3 yıl önce

Myanmar rebel group to investigate alleged massacre of civilians

Meanwhile, Villagers of Kin Ma say junta forces were to blame for its near-destruction, while the junta's information team told journalists "terrorists" and windy weather were responsible.

Reuters

People hold torches during a protest in Mandalay, Myanmar June 14, 2021.

A prominent Myanmar ethnic rebel group will investigate an alleged massacre of civilians on its territory, it said after state media accused its fighters of killing 25 construction workers.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since a February coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, sparking huge protests and renewed clashes between the military and ethnic rebel armies in border regions.

State media published pictures on Monday showing what it said were the bodies of 25 construction workers massacred by fighters from the Karen National Defence Organisation in the east of the country.

AFP

This handout from Pauk Township News taken and released on June 16, 2021 shows a woman walking past the remains of houses after they were burnt in Kin Ma village in Pauk Township, Magway region. Myanmar's junta and villagers traded accusations June 16 after a village was razed almost entirely to the ground in the centre of the coup-wracked country.

The group is part of the Karen National Union – a prominent ethnic armed group that has fought the military for decades and which had condemned the generals' coup.

"There have been media reports spreading since June 13th that 25 civilians... were killed by KNDO on May 31st, 2021," the KNU said in a statement.

"KNU (central) will form an investigating team to investigate to reveal the truth."

The group added it "cannot accept killing of civilians during fighting... We also have our restrictions to take action according to our related law regarding this kind of cases."

AFP

This handout from Pauk Township News taken and released on June 16, 2021 shows the remains of houses after they were burnt in Kin Ma village in Pauk Township, Magway region.

Since the coup the KNU has clashed sporadically with the Myanmar military along the Thai border.

In March its fighters seized a military post and the army retaliated with air raids, the first in more than 20 years in Karen state.

On Wednesday Myanmar's junta and villagers in the central Magway region traded accusations after a settlement was razed almost entirely to the ground.

Villagers of Kin Ma told AFP junta forces were to blame for its near-destruction, while the junta's information team told journalists "terrorists" and windy weather were responsible.

The military has sought to quell mass anti-coup protests with bloody crackdowns that have killed more than 850 civilians, according to a local monitoring group.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has justified his power grab by citing alleged electoral fraud in the November poll won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.

SOURCE: AFP