UNITED NATIONS, United Stated— A
UN official said Sunday he was "horrified" by credible reports that
at least 35 civilians were killed and their bodies burned in
Myanmar, and
demanded the government launch an investigation.
اضافة اعلان
Two workers for non-profit group
Save the Children remain missing after their vehicle was among several that were
attacked and burned in the incident in eastern Kaya state.
A monitoring group and local media have
blamed the attack on junta troops.
"I condemn this grievous incident and
all attacks against civilians throughout the country," UN under-secretary-general
for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths said in a statement.
He called for "a thorough and
transparent investigation".
Myanmar has been in chaos since a February
coup, with more than 1,300 people killed in a crackdown by security forces,
according to a local monitoring group.
"People's Defense Forces" (PDF)
have sprung up across the country to fight the junta, and have drawn the
military into a bloody stalemate of clashes and reprisals.
On Saturday, photos appeared on social media
purporting to show two burned-out trucks and a car on a highway in Hpruso
township in Kayah state, with the charred remains of bodies inside.
A member of a local PDF group said its
fighters had found the vehicles Saturday morning after hearing the military had
stopped several vehicles in Hpruso after clashes with its fighters nearby on
Friday.
"When we went to check in the area this
morning, we found dead bodies burnt in two trucks. We found 27 dead
bodies," he told AFP on condition of anonymity Saturday.
"We found 27 skulls," said another
witness who did not want to be named, and who said there were other dead bodies
that could not be counted.
Save the Children said later Saturday that
two of its Myanmar staff had been "caught up" in the incident and
were missing.
The two had been travelling home after
carrying out humanitarian work in the region, the charity said in a statement,
adding it had since suspended its work in several regions.
Myanmar's junta previously said its troops
had been attacked in Hpruso on Friday after attempting to stop seven cars
driving in a "suspicious way".
Troops had killed a number of people in the
following clash, spokesman Zaw Min Tun told AFP, without giving details.
The Myanmar Witness monitor said it had
confirmed local media reports and witness accounts from local fighters
"that 35 people including children and women were burnt and killed by the
military on 24th December Hpruso township".
Satellite data also showed a fire had
occurred around 1:00 pm (0630 GMT) on Friday in Hpruso, it added.
AFP was unable to confirm the reports
surrounding the clash, but AFP digital verification reporters said the images
purporting to show the incident had not appeared online before Friday evening.
PDF groups have surprised the army with
their effectiveness, analysts have said, as the military struggles to break
resistance to its rule.
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