YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar’s military junta is ramping up its campaign of aerial bombardments against civilian targets even as it attempts to project a facade of governance through the convening of illegitimate regional parliaments, according to advocacy groups.
The Blood Money Campaign, a prominent pressure group tracking the military’s revenue, issued a statement on Monday highlighting a grim paradox: as the regime seeks international legitimacy, its air force continues to commit atrocities on the ground.
Activists point to a catastrophic incident on March 20, 2026—the same day the sham government launched its regional assembly sessions across the country. In the town of Katha, Sagaing Region, military jets bombed the Maha Lay Htat Monastery during a sacred lunchtime meal. The strike killed over 50 people, including Buddhist monks and displaced civilians seeking refuge.
“The military’s strategy is clear,” a CDM (Civil Disobedience Movement) officer told MPA. “They want to play the role of a legitimate civilian government for the international stage, while simultaneously exercising their power to slaughter anyone who opposes them.”
The escalation comes amidst a nationwide fuel crisis exacerbated by regional conflicts in the Middle East. However, activists allege the junta is bypassing sanctions by forcibly seizing jet fuel intended for civilian aviation to power its fleet of combat aircraft.
According to Blood Money Campaign data, the military has carried out 6,986 airstrikes in the five years since the 2021 coup, resulting in the deaths of at least 4,299 civilians, including newborns. In March 2026 alone, four major mass-casualty events claimed the lives of over 200 people.
The persistent ability of the regime to conduct such strikes underscores significant loopholes in international sanctions. Despite existing bans, the junta continues to access maritime insurance and aviation fuel through complex international networks.
The Blood Money Campaign has renewed its call for the international community, including ASEAN, the EU, and the UK, to:
- Refuse Recognition: Formally deny the junta any status as Myanmar’s legitimate government.
- Coordinated Sanctions: Implement emergency, synchronized sanctions on jet fuel supply chains and maritime insurance services.
- Accountability: Pursue legal avenues to penalize the junta for what activists describe as systematic war crimes.
“The failure of global governments to coordinate effective sanctions is providing the junta with the fuel it needs to continue these massacres,” the group stated. As the civil war intensifies, the distance between the regime’s political theater in the capital and the bloody reality in rural heartlands continues to widen, serving as a silent testament to the human cost of international inaction.
