As Myanmar’s people fight every day to survive under the suffocating grip of military dictatorship, June 2023 brought yet another wave of unimaginable horror. It is with a heavy heart that I write about the latest surge of violence inflicted by the Myanmar military, which continues to target civilians in its brutal quest for control. In these dark times, the nation is left in tatters, with innocent people—families, children, and the elderly—enduring not only the tyranny of a government that has turned on them but now facing renewed terror in the form of targeted attacks on vital health care systems and communities.
While the international community continues to drag its feet in the face of this humanitarian catastrophe, the people of Myanmar are bleeding. It is no longer enough to offer words of sympathy or express outrage. Real action is needed now more than ever to stop the merciless violence and free Myanmar from the chokehold of this military dictatorship.
### Civilian Attacks Escalate: A Brutal Campaign for Control
In June 2023, the Myanmar military launched a series of vicious attacks on civilians, this time focused on gaining control over a strategic trade route in northern Burma. According to reports from Free Burma Rangers, the military’s offensive targeted innocent people in the northern regions, killing, maiming, and displacing thousands. Villages were reduced to ashes as the junta intensified its efforts to secure key trade routes near the China border, a move aimed not only at consolidating its power but also at cutting off lifelines for those resisting its rule.
For the people caught in the crossfire, life has become a nightmare. Entire communities were forced to flee, seeking refuge in the jungles or makeshift camps, with no certainty of survival. The military, with complete disregard for human life, attacked homes, schools, and places of worship—leaving behind a trail of destruction and grief. And as the rainy season descended, these displaced families were left exposed to the elements, battling hunger, disease, and constant fear.
But the military’s war machine didn’t stop at villages. June also saw a chilling increase in attacks on healthcare facilities. The very places meant to provide healing and hope became targets of destruction. According to reports from ReliefWeb, between June 14 and June 27, 2023, the military launched coordinated attacks on healthcare services, further exacerbating an already dire situation. Ambulances were burned, clinics were shelled, and doctors and nurses, already risking their lives to treat the wounded, became targets themselves.
### Attacking Health Care: A War Crime Against Humanity
The deliberate targeting of health care in Myanmar is not only cruel—it is a blatant violation of international law. Healthcare workers in conflict zones, under international humanitarian law, must be protected from attack. Yet the Myanmar military has continually disregarded these principles, turning hospitals into battlegrounds and denying medical assistance to those who need it most.
These attacks are strategic, designed to break the spirit of resistance. By denying access to medical care, the military is effectively condemning thousands of civilians to die slow, painful deaths from injuries, disease, and untreated conditions. This is more than just a violation of rights—it is an inhumane tactic of war aimed at crushing hope.
For civilians in Myanmar, access to health care was already limited due to years of neglect, poverty, and conflict. Now, with medical facilities under fire, the situation has reached catastrophic levels. Children who need vaccinations, mothers who need safe spaces to give birth, and the elderly who rely on medicine to survive are all being systematically denied the care they desperately need. It is clear that these attacks are not random—they are part of a calculated strategy to weaken resistance by making survival nearly impossible.
### The Ongoing Nightmare for Myanmar's People
These events are not isolated. They are part of a much larger pattern of brutality and destruction that has been ongoing since the military coup in February 2021. From mass executions and airstrikes to arbitrary arrests and torture, the junta has shown time and time again that it will stop at nothing to maintain its iron grip on power.
June 2023’s escalation is just the latest chapter in Myanmar’s tragic story. Civilians continue to pay the price for a war they did not start. They suffer under the double burden of being ruled by a government that sees them as disposable while enduring the terror of constant, unrelenting attacks. For the people of Myanmar, there is no reprieve—only fear, uncertainty, and the desperate hope that the world will not abandon them.
### A Call for International Action: End the Military’s Reign of Terror
The Myanmar military has made it clear that it has no intention of stopping its campaign of violence against its own people. This is no longer simply a matter of internal conflict—it is a humanitarian crisis of the highest order. The international community cannot continue to stand by and watch as more innocent lives are lost. The world must act now to put an end to this reign of terror.
The atrocities committed by the military must not go unpunished. The junta is not just waging war on the battlefield but on every facet of civilian life—destroying homes, cutting off medical care, and forcing families into hiding. These are war crimes, and the perpetrators must be held accountable. Targeted sanctions, international legal action, and immediate humanitarian aid are crucial steps that must be taken to stop the suffering in Myanmar.
### Conclusion: We Cannot Remain Silent
Myanmar’s people are fighting for their survival, not just against the cruelty of nature, but against the brutality of a regime that views them as nothing more than collateral damage. The attacks in June 2023 have left families shattered, children orphaned, and communities in ruins. Yet, despite the immense suffering, the people of Myanmar continue to resist—because they believe in a future where they can live free from fear, free from oppression, and free from military rule.
But they cannot do it alone.
It is time for the world to stand with Myanmar. We must amplify their voices, demand justice, and bring an end to the military dictatorship that has caused so much pain. Every day that passes without action is another day of suffering for the people of Myanmar.
We cannot, and must not, remain silent any longer.
Sources: - The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/07/31/world/asia/myanmar-military.html
- Free Burma Rangers: [June 2023 Burma Army Attacks](https://www.freeburmarangers.org/2023/07/27/june-2023-burma-army-attacks-to-gain-key-trade-route-in-northern-burma/)
- ReliefWeb: [Attacks on Health Care in Myanmar (14-27 June 2023)](https://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/attacks-health-care-myanmar-14-27-june-2023)
Photo Source: The New York Times
