Myanmar's Military Intensifies Civilian Attacks Under New Leadership

Myanmar’s military has increased its repression and intensified aerial bombing campaign against its civilians, a report by Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) said. The ruling junta in Myanmar reconfigured its military command structure in March.

The report said that ever since coup leader Min Aung Hlaing’s transited from commander of the military to civilian president in April, his trusted ally Ye Win Oo assumed the formal leadership of the military. Hence, the report says, the junta is trying to assimilate control.

What does the report say?

Ye Win Oo’s leadership has resulted in deadlier consequences for civilians. It includes regular deployment of specialized groups of two to five jet fighters executing sustained airstrikes against single targets. While ACLED records fewer strike events because of the repeated attacks on single targets, these strikes are deadlier to civilians and result in extensive damage to civilian infrastructure.

Civilians previously subjected to primarily indiscriminate military violence following the territorial losses of late 2023 are also now facing a resurgence of direct, targeted attacks, including arrests, arsons, and abductions, the report says.

The military’s ongoing terror strategy includes a focus on civilian infrastructure and social gatherings, such as weddings and religious festivals, to maximize psychological impact. Schools, hospitals, churches, and monasteries — frequently used as Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) shelters — remain targets.

The detention centres operated by resistance groups have become targets in 2026, as per the report. at least six military airstrike events targeting resistance detention centers that resulted in 153 reported fatalities. Weak accountability mechanisms and inadequate civilian protection measures, such as bomb shelters, enable continued military operations that place civilians in Myanmar —  including health workers, patients, and prisoners of war — at risk.

Diplomatic outreach continues

The political turmoil inside the nation has prompted Min Aung Hlaing, President of Myanmar to bolster its diplomacy, as he travelled to India and China. During his visit to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the importance of united Myanmar.

During a special Briefing on June 1, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, “Prime Minister did raise this matter with the President and this was a discussion that was largely in the context of the peace process that has been underway in Myanmar for quite some time. The effort to bring in all the ethnic groups onto the same platform and find a way forward within a united Myanmar.”

Digital repression expands

As per the ACLED report, civilians are subjected to surveillance and digital repression. It is accompanied by overnight guest-registration checks and mass arrests. Targeted arrests and abductions, including forced recruitment, are most prevalent in urban centers.

The military has operationalized the Person Scrutinization and Monitoring System (PSMS), alongside other digital surveillance mechanisms, to identify, track, and arrest dissidents.

AI-enabled surveillance cameras, combined with databases containing national identification records and biometric data, have significantly expanded the military’s capacity to monitor the population and identify people who oppose its rule. In addition, pro-military networks monitor social media users who criticize the regime. Between 2024 and May 2026, over 20,000 individuals were detained for online content, ACLED said, according to the military's own data.