On Sept. 16, 2022, at the least seven minors had been killed when army plane fired on a village faculty in Sagaing area in what gave the impression to be the deadliest assault on kids in Myanmar since final yr’s coup. UNICEF condemned the assault in Tabayin township’s Let But Kone village and put the demise toll even increased, saying at the least 11 kids died “in an airstrike and indiscriminate fireplace in civilian areas.” It stated at the least 15 different kids from the identical faculty had been nonetheless lacking.
Residents of Tabayin township advised RFA Burmese after the assault that the helicopters fired on the varsity “for practically an hour” earlier than junta foot troopers let unfastened with weapons. They claimed the practically 80 troops who raided the varsity belonged to Gentle Infantry Battalion 368, below the tenth Army Operations Command based mostly in Kyi Kone village, in Sagaing’s Kale township.
Two weeks later, a schoolteacher who survived the raid advised RFA Burmese reporter Nayrein Kyaw of the terrifying incident she witnessed that day. Now in hiding, her title has been withheld attributable to safety considerations.
RFA: Are you able to describe the occasions that came about on Sept. 16?
Schoolteacher: It should have been about 12:50 p.m. Ko Aung Noticed Htway, who helped us with the pc at our college, advised me planes had been coming our manner, so I yelled out a warning to the younger lecturers on the main lessons and … herded the youngsters to the bottom ground of the [nearby] monastery to cover. The second we received there, a trainer stated [a boy] was hit within the leg. A younger trainer then introduced some kids over to me and advised me she had been hit by a bullet within the thigh. I noticed her face was lined in blood. Simply then, a toddler who was crouching close to me was hit within the neck by shrapnel. All her hair was minimize off.
The taking pictures went on for an hour or so. The place was hit by heavy weapons in addition to machine gun fireplace. After which troopers, with bamboo baskets on their backs, entered the compound and reached the place the place we had been hiding. Then they fired their weapons in direction of the small [stupa] within the compound. Some troopers ordered us to come back out and stated we should come out with heads bowed. “When you take a look at us, you’re lifeless,” one among them stated.
I glanced in direction of the first school rooms and noticed kids popping out. It was coronary heart wrenching to see small children lined in blood, some with head wounds, others with leg wounds, some hit within the again, and one hit within the eye. I attempted to search for my kids. I’ve three attending this faculty. I noticed my eldest [daughter] and youngest [son], however I couldn’t discover my center little one. My daughter’s garments had been utterly soaked in blood, and I requested her if she was OK. She stated her pal Win Win Khine was hit within the stomach and all of her intestines had been falling out. She stated there have been many lifeless within the classroom. After which my son, the center little one, ran to me crying. He was crying out his pal’s title, Maung Hpone. The boy was one among our neighbors.
Very quickly the boy’s mom arrived crying. The troopers requested her why she was coming this fashion and he or she stated her son was hit and he or she needed to seek out him. I heard one of many troopers saying into his radio, “Cease it, that’s sufficient,” and the firing stopped. We requested them to allow us to give water to the youngsters and deal with Maung Hpone. Once I noticed him, his arm was lacking and there have been holes in his ft. His face was all black. He was saying again and again, “Mom, I’m in a lot ache, please kill me now.” I remembered a wounded woman I hid below an enormous mattress. She was additionally badly wounded. I advised the troopers to tug her out. She was laid on the mattress and I may see all of the blood on her face and physique. She was half aware. She had been hit within the head and legs.
The troopers stated, “When you don’t need these kids to die, we wish two individuals who can drive to come back ahead.” One of many volunteer lecturers got here ahead and stated he may drive. The troopers additionally requested the pinnacle monk for some [big plastic] luggage and I noticed them placing the our bodies and physique components of these killed into them. Additionally they took the severely wounded kids with them. On the best way out, they shot all the lads they noticed within the village within the heads.
RFA: What sort of plane had been they utilizing? Jet fighters or helicopters?
Schoolteacher: Individuals stated there have been each. Two helicopters had been dropping troopers whereas the 2 fighters opened fireplace on the village.
‘They need to examine first’
RFA: So what number of kids and what number of adults had been killed within the assault?
Schoolteacher: 4 college students died immediately and one other one died within the hospital, so altogether 5 college students. After which two youngsters had been killed exterior the varsity which makes a complete of seven college students. Six [adult] villagers had been killed too. So the demise toll was 13.
RFA: What number of had been taken away by the troopers?
Schoolteacher: Altogether 11 college students and lecturers had been taken away. Two males who drove the automobiles and one other 4 villagers had been additionally kidnapped.
RFA: Has anybody been launched but?
Schoolteacher: No, none of them have been launched but.
RFA: A type of killed as they left was your pc trainer, Aung Noticed Htway, proper?
Schoolteacher: Sure, that’s proper.
RFA: The army has stated they carried out a shock assault as a result of they acquired stories that PDFs [People’s Defense Force fighters] had been transporting weapons and ammunition by way of the village. Did they discover any?
Schoolteacher: Sure, I wish to speak about that. In the event that they obtain this type of report, they need to examine first. This can be a small village. They’ve drones and issues. Why didn’t they give the impression of being? Why didn’t they see kids enjoying within the faculty compound? There aren’t any weapons right here, not even needles. We had assigned evening watchmen as a result of we had been scared. Some folks stated that earlier than Aung Noticed Htway was killed the troopers positioned some issues they introduced in entrance of him and took footage. It was meant to place out faux tales.
What we’d like in our nation is democracy. We’re disadvantaged of human rights. Youngsters in different international locations are pursuing their research in peace whereas the youngsters in our nation are risking their lives simply to go to high school.
Translation by Khin Maung Nyane.