The event occurred on December 24. The victims, including at least three charred children, had their hands tied behind their back and their mouths taped shut.
Authorities from the Karenni minority, a rival group to the Burmese military junta, denounced that the 35 victims found dead at Christmas were burned alive inside their vehicles by Burmese soldiers.
The Karenni State Police pointed out that the “civilians”, including at least three minors, were burned alive on December 24, the Mizzima media reported on Tuesday.
This was following being detained by soldiers from the 108th Battalion of the 66th Brigade near the Moso village, in the Hpruso municipality, Kayah (Karenni) state, in the west of the country.
According to the security body of the Karenni State Advisory Council (KSCC), the victims had their hands tied behind their backs and their mouths taped shut.
The massacre was greeted with consternation by the United Nations coordinator for emergency aid, Martin Griffiths, who on December 26 condemned the massacre and called for an investigation.
“Credible reports claim that at least 35 people, including at least one child, were forced to abandon their vehicles, killed and burned,” Griffiths said in a statement in which he was “horrified” by what happened.
La ONG Save the Children later confirmed that two of his workers were among the charred corpses discovered, as well as at least four minors.
The massacre was also condemned by the UN Security Council, which called for an investigation and highlighted the “need to ensure accountability around this event” and respect for “human rights and the safety of civilians.” .
Board defends itself
Burmese military junta has denied massacre in Moso and on January 2, it published a press release giving details of what happened in the official Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, which is published in English.
In a somewhat confused manner, the military authorities explained that on December 24 the soldiers detained some vehicles that disobeyed the order and were then attacked with grenade launchers.
“About 10 terrorists who were on a hill with rocket launchers, 44-millimeter grenade launchers and other weapons,” says the press release, which identifies the attackers as members of the guerrilla Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF) and of the People’s Defense Force.
Authorities indicate that they responded with fire and killed several of the attackers, while several vehicles burned, but the circumstances are not clear.
Burma (Myanmar) has entered a spiral of crisis and violence since the military led by Min Aung Hlaing seized power on February 1, 2021 in a coup that overthrew the democratic government of Aung San Suu Kyi, currently under arrest. .
In addition to peaceful protests and a civil disobedience movement, civilian militias have formed that have taken up arms alongside ethnic guerrillas that have been in conflict with the Burmese Army for decades.
Eleven months following the coup, the military junta still does not have complete control of the country despite the brutal violence used once morest dissent.
To date, it has caused nearly 1,400 deaths and more than 11,300 detainees, according to the Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners.
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