Tragic, 30 Myanmar Citizens In Conflict Areas Died In Burning Conditions

Myanmar citizen illustration (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - More than 30 people, including women and children, were killed and their bodies burned in Kayah, Myanmar's conflict-torn state, on Friday, according to local residents as well as media reports and human rights groups.

Human rights group Karenni revealed that they found the charred bodies of refugees, including the elderly, women and children near Mo So Village in Hpruso City on Saturday.

They died at the hands of Myanmar's ruling military, the group said.

"We strongly condemn this inhuman and brutal killing, which violates human rights," the group said on its Facebook account.

Myanmar's military said it had shot and killed a number of "terrorists with guns" from the opposition armed forces in the village, state media said.

The Myanmar military could not immediately be reached for comment.

Photographs shared by human rights groups and local media showed charred remains in the burning truck.

The Karenni National Defense Forces, one of the largest civilian militias opposed to the junta that led the February 1 coup, said the dead were not members of their group, but civilians seeking refuge.

"We were shocked to see all the bodies of various sizes, including children, women and the elderly," the group's commander told Reuters.

One resident, who asked not to be identified, said he was aware of the fire on Friday night, but that he could not go to the scene because the shooting was ongoing.

Myanmar has been locked in conflict since the military toppled the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi nearly 11 months ago, arguing that last November's election -- which Suu Kyi's party won -- was rigged.

Some foreign observers say that Myanmar's elections were fair.

The civilians, furious with the coup and the crackdown on protesters, took up arms.

Many local residents later formed resistance forces against the military junta.

The military has viewed many of its opponents as outlawed groups and branded them traitors or terrorists, including against the Government of National Unity group, which seeks to lobby the international community and prevent the junta from strengthening its grip.