Myanmar's Skies of Terror

Introduction

On a Monday evening in early October 2025, as the full moon of Thadingyut, Myanmar's festival of lights, illuminated the sky, a gathering of around 100 people in Chaung U township in the Sagaing Region was brought to a horrific end. The event was a blend of cultural celebration and political protest, a candlelight vigil against the policies of the military junta that has ruled the country since the coup of February 2021. Suddenly, the festive atmosphere was shattered by the sound of an approaching motorised paraglider, a device more commonly associated with recreational sport than with warfare. From this makeshift bomber, two explosive devices were dropped into the crowd, causing widespread carnage.

The immediate aftermath was a scene of devastation. Initial reports from various sources placed the death toll at a minimum of 24, with some accounts suggesting it could be as high as 40. The number of wounded was also significant, with estimates ranging from 47 to 80. Eyewitnesses and local officials described a gruesome scene, with the force of the blasts making it difficult to identify the victims. One woman who helped organise the event, though not present at the time of the attack, later recounted the grim task of collecting body parts from the ground. The dead and injured included men, women, and children, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the assault.

This attack was not an isolated incident but rather a stark illustration of the brutal tactics being employed by the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, in its ongoing struggle to crush the widespread resistance to its rule. The use of a paraglider to deliver bombs is a relatively new and deeply concerning development in the conflict, indicative of the junta's willingness to resort to unconventional and terrifying methods to maintain its grip on power. It also points to the possible impact of international sanctions, which may be making it harder for the regime to procure and maintain conventional military aircraft.

The exiled National Unity Government (NUG), which was formed by ousted lawmakers and pro-democracy activists, was quick to attribute the attack to the junta. The NUG, along with its armed wing, the People's Defence Force (PDF), and a host of allied ethnic armed organisations (EAOs), has been engaged in a fierce civil war against the Tatmadaw since the 2021 coup. The conflict has plunged Myanmar into a deep political, economic, and humanitarian crisis, with no end in sight.

The attack on the Thadingyut festival in Chaung U is a microcosm of the wider suffering being inflicted upon the people of Myanmar. It is a story of a joyous cultural and religious celebration turned into a massacre, of a peaceful protest met with lethal force, and of a military regime that appears to be at war with its own population. To understand the full gravity of this event, it is necessary to delve into the complex tapestry of Myanmar's recent history, the dynamics of the current civil war, and the specific context of the conflict in the Sagaing Region.

The Coup that Ignited a Nation

The roots of the current conflict in Myanmar can be traced back to the military coup of 1 February 2021. On that day, the Tatmadaw, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, detained the country's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and other senior members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. The NLD had won a landslide victory in the November 2020 general election, a result the military baselessly claimed was fraudulent. The coup brought an abrupt end to a decade of tentative democratic reforms and plunged the country back into full-fledged military rule, a state of affairs that had been the norm for most of its post-independence history.

The public response to the coup was immediate and widespread. Millions of people across the country took to the streets in peaceful protests, demanding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and the restoration of democracy. A nationwide civil disobedience movement emerged, with doctors, teachers, civil servants, and other professionals refusing to work under the military regime. The junta, which established itself as the State Administration Council (SAC), responded with brutal force, cracking down on protesters with live ammunition, mass arrests, and torture.

As the peaceful protest movement was met with increasing violence, many opponents of the junta began to take up arms. In May 2021, the NUG announced the formation of the People's Defence Force (PDF), an armed wing to protect civilians and resist the military's attacks. The PDF is not a centralised army but rather a network of hundreds of local militia groups that have sprung up across the country, particularly in the Bamar heartland of central Myanmar, which had previously seen little armed conflict. These local PDFs have formed alliances with some of the country's long-established ethnic armed organisations (EAOs), which have been fighting for greater autonomy from the central government for decades.

This has created a complex and multi-front civil war, pitting the well-equipped and battle-hardened Tatmadaw against a determined and increasingly coordinated resistance movement. The conflict has been characterised by extreme violence, with the military frequently targeting civilian populations in areas where resistance is strong. The United Nations estimates that since the coup, thousands of civilians have been killed, and millions have been internally displaced. The economy has collapsed, and the healthcare and education systems are in ruins. The country is facing a humanitarian catastrophe of immense proportions.

The international response to the coup and the subsequent violence has been largely ineffective. While many Western countries have imposed sanctions on the junta and its business interests, these measures have so far failed to significantly alter the regime's behaviour. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member, has been divided and unable to enforce its own five-point consensus plan for peace. Meanwhile, the junta continues to receive support from countries like Russia and China, which have shielded it from stronger action at the United Nations Security Council.

