By Hlaing / MPA (Article)
The mention of “Mung Lai Hkyet” brings to mind the tragic event of October 9, 2023, when the military junta used a destructive bomb to kill 29 innocent civilians, including four children under the age of five and seven children under the age of sixteen, and injure 57 others.
Mung Lai Hkyet is an IDP camp located about two miles from Laiza, the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and Kachin Independence Army (KIA), in Kachin State, where the weather is cooler with a tranquil environment.
On the night of October 9, 2023, at 11:30 PM, the entire Laiza town was shaken following a loud explosion. According to local residents, windows and doors in homes shook for about 10 seconds after the heavy artillery hit.
“We didn’t hear any aircraft that night. It sounded like artillery. There was a loud bang, and then the power went out. At the time, the military camps and outposts had not been seized so we thought it wasn’t unusual since we often hear artillery sounds. But later that night, we heard the news, and it felt like the world had collapsed,” a local woman from Laiza shared her experience.
The camp has been in existence for about 40 years, sheltering 168 households with a total population of 855 people: 434 men and 421 women.
The massive explosion left a crater about 50 feet long and 20 feet wide, destroying more than 150 nearby houses, a kindergarten, and heavy machinery like excavators and vehicles.
Despite KIA’s investigation, they have not been able to determine what kind of weapon the military junta used.
A KIA military source said, “We conducted investigations, but we haven’t reached a definite conclusion. There were some assessments of possible scenarios.”
In response to the incident, junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun claimed in independent media reports that they did not carry out any attacks targeting the area since they prioritized security in the border region.
The junta denied responsibility not only in the Mung Lai Hkyet IDP event but also in another high-casualty event where junta airstrikes killed 171 civilians, including many children in Pazigyi Village in Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region on April 11, 2023.
Due to the attack on Mung Lai Hkyet IDP Camp, many families lost their members including one family that lost five children, leaving the parents with only their newborn.
“I can’t forget to this day. In just a blink of an eye, we lost all five children,” said Daw Kwan Bu Roigyi, a mother who lost five children.
The victims were buried in Laiza’s cemetery on the same day.
“We heard artillery firing before the funeral. Some families were entirely wiped out,” Daw Kwan Bu Raji recounted.
Although a year has passed since the attack on Mung Lai Hkyet, locals have not returned to live in the area.
“Most of the people from Mung Lai Hkyet are now living in Mai Sak Pa Village, La Mai Pa Village, Woi Chyai IDP camp, or in Laiza town itself. But no one is living in Mung Lai Hkyet anymore, except for a few passersby. The place is quiet, and the crater left by the bomb is now filled with water,” said Ko Zau Seng (name changed).
Along with the instigation of the pro-junta individuals that KIA had been supporting PDF in Sagaing Region, the junta’s military operations in Kachin State intensified from July 3, 2023, with an offensive on Nam San Yang Village along the Myitkyina-Bhamo route towards Laiza, headquarters of KIO/KIA.
However, the coordinated attacks of the Kachin Independence Army, Arakha Army (AA), and People’s Defense Forces (PDF) had stranded the junta forces from July 2023 to early October, causing significant losses to the junta.
In retaliation, the junta deliberately launched a destructive bomb on Mung Lai Hkyet IDP Camp where only civilians were residing near Laiza, on the night of October 9, 2023.
The attack on Mung Lai Hkyet is the second deadliest in Kachin State, after a junta airstrike, launched around 8:30 PM on October 23, 2023, targeting the KIO Day ceremony held in Anan Pa Village in KIA Brigade-9 territory, Hpakant, which killed 62 people, including KIA members, Kachin artists, and civilians.
Since the military coup in 2021, the junta has continued to target civilians with nationwide extensive airstrikes, but despite the regular condemnations from international governments and the United Nations, no concrete action has been taken as of today.
Over three years after the military coup, a total of 5,725 civilians, including 629 children, have been killed as of October 1, 2024, due to the junta’s operations, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
“The military junta continues to use airstrikes extensively, targeting civilians. For example, in Lashio, daily airstrikes have made the city nearly uninhabitable. Without any ongoing battles, the military keeps using artillery and airstrikes, leading to countless civilian deaths and injuries. I would like to urge people to be extremely cautious and start preparing safety measures like digging bomb shelters,” urged a Kachin human rights activist.
KIA/KIO spokesperson Major Naw Bu has also urged civilians in Kachin to remain vigilant against artillery and airstrike threats due to the intense military situation.
“The Kachin people will never forget or forgive the war crimes committed by the Myanmar military in our region, including the Mung Lai Hkyet incident. There is nothing to forgive. The tears have not dried yet. Every time we think about it, it hurts,” said a displaced person from Mung Lai Hkyet.
Even a year after the bombing of Mung Lai Hkyet, those who experienced the incident are still frightened by the sound of a car engine in their sleep, thinking it might be the sound of an aircraft.
“What we witnessed and endured is something that cannot be erased from our minds. That moment left us with deep scars. Whenever I think back on it, I feel immense sadness,” 24-year-old Ma Lu Sat who experienced the attack reflected.
