Save the Children says staff missing after Myanmar massacre

BANGKOK — The planetary assistance radical Save the Children said 2 of its staffers were missing successful a massacre successful eastbound Myanmar that near much than 30 people, including women and children, dormant and burned successful their vehicles aft they were reportedly changeable by authorities troops arsenic they were fleeing combat.

Photos of the aftermath of the Christmas Eve killings successful Mo So village, conscionable extracurricular Hpruso township successful Kayah state, dispersed connected societal media successful the country, fueling outrage against the subject that took powerfulness successful February aft ousting the elected authorities of Aung San Suu Kyi.

The accounts could not beryllium independently verified. The photos showed the charred bodies of implicit 30 radical successful 3 burned-out vehicles.

On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy successful Myanmar said it was appalled by the “barbaric onslaught successful Kayah authorities that killed astatine slightest 35 civilians, including women and children.”

“We volition proceed to property for accountability for the perpetrators of the ongoing run of unit against the radical of Burma,” it said successful a statement.

Save the Children said it was suspending operations successful the region.

A villager who said helium went to the country told The Associated Press that the victims had fled the warring betwixt equipped absorption groups and Myanmar’s service adjacent Koi Ngan village, which is conscionable beside Mo So, connected Friday. He said they were killed aft they were arrested by troops portion heading to exile camps successful the occidental portion of the township.

Save the Children said that 2 of its unit who were traveling location for the holidays aft conducting humanitarian effect enactment successful a adjacent assemblage were “caught up successful the incidental and stay missing.”

“We person confirmation that their backstage conveyance was attacked and burned out,” the radical added successful a statement. “The subject reportedly forced radical from their cars, arrested some, killed others and burned their bodies.”

The authorities has not commented connected the allegations, but a study successful the state-run Myanma Alinn regular paper connected Saturday said that the warring adjacent Mo So broke retired connected Friday erstwhile members of taste guerrilla forces, known arsenic the Karenni National Progressive Party, and those opposed to the subject drove successful “suspicious” vehicles and attacked information forces aft refusing to stop.

The paper study said they included caller members who were going to be grooming to combat the army, and that the 7 vehicles they were traveling successful were destroyed successful a fire. It gave nary further details astir the killings.

The witnesser told the AP the remains were burned beyond recognition, and children’s and women’s apparel were recovered unneurotic with aesculapian supplies and food.

“The bodies were tied with ropes earlier being acceptable connected fire,” said the witness, who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that helium feared for his safety.

He did not spot the infinitesimal they were killed, but said helium believed immoderate of them were Mo So villagers who reportedly got arrested by troops connected Friday. He denied that those captured were members of locally organized militia groups.

Myanmar’s autarkic media reported connected Friday that 10 Mo So villagers including children were arrested by the army. The media said that 4 members of the section paramilitary Border Guard Forces who went to negociate for their merchandise were reportedly tied up and changeable successful the caput by the military.

The witnesser said the villagers and anti-government militia groups near the bodies arsenic subject troops arrived adjacent Mo So portion the bodies were being prepared for cremation.

“It’s a heinous transgression and the worst incidental during Christmas. We powerfully condemn that massacre arsenic a transgression against humanity,” said Banyar Khun Aung, manager of the Karenni Human Rights Group.

Earlier this month, authorities troops were besides accused of rounding up villagers, immoderate believed to beryllium children, tying them up and slaughtering them. An absorption leader, Dr. Sasa, who uses lone 1 name, said the civilians were burned alive.

A video of the aftermath of the Dec. 7 battle — seemingly retaliation for an onslaught connected a subject convoy — showed the charred bodies of 11 radical lying successful a ellipse amid what appeared to beryllium the remains of a hut.

Fighting resumed implicit the play connected the borderline with Thailand, wherever thousands of radical person fled to question shelter. Local officials said Myanmar’s subject had unleashed airstrikes and dense artillery connected Lay Kay Kaw, a tiny municipality controlled by taste Karen guerrillas successful neighboring Kayin state, since Friday.

The politician of Thailand’s Tak province, Somchai Charoenkitroongroj, told reporters that astir 4,700 evacuees from Myanmar were successful 3 shelters crossed the border. Sounds of gunfire and explosions could beryllium heard crossed the stream dividing the countries.

He ordered 5 borderline districts to hole supplies and unafraid places to person much refugees from Myanmar.

Myanmar’s military’s enactment prompted aggregate Western governments including the United States to contented a associated connection condemning “serious quality rights violations committed by the subject authorities crossed the country.”

“We telephone connected the authorities to instantly cease its indiscriminate attacks successful Karen authorities and passim the country, and to guarantee the information of each civilians successful enactment with planetary law,” the associated connection said.