Alarmed by Reported Deadly Bombing of Civilians in Myanmar, Secretary-General Says Those Responsible Must Be Held to Account

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General is alarmed by reports of the killing of dozens of civilians — including internally displaced persons, many of them women and children — in a bombing in Myanmar’s Kachin State on 9 October.  Those responsible must be held to account.

The Secretary-General condemns all forms of violence, including the military’s intensifying attacks throughout the country, which continue to fuel regional instability.  He continues to urge neighbouring countries in particular to leverage their influence.

The Secretary-General reaffirms that civilians should be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law.