိုင်ဇာအနီး စစ်ကောင်စီလက်နက်ကြီးကျရောက်လို့ ‌ကလေးငယ်တွေအပါအဝင် သေဆုံးသူ ၂၉ ဦးရှိ". BBC Burmese. October 10, 2023.
  4. "Airstrike Kills at Least 80 During Outdoor Concert in Myanmar". New York Times. October 25, 2022.
  5. "Myanmar's military is accused of bombing a displacement camp in a northern state, killing about 30". Washington Post. 2023-10-11. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  6. "Many killed in artillery strike in northern Myanmar – media, local sources". Reuters. October 10, 2023.
  7. Now, Myanmar (2023-10-12). "KIA rejects Myanmar junta's claims regarding Laiza tragedy". Myanmar Now. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  8. "Nearly thirty people died when a refugee camp near Laiza was bombed". Radio Free Asia. October 10, 2023.
  9. "Myanmar's military is accused of bombing a displacement camp in a northern state, killing about 30". AP News. October 11, 2023.
  10. "US condemns Myanmar refugee camp strike, calls it 'military attack'". Reuters. October 11, 2023.
  11. étrangères, Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires. "Myanmar – France condemns the airstrike on an internally displaced persons camp in Laiza (10.10.23)". France Diplomacy – Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  12. "Women, children among 29 killed as artillery hits Myanmar refugee camp – sources, media". Reuters. October 11, 2023.
  13. Now, Myanmar (2023-10-12). "KIA rejects Myanmar junta's claims regarding Laiza tragedy". Myanmar Now. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  14. Sochan, Ry (20 October 2023). "ASEAN denounce Myanmar attack on displaced persons". Asia News Network. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  15. "Explosion of an arsenal in Mong Lai Khet, Laiza mischaracterized as a bombing in the "ASEAN Statement" | Ministry Of Information". www.moi.gov.mm. Retrieved 20 October 2023.


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