• More than 40 killed, many wounded in a bombing at a Buddhist festival in Myanmar.
• The attack was attributed to the military's use of paramotors amid ongoing civil conflict.
• Eyewitness accounts describe horrific scenes, with children among the victims.
• International organizations call for urgent protection for civilians amid ongoing violence.
• Upcoming elections slated by the junta are criticized as unlikely to be fair.

A paramotor attack during the Thadingyut festival in Chaung U township, Myanmar, has resulted in at least 40 fatalities and over 80 injuries, according to multiple local sources and a spokesperson for the exiled National Unity Government. The attack occurred on Monday evening as hundreds gathered for celebrations and protests against the military junta, which has ruled the country since a coup in 2021. Eyewitnesses reported that bombs were dropped on the crowd, with horrifying consequences including children being "completely torn apart," as detailed by a committee member involved in organizing the event. The situation has left many victims unidentifiable due to the severity of the injuries sustained, according to reports from BBC, India Times, and The Jakarta Post.

As details of the attack emerged, a local resident described the chaos, noting that while some attendees attempted to flee after being alerted, many were unable to escape in time. "There were even more who died in front of me," he recounted, illustrating the tragedy that unfolded. The paramotor strikes reflect a broader trend of the military resorting to such tactics amid a shortage of traditional military aircraft, exacerbated by international sanctions restrictively targeting military resources, as reported by both BBC and India Times.

International human rights groups, including Amnesty International, condemned the incident, labeling it as a disturbing escalation in military violence against civilians. Amnesty's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, stated that the attack serves as a "gruesome wake-up call" for the urgent need for civilian protection. Critics argue that the Myanmar junta's upcoming elections, scheduled for December, will not be freely or fairly conducted but instead serve to further consolidate military power in the region. This sentiment is echoed by advocacy organizations demanding more robust actions from international bodies such as ASEAN to apply pressure on the junta, as highlighted by India Times and The Jakarta Post.