The bodies were cremated in cars: the Myanmar army massacred more than 30 civilians, including children

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25/12/2021

Saturday, 25 December 2021, 19:55 Updated: 20:03

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Vehicles set on fire by Myanmar army in Mo Suo, December 24, 2021 (Photo: AP)

Myanmar government forces have gathered villagers, some apparently women and children, killed more than 30 of them and cremated the bodies, witnesses and other sources said today (Saturday). Pictures that allegedly documented the scene of the massacre, on Christmas Eve, in the eastern village of Mo Suo, spread on social media and intensified anger against the army that seized power in a coup in February.

The photos show the charred bodies of more than 30 people in three burned vehicles in a village in the state of Kaya, in an area where refugees are hiding from the army operating against guerrilla forces and opponents of the regime. One of the residents told the AP news agency that he had arrived at the scene and that the victims had escaped yesterday from the fighting between the army and armed organizations near the village of Koi Nagan, near Mo Su. He claimed they were stopped by soldiers while on their way to protest refugees in the western part of town.

The military regime, which ousted the government of Aung San Suu Kyi, did not respond to the allegations. However, a report in the government newspaper Myanma Aline said that fighting broke out yesterday between ethnic guerrilla forces, known as Carney's National Progressive Party, and opponents of the regime as they drove in "suspicious" vehicles and attacked security forces after refusing to stop.

According to the report, the vehicles had new activists who were on their way to participate in training ahead of their fight in the military, and that seven of their vehicles were destroyed in the fire. No further details were given about the dead.

An eyewitness who spoke with the AP said the burnt bodies were unidentifiable, and that children's and women's clothing had been found along with medical assistance and food. "The bodies were tied with ropes before they were set on fire," said the witness, who spoke anonymously for security reasons. He was not there until the moment they were killed, but said he believes some were residents of Mo Suo who were reportedly arrested by the military on Friday. He denied that the prisoners were members of local militia organizations.

Independent media in Myanmar reported on Friday that ten villagers, including children, had been arrested by the military, and four members of a local border guard who went to negotiate their release were tied up and shot in the head by soldiers. An eyewitness said the villagers and anti-government militias left the bodies in place when army forces arrived near Mo Su, while the bodies were preparing for their cremation. The fighting near the village was still intense.

"This is a heinous crime and the worst incident that happened at Christmas time. We strongly condemn this massacre as a crime against humanity," said Baniar Khun Ung, director of the Karni Human Rights Organization.

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Vehicles set on fire by Myanmar army in Mo Suo, December 24, 2021 (Photo: AP)

Earlier this month, government forces were charged with a similar massacre, in which villagers, some apparently children, were tied up before being shot to death. Dr. Sasa, one of the leaders of the opposition, said the civilians were burned alive. Documentation from that attack, which took place on December 7, apparently in response to an attack by an army convoy, showed the charred bodies of 11 people lying in a circle that was apparently the remains of a hut.

At the same time, fighting continued in a nearby provincial state on the Thai border, to which thousands of residents fled in search of refuge.

A number of Western governments, which have imposed sanctions on the military since the coup, have issued a joint statement condemning the "serious human rights violations perpetrated by the military regime across the country".

The statement, which was also signed by the United States Embassy, ​​called on the regime to "immediately stop its indiscriminate attacks in Karen and throughout the country, and to ensure the safety of all citizens in accordance with international law."

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