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Myanmar flood submerges Ponngyun IDP camp, displacing over 1,000 and triggering urgent need for aid

June 19, 2025/in News

Mizzima Heavy monsoon rains and runoff from nearby hills have submerged an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp with more than 200 households in Ponngyun Township, Rakhine State, displacing over 1,000 people and prompting urgent appeals for emergency assistance. Flooding began on 16 June following continuous rain, and by 18 June, water levels had risen significantly […]

Airbus divests from Chinese arms company following global campaign

June 19, 2025/in News

Justice For Myanmar and Info Birmanie welcome move and call on Airbus to use leverage from its continued business in China to end the supply of arms to the Myanmar military Justice For Myanmar and Info Birmanie welcome Airbus’ decision to divest from AviChina Industry & Technology Company Limited (AviChina), in which it was the […]

Myanmar flood submerges Ponngyun IDP camp, displacing over 1,000 and triggering urgent need for aid

June 19, 2025/in News

Airbus divests from Chinese arms company following global campaign

June 19, 2025/in News

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Myanmar flood submerges Ponngyun IDP camp, displacing over 1,000 and triggering urgent need for aid

June 19, 2025/in News

Mizzima

Heavy monsoon rains and runoff from nearby hills have submerged an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp with more than 200 households in Ponngyun Township, Rakhine State, displacing over 1,000 people and prompting urgent appeals for emergency assistance.

Flooding began on 16 June following continuous rain, and by 18 June, water levels had risen significantly in the camp area, which is located along a natural waterway.

A representative from the Ponngyun Youth Organization said the camp was overwhelmed by floodwaters coming down from the mountain, forcing families to flee without their belongings. The camp’s residents have been living there for more than one and a half years after fleeing fighting between the Arakan Army and the military junta.

“When we went to inspect this morning, everything was gone—pots, bowls, blankets, bedding. People are now left with nothing,” said a volunteer who visited the site. The displaced people are now in urgent need of shelter, food, clean water, and basic supplies.

As of the afternoon of 18 June, rain continued to fall in Ponngyun Township. The situation is still being monitored by local youth organizations, including Pauktaw Youth Organization.

According to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), strong monsoon winds are prevailing in the Bay of Bengal, with a low-pressure system developing near southwestern Bangladesh. Rainfall is expected to continue across Myanmar through the evening of 18 June, with heavy downpours likely in parts of Bago, upper Sagaing, and Tanintharyi Regions, as well as Rakhine, Kachin, Karen, Chin, and Mon States.

The DMH also warned that cumulonimbus clouds are forming in several regions and states, including Rakhine, bringing risks of strong winds, thunderstorms, lightning, and hail. Residents were advised to take necessary precautions.

The National Unity Government’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management also issued a weather alert, stating that heavy rain is likely in Sagaing Region and Kachin, Shan, Rakhine, Karen, and Mon States on 21 and 22 June. It urged people living near rivers, dams, and reservoirs to closely monitor forecasts and remain alert to the dangers of flash floods or sudden inundation caused by dam releases or breaches.

Local humanitarian organizations say the affected families are currently sheltering in nearby elevated areas and require immediate assistance. They have called on humanitarian groups to respond swiftly before the weather worsens and access becomes more difficult.

Airbus divests from Chinese arms company following global campaign

June 19, 2025/in News

Justice For Myanmar and Info Birmanie welcome move and call on Airbus to use leverage from its continued business in China to end the supply of arms to the Myanmar military

Justice For Myanmar and Info Birmanie welcome Airbus’ decision to divest from AviChina Industry & Technology Company Limited (AviChina), in which it was the single largest international shareholder at 5.03%. The investment was valued at US$140 million on June 30, 2024.

The divestment follows a broad-based campaign involving civil society organisations, strike groups, trade unions, protesters and individuals all over the world who pressured Airbus to use its leverage on Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) to end its business with the Myanmar military, or divest.

A September 2024 report by Justice For Myanmar and Info Birmanie exposed Airbus’ significant investment in the AVIC publicly listed subsidiary, AviChina Industry & Technology Company Limited.

AviChina’s products include the K-8 trainer/light attack aircraft and the Y-12 multi-purpose aircraft, both of which continue to be used by the Myanmar Air Force for indiscriminate airstrikes across the country.

