Since the Burmese army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, Burma, or Myanmar, has been embroiled in violence. Peaceful protests have been brutally suppressed as the military seeks to silence or eliminate those who oppose the junta that took over the government. And numerous armed resistance groups have formed across the country.
Shortly after the country’s military take-over, ASEAN leaders and the head of the Burmese junta, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, signed a Five Point Consensus agreement that calls for an immediate end to the violence, dialogue among all parties, ASEAN humanitarian assistance, the appointment of an ASEAN special envoy, and the envoy’s visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties.
But peace has not been reached. According to Action on Armed Violence, a non-profit organization that tracks armed conflict around the world, in 2023, the Burmese military conducted 436 attacks in the country, resulting in more than 2,000 casualties.
This year began on a similar note. On the morning of January 7, the military launched an airstrike against the village of Kanan in Burma’s Sagaing region — a stronghold of armed resistance. Bombs hit near a church and a school. According to human rights groups and residents, at least seventeen people were killed, including 9 children; some 20 people were wounded.
“The United States strongly condemns the January 7 airstrike on Kanan Village,” said United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield in a written statement.
“We reiterate our call on the Burma military regime to cease all forms of violence, free all those unjustly detained, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the democratic aspirations of the people of Burma. The regime must abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law, including with regard to the protection of civilians.”
“The United States will continue to support peace, human rights, and an inclusive dialogue to promote genuine and inclusive democracy in Burma,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. “The people of Burma, after nearly three years since the military wrested power away from the democratically elected government, are looking to us all for support. The international community must step up and speak out.”