The Sagaing Region: A Bastion of Resistance

The Sagaing Region, where the paraglider attack took place, has emerged as a major centre of resistance to the military junta. This predominantly Bamar-majority region in central Myanmar has historically been a stronghold of the NLD and has a strong tradition of political activism. Following the 2021 coup, Sagaing became a hotbed of anti-junta activity, with numerous local PDF groups forming to challenge the military's authority.

The resistance in Sagaing is characterised by its grassroots nature. The local PDFs are often composed of young people from all walks of life who have been driven to take up arms by the military's brutality. They are typically lightly armed, often relying on homemade weapons and captured military equipment. Despite their material disadvantages, they have proven to be a formidable force, engaging in guerrilla warfare tactics that have inflicted significant casualties on the Tatmadaw.

The military has responded to the resistance in Sagaing with a scorched-earth campaign, targeting entire villages with arson attacks, extrajudicial killings, and indiscriminate shelling. The junta's aim is to terrorise the civilian population and cut off support for the PDFs. This has led to a humanitarian crisis in the region, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes and in desperate need of food, shelter, and medical care.

The attack in Chaung U township is part of this broader pattern of collective punishment. By targeting a festival and a protest, the military is sending a clear message that no public gathering is safe from its wrath. The use of a paraglider in this attack is a particularly insidious tactic, as it is a low-cost, low-altitude weapon that is difficult to detect and defend against. It allows the military to carry out targeted attacks on civilian gatherings with a degree of precision that might not be possible with conventional aircraft, while also creating a pervasive sense of fear and uncertainty among the population.

A New Weapon of Terror: The Rise of the Paramotor

The use of motorised paragliders, or paramotors, as a weapon of war is a relatively recent and disturbing development in the Myanmar conflict. These devices, which consist of a paraglider wing and a small engine worn on the pilot's back, are cheap, easy to operate, and can be launched from almost anywhere. This makes them an ideal weapon for a military that is facing international sanctions and may be struggling to maintain its fleet of more sophisticated aircraft.

According to reports, the junta has been increasingly using paramotors to drop bombs on civilian targets, particularly in the Sagaing and Mandalay regions. These attacks are often carried out at night, adding to the terror and confusion they cause. The bombs used are typically mortar rounds, which are indiscriminate in their effects and can cause devastating injuries.

The use of paramotors in this manner is a clear violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits indiscriminate attacks and attacks that target civilians. The fact that the military is resorting to such tactics is a testament to its desperation and its utter disregard for human life. It is also a sign that the resistance is having a real impact on the junta's military capabilities.

Amnesty International has described the junta's use of motorised paragliders to attack communities as part of a "disturbing trend". The organisation has called for urgent protection for civilians in Myanmar and has urged the international community to increase pressure on the junta to end its campaign of violence. The attack in Chaung U should serve as a "gruesome wake-up call" that the people of Myanmar are in desperate need of international support.

The use of such unconventional weapons also has a profound psychological impact on the civilian population. The constant threat of attack from the sky, from a weapon that is both silent and deadly, creates a climate of fear that permeates every aspect of daily life. It is a form of psychological warfare that is designed to break the will of the people and force them into submission.

A History of Conflict: The Ethnic Dimension

While the current civil war was triggered by the 2021 coup, it is also a continuation of decades of conflict between the central government and the country's numerous ethnic minorities. Myanmar is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, with over 135 recognised ethnic groups. For much of its post-independence history, the country has been plagued by civil wars, as ethnic groups have fought for greater autonomy and an end to discrimination by the Bamar-dominated central government.

The roots of these conflicts can be traced back to the British colonial era, when the British pursued a policy of "divide and rule," favouring certain ethnic minorities over the Bamar majority. This created deep-seated resentments that have persisted to this day. The 1947 Panglong Agreement, which was signed by Aung San (the father of Aung San Suu Kyi) and leaders of the Shan, Kachin, and Chin ethnic groups, promised a federal union with a degree of autonomy for the ethnic states. However, this promise was never fulfilled, and after independence in 1948, the country quickly descended into civil war.

The military, which seized power in 1962, has long portrayed itself as the only institution capable of holding the country together. It has pursued a policy of "Burmanisation," seeking to impose the Bamar language and culture on the ethnic minorities. This has been met with fierce resistance from the EAOs, which have established their own armies and administrative structures in the ethnic states.

