Rights groups decry Myanmar civilian deaths in ‘paramotor’ attack News
Fatihrafif, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rights groups decry Myanmar civilian deaths in ‘paramotor’ attack

Amnesty International called for urgent protection of civilians in central Myanmar after a nighttime attack that reportedly killed more than 20 people, including children, as motorized paragliders dropped explosives on a crowd during the traditional Thadingyut (Festival of Lights).

Witnesses in Chaung-U Township said the first blasts struck around 8 PM on Monday night, as residents held a candlelight vigil to demand the release of detainees, oppose conscription, and denounce the upcoming election scheduled by military leaders. At least 17 people, among them a child under five, were reportedly killed in the initial strike, and dozens were badly injured. A second strike was reported around 11 PM.

Residents described the aircraft as “paramotors”—single-seat paragliders with small engines that make a harsh, chainsaw-like sound. The UN human rights office has warned that these paramotor runs often drop 120-mm mortar rounds indiscriminately in populated areas. Similar paramotors were used to attack the same township shortly after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in March.

The incident fits within a wider pattern of attacks in Myanmar since its 2021 coup. Following the earthquake, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded at least 243 military attacks, including 171 air strikes, despite an announced “ceasefire.” In January 2024, an air strike near a church in Sagaing killed 17 civilians, including nine children, prompting calls for a war crime investigation.

Shipments of aviation fuel reached Myanmar in 2024 via regional supply chains despite international sanctions aimed at cutting military access to jet fuel. It is unclear whether the military’s increasing reliance on paramotors reflects national fuel constraints or tactical preference.

Four years into the nationwide conflict, the fighting between the military, People’s Defense Forces, and allied ethnic armies continues to uproot communities across central and northern Myanmar. Independent assessments last year indicated that the military controls only a fraction of the country’s territory, with resistance forces holding significant ground in the Bamar heartland and advancing toward Mandalay.

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