Myanmar Junta Bombs Civilians While Thai Air Force Drops Aid

Myanmar’s regime continues to carry out airstrikes on civilian areas, despite heavy flooding across the country.

The Royal Thai Air Force has used helicopters, aircraft and drones to drop food and medicine to Thai communities in need and across the border in Myanmar.

Almost half of Myanmar states and regions have reported flooding since Typhoon Yagi made landfall in Vietnam.

The junta-controlled Myanmar Fire Services Department has reported at least 30 deaths and said that tens of thousands have been made homeless by flooding in Yamethin in southern Mandalay Region and the capital, Naypyitaw.

Rescue teams are overstretched with residents trapped on roofs and in trees for more than 24 hours amid a lack of junta rescue plans.

Since early September, the Thai air force has deployed aircraft to deliver food and medicine to flood victims in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand, with the cooperation of private and public agencies.

Online videos show a Thai military helicopter dropping food and other aid to people trapped on a rooftop. Another video shows Thai soldiers using a drone to transport aid and food to trapped people.

Thai helicopters have dropped aid to people trapped on a rooftop in Tachileik town, across the border in eastern Shan State.

A Thai helicopter drops aid to trapped people on a rooftop in Tachileik town in southern Shan State, Myanmar, this week. / CJ

But junta airstrikes on anti-regime territory have increased since regime chief Min Aung Hlaing promised this month to retake lost land.

Airstrikes that killed over 100 people, including detained regime troops and several children, came within hours of Min Aung Hlaing’s speech during a visit to southern Shan State.

Many social media users highlighted the different actions of the air forces of Thailand and Myanmar, to argue that the regime does not care about the people.

Social media user Ko Htwe posted on Facebook that the Thai armed forces respected people’s lives while Myanmar’s regime is a terrorist group killing civilians, burning homes and carrying out sexual violence.

“Myanmar’s air force is busy bombing civilians,” he wrote.

Another Facebook user posted: “Myanmar’s air force behaves just like the Thai air force but instead of dropping food or aid, it drops bombs on civilians.”