The 2021 coup has brought about a significant shift in the dynamics of these long-standing conflicts. For the first time, the Bamar majority is also experiencing the brutality of the Tatmadaw on a massive scale. This has led to a growing sense of solidarity between the Bamar resistance and the ethnic minorities. The NUG has embraced the goal of a federal democratic union, which has been the long-standing demand of the EAOs. This has led to the formation of an unprecedented alliance between the PDFs and many of the EAOs, creating a united front against the military junta.

However, the relationship between the Bamar resistance and the EAOs is not without its challenges. Decades of mistrust and conflict cannot be overcome overnight. Some EAOs have remained neutral in the current conflict, while others have clashed with the PDFs. Nevertheless, the emergence of this broad-based coalition against the military is a significant development that could have a profound impact on the future of Myanmar.

The International Community's Failure to Act

The international response to the crisis in Myanmar has been widely criticised as weak and ineffective. While many countries have condemned the coup and the subsequent violence, they have failed to take decisive action to hold the junta accountable. The United Nations Security Council has been paralysed by the veto power of China and Russia, which have blocked any meaningful action against the regime.

ASEAN's efforts to mediate the crisis have also been a failure. The regional bloc's five-point consensus, which calls for an end to violence and dialogue between all parties, has been completely ignored by the junta. ASEAN's principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of its member states has prevented it from taking a stronger stance against the regime.

The lack of a coordinated and robust international response has created a sense of impunity for the junta, allowing it to continue its campaign of terror against the civilian population. The people of Myanmar have been left to fend for themselves, with little hope of outside help. This has led to a growing sense of disillusionment and anger towards the international community.

Human rights organisations have repeatedly called for a global arms embargo on Myanmar, as well as targeted sanctions against the junta's leaders and their business interests. They have also called for the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, so that the perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity can be brought to justice. However, these calls have so far gone unheeded.

The attack in Chaung U is a stark reminder of the human cost of the international community's inaction. As long as the junta is allowed to act with impunity, the people of Myanmar will continue to suffer. It is imperative that the international community takes immediate and decisive action to end the violence and support the aspirations of the Myanmar people for a peaceful and democratic future.

Conclusion

The paraglider attack on the Thadingyut festival in Chaung U is a horrific event that encapsulates the brutality of the Myanmar military junta and the suffering of the country's people. It is a stark illustration of the junta's willingness to use any means necessary to crush dissent and maintain its grip on power. The use of a motorised paraglider as a weapon of terror is a particularly disturbing development that highlights the regime's desperation and its utter disregard for human life.

The attack is not an isolated incident but rather part of a broader pattern of systematic violence against civilians that has been ongoing since the 2021 coup. The civil war in Myanmar is a complex and multi-faceted conflict with deep historical roots. The emergence of a broad-based resistance movement, uniting Bamar and ethnic minority groups, offers a glimmer of hope for a more inclusive and democratic future for the country. However, the path to peace and reconciliation will be long and arduous.

The international community's response to the crisis has been woefully inadequate. The failure to take decisive action against the junta has created a climate of impunity that has emboldened the regime to commit ever more heinous crimes. The people of Myanmar have been abandoned by the world and are fighting for their freedom and their lives with little outside support.

The attack in Chaung U is a call to action. The world can no longer afford to stand by and watch as the people of Myanmar are terrorised and slaughtered. It is time for the international community to move beyond words of condemnation and take concrete steps to hold the junta accountable for its crimes. This includes imposing a global arms embargo, targeted sanctions, and referring the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court. The future of Myanmar hangs in the balance, and the world has a moral obligation to stand with its people in their struggle for freedom, democracy, and justice.

Prof. Gemini-Flash-2.5 Review

Factual Accuracy Confidence Score: 100%
Number Of Factual Errors: 0

Summary of thoughts on the article's accuracy:
- The article is factually accurate. All major claims, including the date and location of the paraglider attack (Chaung U, Sagaing Region, early October 2025, during the Thadingyut festival), the reported casualty ranges (24-40 killed, 47-80 wounded), the use of a motorised paraglider/paramotor by the military junta, the historical context of the 2021 coup led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and the general scale of the humanitarian crisis (thousands killed, millions displaced, according to UN estimates), are corroborated by multiple contemporary news reports and organizational statements cited in the references. The article presents a consistent and well-supported narrative of the event and its context.