Artillery Hits Myanmar Refugee Camp: 29 People Killed, Including Women And Children

KIA soldiers. (World Policy.Org/Diana Markovian)

JAKARTA - Artillery strikes a refugee camp near Myanmar's border with China killing at least 29 people, including women and children, media and sources said on Tuesday.

The shooting took place nearly midnight on Monday in Kachin State, the source said, when artillery hit the camp about 5 km (3 miles) from a base in the border town of Laiza managed by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which for years has been in conflict with the Myanmar military.

Meanwhile, Kachin media said 30 people were killed and blamed the artillery attack on the military.

Separately, the Shadow National Unity Government (NUG) condemned what it called a heinous attack on civilians, saying the world should take action to stop the atrocities and try Myanmar's generals.

"The actions of this military council are war crimes and crimes against humanity," said NUG spokesman Kyaw Zaw.

He further said that the attack on the Chinese border showed the junta did not respect the demands of neighboring countries regarding peace and stability.

Laiza is the capital of KIA, one of the largest ethnic groups of dozens of ethnic groups to have fought the military for decades.

The city is located close to the Chinese border and is home to many civilians living in refugee camps in and around the city.

Khon Ja, a local activist from the civil society group The Kachin Peace Network said he had visited a local hospital and was told 29 people were killed and 59 injured.

"The bomb is too strong, the village is completely destroyed and gone," he felt sad.

The incident is considered the deadliest since airstrikes in the Sagaing region, Myanmar in April that killed many people including civilians.

Meanwhile, Myanmar's military junta usually denies they are targeting civilians, blaming "terrorists" for the violence.