At least 35 people were killed and their bodies burned, according to an international aid group and opponents of the military regime.
An international aid group and opponents of Myanmar’s ruling military have accused soldiers of killing at least 35 villagers who were fleeing combat on Christmas Eve and of then burning their bodies. The aid group said that two of its staff members may have been among those killed. Photographs said to have been taken at the scene, in Kayah State, show the charred remains of bodies in the back of three trucks. According to the aid group, Save the Children, a car that two of its staff members had been using to drive home for the holidays was among a dozen or so charred vehicles at the scene. The staff members are now missing, the group said. “We are horrified at the violence carried out against innocent civilians and our staff, who are dedicated humanitarians, supporting millions of children in need across Myanmar,” Save the Children’s chief executive, Inger Ashing, said in a statement on Saturday. The army, which ruled Myanmar for nearly half a century before granting civilian leaders some power a decade ago, seized full control again in a Feb.1 coup and has since mounted a vicious crackdown against its opponents, some of whom have taken up arms. The army, known as the Tatmadaw, has a long history of committing atrocities against civilians. The junta said in a statement on Friday that the vehicles found at the scene had not stopped for inspection as ordered and that some “terrorists” in the group had begun shooting at soldiers, who returned fire.
