Myanmar atrocity: Burmese Army burns 35 civilians alive on Christmas Eve
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Myanmar’s Burmese Army (Tatmadaw) burned alive at least 35 civilians, including elderly people and children, in Karenni state on Christmas Eve, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. The Tatmadaw rogue army has been slaughtering and displacing non-Buddhists since it overthrew Myanmar’s democratically elected government in a February 1 coup.
According to the Karenni Human Rights Group (KHRG), the civilians were murdered near the Mo So village of Hpruso town, CSW reports. CSW sources added that the army also used human shields and placed landmines around residential areas.
Condemning the atrocity, Dr. Sasa, Union Minister of the Ministry of International Cooperation, Spokesperson of the National Unity Government of Myanmar, and the Myanmar Special Envoy to the United Nations, wrote in a statement: “these acts clearly constitute the worst crimes against humanity and we expect that all peoples and governments the world over should condemn these acts. With the condemnation, however, should come a commitment that these criminals be brought to justice and held fully accountable for their actions.”
In its campaign to impose Buddhism on the whole of Myanmar, the Burmese Army has carried out attacks on civilian minority groups, and Christians in particular, in Kayah, Karen, and Kachin states.
CSW Senior Analyst for East Asia Benedict Rogers said in a statement: “As many of us celebrate Christmas, the Tatmadaw has continued to perpetrate egregious violations against the people of Myanmar, burning innocent civilians alive and killing and displacing hundreds more in targeted attacks on the country’s ethnic and religious nationalities. We call once again for urgent international action, and specifically for the swift and comprehensive imposition of a global arms embargo on the country as a means of pressuring the military regime to bring an end to these horrific atrocities.”