Burmese Military Exploits Earthquake Tragedy to Intensify Attacks on Civilians
March 2025 — Burma (Myanmar)/Thailand Border
In the aftermath of the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck parts of Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand, killing more than 1,600 people and flattening homes across cities like Mandalay and Bangkok, another disaster unfolded—this one entirely man-made.
Instead of aiding survivors or allowing relief to reach impacted regions, the Burmese military junta is reportedly using this vulnerable moment to escalate violence, unleashing aerial bombings on already displaced and traumatized communities in ethnic minority states such as Kayin (Karen), Kayah (Karenni), and Shan.
While local villagers and humanitarian workers struggled to rescue survivors from beneath collapsed buildings, the military regime launched a new wave of airstrikes, targeting shelters, schools, and makeshift camps filled with earthquake survivors. According to UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews, the junta is "using the chaos of the disaster as a smokescreen" to continue its campaign of terror.
“It’s like being hit twice,” said a local leader near the Thai border. “First the ground shakes, then the bombs fall.”
The timing of these attacks—when communities are most vulnerable—underscores the regime’s ruthless strategy: weaponize disaster to maintain control. Aid convoys have been blocked, relief efforts thwarted, and civilians repeatedly targeted in regions where the junta equates ethnicity and displacement with dissent.
This is not an isolated incident. The Burmese military has a long history of using moments of international distraction or national crisis to ramp up its offensives. But using a natural disaster of this magnitude to justify further atrocities is a chilling escalation.
We call on the international community—including ASEAN, the United Nations, and governments around the world—to immediately:
Demand an end to all airstrikes and military offensives in quake-affected regions.
Provide unfettered humanitarian access to all displaced populations.
Impose targeted sanctions on military leaders responsible for war crimes.
Support cross-border aid efforts through Thailand to bypass junta interference.
The people of Burma have long endured the horrors of dictatorship, war, and neglect. Now, as they dig through rubble for survivors, they must also run for their lives from the very government that claims to represent them. This is more than a humanitarian crisis—it is a moral one.
Delaying aid is denying aid. Bombing survivors is a war crime. The world must act now.
References
Associated Press. (2025). Powerful 7.7 Earthquake Kills Over 1,600 in Myanmar and Thailand. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/f966686f958ded1a3e97e529f4cd5149
The Australian. (2025). Myanmar junta continues to bomb resistance strongholds following deadly earthquake. Retrieved from https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/myanmar-junta-continues-to-bomb-resitance-strongeholds/news-story/b407c1ec3237e9b12e78e2a86703c5ea
United Nations Human Rights Office. (2025). Statement by UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews on Myanmar. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org
