The Philippines, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has expressed concern over a deadly airstrike in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and said it is ready to facilitate discussions within the regional bloc on how to assist the crisis-hit country.
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Ana Marie Hernando said in an email response on Saturday (3rd October) that the Philippines was closely monitoring developments.
“The Philippines is closely monitoring developments and expresses concern over the attacks which resulted in destruction, loss of lives and injuries to those affected,” Hernando stated.
As ASEAN chair, the Philippines said it remained mindful of the views of all member states and would continue to follow the regional bloc’s consensus based approach. Manila also said it was ready to facilitate discussions within ASEAN on ways to assist Myanmar, in line with the common aspiration of finding a solution that is “Myanmar-owned and led”.
The Philippines holds the rotating ASEAN chairmanship in 2026. Its position follows the bloc’s broader emphasis on consensus and an inclusive, Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led process for addressing the country’s political crisis.
The comments follow Monday’s airstrike in Kyauktaw, which became Rakhine’s deadliest such attack since a December hospital bombing. Local sources and the Arakan Army, which controls the area, said the strike hit a busy market area near the Kissapanadi Bridge around midday. Victims included market vendors, shoppers, pedestrians, and cargo loaders, with women and children among those killed or injured. Some bodies were recovered later as fires complicated rescue efforts. Aid workers operating on the ground reported a final toll of 50 dead and at least 58 wounded.
Local accounts described the area as distant from active frontlines and primarily used by civilians from Rakhine, Rohingya, Hindu, and other communities. The strike came amid ongoing efforts by Myanmar’s military to reclaim areas under opposition control ahead of planned political processes.
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar has called for information from witnesses to document the incident as part of its broader investigation into alleged serious international crimes.
Previous incidents underscore the scale of civilian casualties from airstrikes in Myanmar. They include the December 2025 strike on Mrauk U General Hospital in Rakhine state, which reportedly killed at least 30 people and injured at least 70 others, and a September 2025 airstrike on a boarding school in Kyauktaw Township that reportedly killed at least 22 people, mostly students, and injured at least 20.
Attacks affecting civilian sites, including schools, hospitals, and markets, have drawn repeated international concern. The UN has reported that civilian deaths caused by airstrikes reached their highest verified level since the 2021 military coup in 2025, as the conflict continued to intensify across the country.
Airstrikes have become an increasingly prominent feature of the conflict, with the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar reporting a pattern of aerial attacks affecting homes, schools, medical facilities, religious buildings, and camps for internally displaced people.
Myanmar has been in a nationwide conflict since the military seized power from the elected government in a 2021 coup. An alliance of armed groups, including the Arakan Army, has since fought the military across multiple regions. Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh, has experienced particularly intense fighting as the Arakan Army has expanded its territorial control.
The prolonged conflict has caused a major humanitarian crisis, with millions of people displaced and widespread economic hardship, food insecurity, and limited access to healthcare. International monitors describe the conflict as highly fragmented, involving numerous armed factions, while continued military airstrikes have added to the risks faced by civilians in contested areas, including Rakhine.
The humanitarian situation in Rakhine remains acute. Large numbers of people have been displaced within the state, while conflict and insecurity continue to limit the prospects for safe and voluntary returns by refugees from neighbouring Bangladesh. UNHCR has reported blocked humanitarian access and shortages affecting communities in conflict affected parts of Rakhine.
ASEAN has sought a peaceful resolution to the Myanmar crisis through its Five Point Consensus, agreed shortly after the 2021 coup. ASEAN leaders said in October 2025 that there had been limited substantive progress in implementing the consensus and called for an immediate end to violence, protection of civilians, and conditions that would allow humanitarian assistance to be delivered safely and effectively.
Regional responses have varied, with ASEAN members pursuing different approaches to the Myanmar crisis. Following the latest airstrike, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights called for accountability and urged ASEAN to keep Myanmar’s military representatives excluded from the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila until attacks on civilians end.
The UN has also expressed alarm over the attack. Secretary General António Guterres condemned the violence and called on all parties to protect civilians, comply with international law, and allow humanitarian assistance to reach those affected.
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