Airbus completed its divestment from AviChina on April 1, 2025, and acknowledged it in financial information published for the three-month period ending 31 March. In an email response to Justice For Myanmar and Info Birmanie, a spokesperson of Airbus confirmed, “Airbus SE completed the sale of the entirety of its shares in AviChina Industry & Technology Company Limited, a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Airbus does not have any equity investments in AVIC.”

The company refused to comment further, citing a complaint currently pending at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in the Netherlands regarding Airbus’ business relationship with AVIC, filed by a Myanmar civil society organisation.

Airbus remains a significant investor in the Chinese aviation industry, despite China’s well-documented strategy of military-civil fusion. As detailed in the Airbusted report, Airbus operates multiple legal entities in China, including joint ventures, in large part with AVIC and its subsidiaries.

Airbus’ partnerships with AVIC-controlled companies are inconsistent with Airbus’ human rights due diligence responsibilities, as companies operating under the oversight of AVIC continue to supply weapons – including military aircraft – to the Myanmar military. In doing so, AVIC risks aiding and abetting international crimes committed by the Myanmar military.

It remains unclear to what extent, if any, Airbus has used its leverage over AVIC to challenge continued exports of weapons to the Myanmar junta.

Yet, under international standards on business and human rights – including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises – Airbus is expected to use its leverage to pressure AVIC to cease all business with the Myanmar military, or, if this is unsuccessful, to responsibly disengage from its partnerships with AVIC.

In Myanmar, indiscriminate aerial attacks have continued even as rescue workers searched for survivors following the devastating Sagaing earthquake that struck Myanmar in March 2025.

The Myanmar Air Force can wage its aerial campaign of terror only through the continued supply of aircraft and associated weapons, essential consumables and maintenance, repair and overhaul from foreign partners.

By investing in AviChina, Airbus was financially supporting and profiting from AviChina’s continued development and marketing of military aircraft and the export of these aircraft to the Myanmar military.

Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung says:

“Airbus’ divestment sends a strong signal to AVIC and the Chinese government that supplying military aircraft and associated weaponry to the Myanmar junta carries financial and reputational costs.

“China remains the principal supplier of arms, dual use goods, technology and training to the Myanmar military and this complicity must end.

“It’s imperative that Airbus take further action and use the leverage they have over AVIC in China to cut all support for the Myanmar military, or end its business with AVIC all together.”

Johanna Chardonnieras, coordinator for Info Birmanie, says:

“This divestment must be a wake-up call for other companies, particularly European companies, directly or indirectly involved with the Burmese junta. There is a legal framework at national, European and international level, and extensive documentation of the war crimes committed by the Burmese junta, which companies can no longer ignore.

“Airbus’s discreet disinvestment from AviChina does not mark the end of a responsibility, but rather an awakening. It is now up to our institutions, in particular in French, Spanish and German institutions whose governments are the three main shareholders in Airbus, to shed full light on the contracts and links between Airbus and the AVIC group and its subsidiaries.

“Legal tools, such as European sanctions and the duty of vigilance, must be applied. When our institutions fail to enforce them, they jeopardise their credibility, relegating the application of their decisions to civil society players.”

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More information

Read the Airbusted report in English here and in French here

Spring Revolution

Civil Society Position Paper on ASEAN’s Goal of a Myanmar-Owned and -Led SolutionDecember 18, 2024 - 12:11 pm
Recommendations to ASEAN and Its Member States (1) Move beyond the 5PC to achieve a Myanmar people-led and people-centered solution to the crisis in Myanmar. ASEAN’s “Myanmar-owned and -led” approach must be backed by genuine political will that aligns with and supports the collective aspirations of the people of Myanmar. (2) Cease all pressure on […]
The Airstrikes after the journey to the China of the Junta Military LeaderDecember 10, 2024 - 1:28 pm
Operation 1027 was a coordinated military attack against the junta on October 27th, 2023. It was carried out by the Northern Brotherhood, which includes the Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army. Several months later, the Three Brotherhood Alliance held three meetings to negotiate with China on January 11 […]
Human Rights Situation weekly update (September 15 to 21, 2024)September 27, 2024 - 8:26 am
Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 15 to 21, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Shan State, Chin State, Rakhine State, and Kachin State from September 15th to 21st. The Military Junta committed arresting, occupying the properties, threatening by using power, and […]

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ND Burma

ND-Burma formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burma human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. The 13 ND-Burma member organizations seek to collectively use the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to advocate for justice for victims. ND-Burma trains local organizations in human rights documentation; coordinates members’ input into a common database using Martus, a secure open-source software; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns.

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