Military Council Troops Massacre 18 civilians, Including women and children in Nyaung Pin Thar Village, Bago region
The Military Council troops launched a combat operation in Htantabin Township, Bago Region, arresting the residents of Nyaung Pin Thar village and killing 18 people, including minor children, and then burning their bodies according to the residents.
According to the residents, on May 9, over 100 Junta soldiers entered the area to carry out a combat operation. On May 10, at approximately 10:00 a.m., following an exchange of gunfire with the local KNLA joint forces, they proceeded to track down and apprehend the residents. They arrested and brutally killed 18 individuals, including four women and children before burning their bodies, as reported by survivors.
“Prior to the conflict, individuals within the village had already been apprehended. In the aftermath of the battle, the captured were killed and their corpses were burnt.They also raped the women before killing them. There exists photographic evidence of girls being killed,”a village official told KIC.
According to a report compiled by local officials, the victims of the incident included individuals ranging from 5-year-old children to 70-year-old adults. The tragic loss of life comprised 4 children under the age of 10, 2 teenagers, 8 women, and 4 men.
The village where the devastating incident of mass burning occurred, Nyaung Pin Thar, is situated within the territory of Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 3.
The Junta troops involved in the combat operation, included Light Infantry Battalion 48, Light Infantry Battalion 590, and battalions under the 44th Division, were reported by the Joint Revolutionary Forces to have been drinking alcohol and beer at the scene, while also entering and destroying about 50 houses of the residents.
According to Saw Nanda Hsue, a spokesman for the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), an organization that monitors human rights violations in south-east Myanmar, “The actions of the Military Council reflect a gross disrespect for the sanctity of human rights. The brutal slaying of innocent lives evokes profound sadness. This egregious incident necessitates swift and decisive measures against both the responsible individuals and their leaders. Since the coup d’état, they have forsaken their duty to protect the public, instead becoming perpetrators of violence against their very own people.”
Local sources have reported that the offensive initiated by the Military Council troops began on May 9, with one group originating from Zayatgyi village and another from Kawtpyin village. After carrying out the horrific acts of burning and killing residents in Nyaung Pin Thar village, they are currently advancing towards Yaeoesin in Mone township. Local resistance forces estimate 300 Junta troops have arrived in Mone township.
