Laywaddy FM
October 30, 2026

Seventy civil society organizations have called for Rakhine State to be declared a No-Fly Zone following a growing number of mass civilian casualties caused by airstrikes carried out by Myanmar’s military junta.

In a joint appeal, the organizations urged the international community to take immediate action to protect civilians in Rakhine. Their demands include declaring Rakhine a No-Fly Zone, halting the sale and supply of aviation fuel to the military junta, and urgently providing medicine, food, and other essential supplies to internally displaced people (IDPs) and vulnerable communities facing hunger and severe livelihood hardships across Arakkha State.

The organizations also called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), international governments, and humanitarian organizations, which have been monitoring the situation in Rakhine, not to turn a blind eye to the suffering of local communities.

According to records from the Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office (HDCO) of the Arakkha People’s Government, at least 1,152 civilians have been killed in Rakhine since the military coup.

On September 28, an airstrike on the India Market in Kyauktaw Township killed 50 civilians and injured nearly 60 others.

The military junta’s forces have also continued launching heavy airstrikes on civilian-populated areas across Arakkha State, including markets, displacement camps, clinics, Buddhist monasteries, and residential homes in Thandwe, Ponnagyun, Mrauk-U, Paletwa, and Sittwe.

Between October 2025 and October 2026, a total of 976 civilians were reportedly affected by military attacks, including 298 deaths and 678 injuries. Among the casualties were 55 children under the age of 18 who were killed and 147 others who were injured.

The 70 organizations condemned the escalating aerial attacks, stating that deliberately targeting civilians, including children, women, and displaced people who are not taking part in the conflict, is not justified by military necessity. They described the attacks as deliberate acts intended to spread fear and terror among civilians and cause mass casualties, potentially constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The joint appeal further emphasized that hospitals, clinics, displacement camps, and other civilian infrastructure are protected under international humanitarian law. Deliberate attacks against such facilities may constitute war crimes, depending on the circumstances and applicable legal standards.

The organizations urged the international community to take concrete and urgent measures to protect civilians, ensure humanitarian access, and prevent further loss of civilian lives in Rakhine.