Myanmar’s military regime has formally accused resistance forces of committing “war crimes” after a passenger aircraft was allegedly targeted by a suicide drone in Kachin State, a move that has drawn sharp criticism and charges of hypocrisy from legal experts and activists.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement claiming that a Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) aircraft was struck by an FPV suicide drone at Myitkyina Airport on the evening of 20 February. The junta attributed the attack to the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and People’s Defence Forces (PDFs).
According to the regime, the explosion caused minor damage to the aircraft’s nose and fuselage. The statement further asserted that the targeting of a civilian aircraft constitutes a violation of the Geneva Conventions and international law.
However, the military’s use of the term “war crime” has been met with widespread derision. Critics point to the junta’s own well-documented history of airstrikes on schools, hospitals, and residential areas across the country.
“If the military wants to define war crimes, they should look at their daily bombardment of civilian homes,” a senior lawyer told the Myanmar Pressphoto Agency (MPA). “To point fingers while simultaneously violating international law is a display of moral bankruptcy.”
Political analysts suggest the regime’s statement is a strategic attempt to brand revolutionary forces as terrorists in the eyes of the United Nations and the international community.
Independent observers and activists also challenged the “civilian” status of the targeted flights. “While these are commercial airlines, there is significant evidence that the military utilizes these aircraft to transport personnel and supplies,” one activist noted. “Once a civilian asset is used for military purposes, its protected status under international law becomes a subject of debate.”
The KIA and PDF have not yet officially commented on the incident.
The exchange of accusations comes amidst a backdrop of escalating violence. Just days earlier, a 75-year-old man was killed during a junta airstrike in the Mai Ja Yang region—an act that human rights groups have condemned as a clear example of the very crimes the military now denounces.
As the conflict intensifies, the use of international legal terminology as a propaganda tool underscores the bitter battle for legitimacy between the military regime and the resistance movement.
