The brutality of Myanmar's military junta shows no signs of abating as new data reveals a grim reality: 121 civilians, among them 16 children, lost their lives last month alone, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). This harrowing toll brings the total number of lives claimed by the junta's violence since the February 2021 coup to a staggering 4,957.

The AAPP, in its latest report, highlighted the alarming increase in civilian casualties, stressing that the actual number could be even higher, with approximately 1,750 deaths yet to be fully verified. The victims of April's violence included 33 women, 88 men, and 15 elderly individuals, with 42 fatalities attributed to airstrikes.

Sagaing Region remains a focal point of the junta's aggression, with 38 civilians falling victim to its attacks, as per the AAPP's findings. Tragic incidents like the shelling of Pyin Taw Oo village in Kale Township underscore the indiscriminate nature of the violence, where three children and an elderly man lost their lives during a military assault. Shockingly, even mourners were not spared, as two more residents were killed the following day while attending the victims' funerals.

Meanwhile, in Chin State's Mindat Township, the junta's airstrikes targeted Wun Ma Thuu Hospital, resulting in the deaths of four patients and a medical attendant, with around 15 others sustaining injuries. These brazen attacks on civilian infrastructure have drawn condemnation, especially considering there were no reported clashes in the area at the time.

As the military faces increasing resistance from People's Defense Forces and ethnic armies, it has resorted to escalating violence against civilians, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis gripping the nation. Alongside the bloodshed, the regime continues its relentless crackdown on dissent, with 38 more individuals arrested in April, including shockingly, two six-year-old children. Furthermore, regime courts handed down severe sentences, with 49 detainees receiving prison terms exceeding a decade.

The AAPP's sobering statistics underscore the urgent need for international action to stem the violence and hold the junta accountable for its egregious human rights violations. With thousands detained and lives lost daily, the people of Myanmar endure an unprecedented crisis, with the true extent of suffering likely far greater than reported.

BOB Post