Terrorist Acts and War Crimes committed by the KIA Terrorist Insurgent Group and PDF Terrorists

At present, the Government is making concerted efforts to ensure nationwide peace and tranquillity and to secure the long-term, sustainable fruits of peace. These efforts are being carried out through the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) framework as part of the peace process. Despite these constructive initiatives, it is deeply regrettable that armed terrorist groups are destroying the long-cherished dream of peace of local people residing in Kachin State.
In particular, the KIA insurgent group, which does not represent the will and aspirations of the Kachin population as a whole, has turned its back on dialogue and the government’s peace process and has chosen to persistently pursue the path of armed conflict. Their actions not only directly undermine the socioeconomic development opportunities of the different ethnic communities living peacefully in Kachin State but also clearly disrupt regional stability and peace. Notably, they have deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure unrelated to military affairs with the apparent intention of paralyzing the government’s administrative machinery in Kachin State and the northern part of Sagaing Region.
The insurgent and terrorist groups have targeted and destroyed roads and bridges essential for public transportation, communication facilities and electricity transmission towers vital for information flow and power supply, as well as schools and hospitals that serve as fundamental institutions for children’s education and public healthcare. These attacks include reckless mine attacks, electrically-initiated rocket attacks, and drone attacks. Such attacks have not only inflicted direct harm upon the daily socioeconomic lives of residents but have also caused severe damage to the region’s future development prospects.
MNA’s ATR-72-600 passenger aircraft attacked by KIA insurgents and PDF terrorists
The attack on Myitkyina Airport that took place at approximately 8:12 pm on 20 February could not be ignored as an ordinary case. On that evening, an ATR 72-600 passenger aircraft operated by Myanmar National Airlines (MNA), carrying more than 70 passengers, was preparing to depart from Myitkyina Airport for Mandalay. During these preparations, a joint terrorist group comprising the KIA and the PDF groups launched a sudden FPV suicide drone attack. This act clearly constituted a deliberate and targeted terrorist attack intended to endanger the lives of innocent, unarmed civilian passengers.

The recent attack on Myitkyina Airport was not the first attack committed by the KIA. On 12 February, similar suicide drone attacks were launched against the airport. At the time, the drones were successfully intercepted by installed security jamming systems, causing them to crash onto the runway without any casualties or damage to aircraft. However, the KIA group deliberately timed their second attempt precisely to attack the aircraft at the arrival time, reportedly overcoming the frequency range of the security jammers.
In such a highly dangerous situation, the timely response of the Myanmar Armed Forces and security personnel proved crucial. Their swift evacuation of passengers to safe locations and the systematic execution of necessary rescue operations ensured that no passengers or crew members suffered casualties.
Passenger aircraft serve as an essential means of transportation for the general public and are not legitimate military targets. The KIA terrorist group is fully aware of this fact. Nevertheless, following the first airport attack, the KIA group denied responsibility through social media platforms in an illogical and brazen manner. However, the truth cannot be concealed. Based on the drone debris recovered from the 12 February incident, authorities identified with credible evidence that the drones were of a type primarily used by the KIA and manufactured abroad.
After the second attack, the KIA’s shameless propaganda became even more apparent. Through social media platforms, they alleged that Myitkyina Airport was being used to transport military rations and weapons, claiming this as justification for their actions. It does bring into question: if passenger aircraft operating from Myitkyina Airport were indeed transporting military supplies, what then is the purpose of military aircraft and helicopters stationed at the Nampong Air Base, where supplies could be delivered without public visibility? Using such a pretext to attack civilian aircraft and a civilian airport is an extremely heinous act.
Due to the sabotage of the KIA and the PDF groups, residents across Kachin State are facing severe transportation difficulties. Major roadways connecting Mandalay, Shwebo, Mohnyin, Mogaung, and Myitkyina, as well as Mandalay, Madaya, Shwegu, Bhamo, and Myitkyina, have reportedly been disrupted by mine attacks. Along an alternative detour through the forest, illegal checkpoints, extortion, and forced recruitment by the KIA and PDF groups have allegedly occurred, causing civilians to avoid overland travel due to safety concerns. River transport along the Ayeyawady River connecting Mandalay, Shwegu and Myitkyina has also reportedly been disrupted by frequent attacks on civilian vessels under accusations that they were being used by the military, further limiting transportation options.
Under such circumstances, air travel had become the only safe and reliable transport link for residents of Kachin State. The KIA itself and everyone might have understood that people from diverse ethnic communities residing in the state rely on air travel primarily to reach major cities such as Mandalay and Yangon.
As a consequence of these recent reckless attacks by KIA and PDF terrorist groups, Myitkyina Airport has now been temporarily closed. The principal lifeline relied upon by the local population has been abruptly severed. This has resulted in significant hardships in travel and the flow of goods, severely impacting socioeconomic conditions. Public concerns and anxieties expressed on social media platforms reflect the depth of these challenges.
The KIA’s attack specifically targeted a civilian passenger aircraft unrelated to any military objective, and was deliberately timed to coincide with its arrival. This was not merely an act of disruption with civilian travel, but it was an attempt that could have caused mass casualties and the destruction of an entire aircraft carrying innocent passengers.
Under the fundamental principles of the Geneva Conventions, civilian infrastructure and public transport systems not directly engaged in military operations are expressly protected from attack, both in peacetime and wartime. From the perspective of international law, the deliberate attack against a civilian airport and an unarmed passenger aircraft constitutes an act of inhumanity and may amount to a war crime.
Accordingly, these attacks by the KIA and PDF terrorist groups highlight a blatant disregard for international norms and legal standards. Direct threats by the KIA and PDF groups to civilian lives and property reflect the characteristics commonly associated with terrorist organizations.
It is also evident that deeper intention may also be involved in their acts. The government has recently indicated preparations to resume the suspended the Myitson Dam Project in cooperation with China, citing national interests and regional development. The KIA and PDF terrorists, who feel concerns for losing their status of warlord in the territory, have deliberately created instability in the Kachine State to obstruct or delay such development initiatives.
In reality, Kachin State is not a domain for the exclusive benefit of any single organization, but a shared homeland for diverse ethnic communities who aspire to coexist peacefully. However, the pursuit of armed struggle of KIA under the pretext of ethnic causes poses a significant threat to the region’s stability and future, and has attracted widespread condemnation from various domestic and international organizations.
At present, the violent actions of the KIA and PDF groups that constitute war crimes have intensified public resentment and hatred. As KIA and PDF terrorists directly endanger people’s lives and property, public tolerance appears to be diminishing, with calls on the government to eliminate the terrorist groups. Attacks by KIA and PDF groups targeting innocent civilian travellers constitute war crimes and cannot be justified under any circumstances. This article brings the realities to the attention of the international community that such acts of destruction not only hinder the development of Kachin State but also push the daily lives of local ethnic communities into hell.

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