According to a witness and other sources, two representatives of the international humanitarian organization Save the Children are missing after Myanmar government troops rounded up villagers, some of whom were believed to be women and children, fatally shot more than 30, and burned their remains.
Purported photos of the aftermath of the Christmas Eve massacre in Moso, a village in the country's east, just outside Hpruso township in Kayah state, where refugees sought refuge from an army offensive, have spread across the country's social media, igniting outrage against the military-led government that took power in February.
Independent verification of the accounts was not possible. The photographs depicted the charred remains of almost 30 persons in three burned-out automobiles.
According to a villager who went to the area, the victims escaped fighting between armed resistance groups and Myanmar's army at Koi Ngan village, adjacent to Moso, on Friday. He claimed they were killed after being apprehended by the military on their way to refugee camps in the township's western section.
Save the Children announced that it would cease operations in Kayah state after the incident. It stated that two of its employees were "caught up in the incident and remain missing" while returning home for the holidays following humanitarian response operations in a local town.
"We have confirmation that their private vehicle was attacked and set on fire," the group claimed. "According to reports, the military dragged people out of their cars, arrested some, murdered others, and burned their bodies."
The organization put the death toll from the attack at 38, with CEO Inger Ashing declaring: "We are horrified by the violence perpetrated against innocent civilians and our staff, who are dedicated humanitarians assisting millions of children in need. Across Myanmar."
. Acrossernment has not responded to the allegations. Still, a report in Saturday's state-run Myanma Alinn daily newspaper stated that fighting near Moso began on Friday when members of ethnic guerrilla forces known as the Karenni National Progressive Party and those opposed to the military drove in "suspicious" vehicles and attacked security forces after refusing to stop.
According to the newspaper article, the seven vehicles they were riding were destroyed in a fire. It provided no other information on the killings.
According to the witness who talked to the AP, the bones were charred beyond recognition, and children's and women's clothing, as well as medical supplies and food, were discovered.
"The bodies were roped together before being set on fire," said the witness, who requested anonymity for his protection.
He did not see their assassination but stated that he suspected some were Moso villagers whom the military had arrested on Friday. He disputed that those apprehended were members of militia groups organized locally.
On Friday, Myanmar's independent media claimed that the army arrested ten Moso villagers, including children. The military reportedly tied up and shot in the head four members of a local paramilitary group who went to negotiate their release.
According to the witness, the locals and anti-government militia groups fled as military personnel came near Moso to prepare the victims for burning. Near the village, the battle remained severe.
"This is a horrible crime and the worst occurrence that has occurred during the Christmas season. We categorically condemn that massacre as a crime against humanity," said Banyar Khun Aung, the Karen Human Rights Group's director.
Government troops were also accused earlier this month of collecting up locals, some of whom were believed to be minors, tying them up, and murdering them. According to an opposition leader who goes by the moniker Dr. Sasa, the civilians were burned alive.
A video of the bombing's aftermath – presumably in reprisal for an attack on a military convoy – showed the charred bodies of 11 people lying in a circle amid what seemed to be the remains of a home.
On Saturday, fighting began in a neighboring state that borders Thailand, where thousands of people have fled in search of safety. According to local officials, Myanmar's military has launched airstrikes and heavy artillery on Lay Kay Kaw, a small town controlled by ethnic Karen militants, since Friday.
Multiple western governments, including the US embassy, issued a united statement condemning "serious human rights violations committed by the military regime throughout the country" in response to the military's conduct.
"We demand that the regime immediately halt its indiscriminate attacks in Karen state and throughout the country and ensure the safety of all civilians in accordance with international law," the united statement stated.
