Proceeding of The Future of Life - Legal, Scientific, and Geopolitical Challenges (TFOL2025)

A Conditional Right to Target with Drones: A Case-Based Approach from Myanmar

Authors
Jyothis Mary1, *, Charlotte Imhof2
1Hume Institute for Postgraduate Studies, Lausanne, Switzerland
2Institute for Legal Support and Technical Assistance, Vientiane, Laos
*Corresponding author. Email: jyothis.mary@humelausanne.ch
Corresponding Author
Jyothis Mary
Available Online 13 March 2026.
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-555-3_14How to use a DOI?
Keywords
International Humanitarian Law Principles; Autonomous Weapons Systems; Drones; Two-tiered Approach; Myanmar
Abstract

All parties to an armed conflict, including States and non-state actors, are bound by jus in bello. The fundamental principles of humanitarian law seek to limit the suffering caused by the conflict and prohibit indiscriminate attacks. The increased use of weaponized drones by the military junta and ethnic armed organizations in Myanmar, to target and attack civilians and civilian objects, raises concerns regarding adherence to the principle of distinction, proportionality and precaution. The Resolution A/RES/79/62 on Lethal autonomous weapons systems, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, calls for a legally binding instrument in line with a two-tier approach. The resolution aims to prohibit certain types and uses of autonomous weapons, and to impose limits on the development and use of all other categories. This research, by examining the situation in Myanmar and specific violations of the International Humanitarian Law principles, explores whether such an approach would be appropriate to regulate the use of drones.

Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceeding of The Future of Life - Legal, Scientific, and Geopolitical Challenges (TFOL2025)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
13 March 2026
ISBN
978-2-38476-555-3
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-555-3_14How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

TY  - CONF
AU  - Jyothis Mary
AU  - Charlotte Imhof
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/13
TI  - A Conditional Right to Target with Drones: A Case-Based Approach from Myanmar
BT  - Proceeding of The Future of Life - Legal, Scientific, and Geopolitical Challenges (TFOL2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 209
EP  - 234
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-555-3_14
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-555-3_14
ID  - Mary2026
ER  -