In a video released by the rebel-run Interim Executive Council of Karenni State, a Myanmar junta pilot has made startling admissions, revealing that the military conducted airstrikes on civilian targets, including hospitals, schools, and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.
Major Khaing Thant Moe, captured last month after his fighter jet crashed during a clash in Karenni State, confessed to his involvement in around 40 airstrikes, with attacks on hospitals and schools in Hpruso and Demoso townships.
His admission sheds light on the military’s notorious campaign, with 902 airstrikes reported between the coup in 2021 and August this year, resulting in the deaths of at least 687 civilians, including children, the Irrawaddy reported.
Thant Moe is the first active-duty regime pilot to be arrested by resistance forces.
In the video, he expressed remorse for his actions, acknowledging the crimes listed by the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force and apologizing to the families of victims.
However, the families of the victims expressed anger at Thant Moe’s words, arguing that he should not be allowed to return to his family after causing devastation to others. Despite his promise to accept punishment, family members insist that he should endure a similar level of suffering.
The military’s airstrikes have recently intensified in northern Shan State and other resistance hotspots.
In a separate development, Myanmar’s military initiated airstrikes and naval bombardments against an ethnic minority armed group on Ramree Island, Rakhine State.
The Arakan Army (AA) faced attacks after launching offensives in the region.
Ramree Island hosts a planned China-backed deep-sea port, a significant element of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor project.
Clashes in Rakhine state have intensified since the AA ended a ceasefire, adding another dimension to the military’s challenges amid the ongoing resistance offensive.