Myanmar junta airstrike kills at least 33 in Rakhine state hospital

A military airstrike on a hospital in Myanmar's Rakhine state has killed at least 33 people and injured 76 others, marking a severe escalation of violence on International Human Rights Day. According to reports, a junta jet dropped two 500-pound bombs on the public hospital in Mrauk-U township on Wednesday, causing massive casualties.

A symbolic attack on International Human Rights Day

The timing of the bombing, coinciding with the global observance of Human Rights Day, has drawn sharp condemnation. The Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), composed of former lawmakers from Myanmar's last elected parliament, stated the attack "only serves to further highlight the long-standing crimes committed by the military coup" and condemned the "inhumane actions of the murderous military junta."

Deepening humanitarian crisis in protracted civil war

The hospital bombing intensifies an already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Myanmar, which has been engulfed in civil conflict since the February 2021 military coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Ethnic clashes and nationwide resistance have created widespread displacement, food insecurity, and a collapsing healthcare system, with civilians bearing the brunt of the military's tactics.

Political context of a sham transition

The attack occurs against a backdrop of what critics call a cosmetic political transition. In July, the junta announced a nominal transfer of power to a civilian-led interim administration ahead of planned elections, though junta chief Min Aung Hlaing remains the acting president. The international community widely views this process as illegitimate, designed to cement military control rather than restore democracy.