Conflicting Accounts of a Monastery Murder in Myanmar Have sparked Anger and Calls for Action
Massacre at Monastery in Southern Shan State, Myanmar Sparks International Outrage and Demands for Action Against Military Regime
After news of a massacre at a monastery in Southern Shan
State, Myanmar has once again come under international scrutiny. Eyewitness
sources claim that the incident on Saturday resulted in the deaths of at least
22 persons, three of whom were Buddhist monks. Human rights organizations have
called for immediate and forceful action against Myanmar's military regime in
response to the atrocity, which has caused indignation and condemnation from
all around the world.
Political Violence and Brutality Escalate in Myanmar Following Military Coup, with Thousands of Detainees and Fatalities Reported
Since military commander Min Aung Hlaing took control of the
country in a coup last year, which dashed expectations that the country would
develop into a functioning democracy, the country has been in a state of
political violence. Civilians were allegedly tortured in captivity during the
military assault on pro-democracy demonstrators, which included shooting them
in the street and kidnapping them during nocturnal raids. According to the
advocacy organization Help Group for Political Prisoners, over 17,500
individuals have been detained and over 2,900 have been killed by junta
soldiers since the coup (AAPP).
The newest reported tragedy allegedly took place in Shan
State last week. At least 21 dead were found stacked up near the Nan Nein
Monastery, according to photos and videos of the tragedy. Three of the bodies
were clad in the customary Buddhist monk garb of saffron orange. Many of the
deceased had numerous gunshot wounds and were found to be dressed in regular
clothing.
Following the murders at the monastery, two opposing
storylines have surfaced. According to KNDF spokesperson Philip Soe Aung, on
March 11, the Burmese military killed 19 civilians in addition to three monks.
He continued, saying that when the military bombarded and conducted airstrikes
on the area, causing the villagers to evacuate, the people and monks sought
sanctuary in the close-by monastery.
Soe Aung claims that the Burmese military tortured and
killed the people and monks using a hit squad after torturing and killing them.
This notion is supported by the manner the victims were found arranged in a
line in front of the monastery.
A formal comment on the incident has not yet been made by
the military. The contradictory descriptions of the claimed slaughter draw
attention to the continuing political unrest and violence in Myanmar. What the
future holds for Myanmar's population is still unknown as the country continues
to be engulfed in violence and upheaval.
Recent accusations of a massacre in Myanmar's Karen State,
where unarmed citizens were purportedly slain in cold blood inside a Buddhist
monastery, are frightening and distressing. Human rights organizations have
called for immediate and forceful action against Myanmar's military regime in
response to the atrocity, which has caused indignation and condemnation from
all around the world.
The blame game has already started, with Major General Zaw
Min Tun of the Myanmar junta denying claims that the military was to blame.
Instead, he attributed the violence to "terrorist groups," blaming
the People's Defence Force (PDF), the Karenni National Progressive Party
(KNPP), and the Karen National Police Force (KNPF) for the crimes.
According to Zaw Min Tun, the fighting started after the
Tatmadaw (Myanmar's military) worked with the local militia to take security
precautions for the area. The Karenni Nationalities Defence Force spokeswoman,
Soe Aung, refuted these claims and insisted that neither the PDF nor the KNDF
had troops stationed in the hamlet or the monastery.
Fighting broke out in Nan Nein Village on March 10
"between the military and united forces of KA, KNDF, and the PDF troops,"
according to a KA spokeswoman, the KNPP's armed wing. CNN contacted the
military and junta spokespersons for comment, but they did not answer.
The democratically elected civilian leader Aung San Suu
Kyi's administration was overthrown by the junta, and she was eventually found
guilty and given a 33-year prison term after a series of covert and
highly-politicized trials. The National Party's spokesperson, Aung Myo Min
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