At least 22 people killed in suspected massacre at Myanmar monastery

At least 22 people, including three Buddhist monks, were shot dead at close range in central Myanmar last week, according to a doctor’s post-mortem report, in what opponents of military rule say was a massacre of civilians conducted by the army.

A spokesman for Myanmar’s junta, which staged a coup two years ago to depose the elected government, said its troops had been involved in clashes with rebel fighters in the Pinlaung region of southern Shan state but had not harmed any civilians.

Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said in a statement the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) and another rebel group entered the village of Nan Neint after government forces arrived to provide security with a local people’s militia.

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“When the terrorist groups violently opened fire… some villagers were killed and injured,” he said.

He did not respond to multiple calls from Reuters for further comment.

Reuters could not independently verify any of the claims.

A spokesman for the KNDF said its soldiers entered Nan Neint on Sunday and found dead bodies scattered at a Buddhist monastery.

Video and photographs provided by the KNDF and another group, the Karenni Revolution Union (KRU), showed bullet wounds to the torso and heads of the dead bodies and bullet holes in the walls of the monastery. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the material.

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A post-mortem report by Dr Ye Zaw, who is part of the National Unity Government, an exiled civil administration formed since the coup, said automatic weapons were likely used at close range to kill 22 people, including three saffron-robed monks.

“Since there were no military uniforms, equipment and ammunition found on the rest of the bodies, it is evident that they were civilians,” said the report, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters.

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