Southeast Asian MPs Condemn Deadly Airstrike on Yo Ngu Village Market and Ongoing War Crimes in Rakhine State
February 26, 2026
JAKARTA, 26 February 2026— ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) strongly condemns the Myanmar military junta’s aerial attack on 24 February 2026 against Yo Ngu Village’s market in Ponnagyun Township, Rakhine State, a site where internally displaced civilians had sought shelter.
The junta dropped two 500-pound bombs on a crowded civilian market, killing at least 20 people, mostly women and children, and leaving many more critically injured and at risk of death. Market stalls and nearby homes were also destroyed by fire.
This was not a military target. It was a civilian market, a place where non-combatants gather for livelihood and their daily needs.
This is not an isolated incident. The military has repeatedly carried out airstrikes across Rakhine State, and various places across Myanmar targeting villages, schools, and even medical facilities — including the bombing of Mrauk-U Hospital in December 2025, which killed at least 33 civilians and dozens wounded. These attacks reflect a sustained and systematic campaign against civilian populations.
The deliberate bombing of civilians and civilian infrastructure constitutes grave violations of international humanitarian law amounting to war crimes. The military’s systematic use of air power against civilian communities reflects an ongoing policy of terror and collective punishment.
APHR calls on ASEAN and the international community to move beyond expressions of concern and take urgent, concrete action, including targeted sanctions, halting the flow of weapons and aviation fuel, and expanding cross-border humanitarian assistance and advancing accountability efforts.
We also urge all governments not to recognise any military-led administration formed through a sham election held under violence and repression. Doing so would only entrench impunity and reward ongoing atrocities.
We stand in solidarity with the victims, their families and the people of Myanmar. ###
ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) was founded in June 2013 with the objective of promoting democracy and human rights across Southeast Asia. Our founding members include many of the region's most progressive Members of Parliament (MPs), with a proven track record of human rights advocacy work.