Myanmar Regime Continues Deadly Campaign Against Civilians Amid ASEAN Outreach

Experts warn that ASEAN’s re-engagement with Myanmar risks normalizing a violent dictatorship, after regime forces continued to launch deadly attacks on civilians in brazen defiance of the bloc’s peace plan.

According to data collected by The Irrawaddy, the regime conducted 10 airstrikes and five arson assaults between July 10 and 14, killing at least 11 civilians including women and children. The attacks—carried out across Magwe, Sagaing, Karen, Kachin and Rakhine—also injured 12 others and destroyed at least 42 houses.

The deadly strikes occurred either side of Sunday’s first talks between ASEAN foreign ministers and their Naypyitaw counterpart since the 2021 coup. During the meeting, ASEAN ministers reiterated that the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) remains the bloc’s road map for resolving Myanmar’s crisis. However, the regime quickly rejected the 5PC, demanding full reintegration with the bloc and the right to pursue its own “political” resolution.