Army allegedly kills 19 in Myanmar village raid
Myanmar Soldiers Kill 19 Civilians in Bago Region
According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), soldiers from Myanmar have killed 19 civilians, including four children, in the village of Nyaung Pin Thar in the central Bago region of the country. The soldiers entered the village after clashing with the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) who were fighting against the military coup on Wednesday, May 10. A PDF official stated that 20 soldiers were killed and three military officials were taken prisoner during the clashes. However, after the fighting, the army raided Nyaung Pin Thar and killed the civilians.
One villager who spoke to the Associated Press (AP) lost 11 relatives, including his wife and seven-year-old daughter in the raid by around ten soldiers. He was out working in the field at the time but returned to find the unrecognizable corpses of his family members. Images of the victims have been shared on social media and local press.
Human rights organization Myanmar Witness has examined the crimes committed by the military administration and found that at least 33 villagers have died in eight raids reported between February and April.
Myanmar’s military seized power on February 1, 2021, after allegations of fraud in the 2020 general elections and political tension in the country. The military detained ruling party leaders, including former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and declared a state of emergency for a year. The intervention has resulted in the deaths of more than 1800 people, with over 10,000 still detained. The military courts have given death sentences to 114 political prisoners, including two children. The Political Prisoners Charity reports that over 1900 people have died since the coup.
