Statement Regarding the Mass Killing of Civilians in Nyaunglaybin Township

On March 5, 2026, at approximately 5:00 AM, combined columns under the 77th Light Infantry Division of the terrorist military launched an offensive into Yedwinkone, Kharukone, and Kyaungkone villages in Nyaunglaybin Township, Bago Region. Using airstrikes, drones, and heavy artillery, the military committed a massacre that resulted in the deaths of 29 civilians, including a pregnant woman, children, and the elderly.

Furthermore, as the terrorist military held over 300 civilians hostage within the villages, they were eventually rescued through a joint operation. This rescue was conducted by units under the Bago Military Region Command of the People’s Defense Force (PDF) – Military Region No. 2, Ministry of Defense, National Unity Government, in coordination with units under the command of Brigade 3 of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). During this operation, one comrade from the PDF Bago Region Military Command and two comrades from KNLA Battalions 7 and 9 sacrificed their lives with honor, while seven other comrades sustained serious injuries.

Throughout the five-year period in which the terrorist military has attempted to illegally seize sovereign power, they have carried out numerous airstrikes resulting in mass civilian casualties. According to data compiled by the Ministry of Human Rights of the National Unity Government as of March 10, 2026, the terrorist military has committed 5,041 aerial attack incidents using jet fighters, drones, gyrocopters, and paramotors. These incidents involved a total of 10,651 individual strikes, leading to the injury and death of 5,075 civilians. There have been 520 documented cases of massacre (incidents where five or more people were killed), resulting in a total of 5,505 deaths.

The National Unity Government will exhaust all possible avenues to ensure justice for every single citizen who has been affected or killed. We will also prioritize the provision of effective humanitarian aid to the bereaved families and internally displaced persons.

While the terrorist military prepares to convene a sham parliament and form a puppet group under the guise of a government following their illegal, fraudulent elections, they continue to daily perpetrate targeted attacks on the civilian population. These include airstrikes, heavy artillery shelling, military offensives, and mass killings. We solemnly urge the international community not to ignore such atrocities and war crimes, and to take immediate, effective action. We call for a halt to the export and sale of aircraft, weaponry, ammunition, and fuel—including aviation fuel—to the terrorist military. Furthermore, we demand that no legitimacy be granted to the sham parliament or the puppet “government” groups, which are merely rebranded fronts for the terrorist military.

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