The junta is alleged to have used chemical weapons in Shan State in contravention of the international Chemical Weapons Convention of which Myanmar is a signatory nation.
The junta used chemical weapons and incendiary devices in Mobye (Mongpai) Town, in southern Shan State close to the border with Karenni State on 23 February 2025, according to sources.
A frontline source who is familiar with the situation said to Shan Herald: “Fighting remains intense in Mobye Town, where the junta has recently been using incendiary shells and chemical munitions. The incendiary shells have set many homes on fire, whilst toxic gas [from the chemical munitions] has caused dizziness, nausea, and exhaustion in those who inhaled it.”
Also, on 23 February 2025, the junta also fired chemical weapons during fierce fighting that took place between the villages of Taungshey and Manmaw in the Tawnghkam area of Naungcho (Nawnghkio) Township, in northern Shan State.
The chemical weapons injured 10 Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) soldiers, four of whom are in serious condition, according to a TNLA statement.
Myanmar ratified the international Chemical Weapons Convention in August 2015. The 193 states that have ratified the convention agreed to outlaw the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons.