Let Yet Kone massacre

On 1 February 2021, the Myanmar Armed Forces staged a coup d'état and deposed the democratically elected government led by the National League for Democracy. Shortly thereafter, the military established a junta, the State Administration Council (SAC), and declared a national state of emergency. In response, civilians throughout the country staged large-scale protests to resist the military takeover. By May 2021, the resistance had escalated into a civil war against the SAC, which was unwilling to compromise. Let Yet Kone (also spelt Letyetkon) is situated in the traditional Bamar Buddhist heartland, which quickly emerged as a stronghold of resistance against military rule. Given the fierce resistance, by November 2021, the Burmese military had begun launching airstrikes in Sagaing to regain control, forcing thousands of villagers to flee. Sagaing Region was previously the site of several other recent massacres, including the Mon Taing Pin massacre in May 2022, which killed 37 villagers. == Incident ==

On the afternoon of 16 September 2022, class was in session at a monastic school near Maha Dhammayanthi Monastery in Let Yet Kone. The school teaches 250 students from kindergarten to the eighth grade, and serves Let Yet Kone and nearby villages. == Perpetrators ==

The attack was carried out by Myanmar Air Force and Myanmar Army troops, including members of the 368th Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) under the command of the 10th Military Operations Command (MOC-10), which reports to Brigadier-General Thant Zin Oo. Both armed forces branches are under the command of Min Aung Hlaing, who also heads the military junta, the State Administration Council. == Victims ==

At the time of their deaths, the 12 known victims ranged from the ages of 7 to 49, including 6 schoolchildren. One victim remained unidentified. • Su Yati Hlaing – aged 7 • Win Win Khaing – aged 11 • Saw Min Oo – aged 13 • Pho Thar (aka Zin Ko Oo) – aged 14 • Aung Aung Oo – aged 16 • Aung Chit Moe – aged 22 • Tin Soe Khaing – aged 31 • Aung Saw Htwe – aged 34 • Yu – aged 37 • Kyaw Htun – aged 49 == Aftermath ==

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, 50,000 nearby villagers living on the western bank of the Mu River fled their homes. Army troops had secretly cremated victims' corpses at Ye-U cemetery, which is located from the village. Villagers later uncovered the abandoned corpses of several victims, including that of a 13-year-old boy. The Burmese military has escalated its campaign against locals in the Bamar heartland, for supporting the anti-coup resistance movement. On 30 November, it began a new campaign, committing arson and raiding over 2,000 homes in 19 villages in Depayin Township, where Let Yet Kone is located. == Reactions ==

Domestic On 20 September, Myanmar's military regime denied carrying out the aerial strike. State-run New Light of Myanmar claimed that security forces had inspected the village, after receiving a tip that resistance forces had been hiding there. International The massacre was not picked up by international organisations until the following week. On 19 September, UNICEF condemned the incident, and the following day Save the Children followed suit. On 20 September, the spokesperson of António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, condemned the attack. On 27 September, the UN's Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar announced it was gathering evidence to assess criminal responsibility. In February 2023, the Canadian and British governments imposed new measures on the supply and sale of aviation fuel to Myanmar. == See also ==