Diplomat: Massacres of Civilians Are Becoming a Tragic Norm in Myanmar

Reports of massacres and brutality by the military junta in Myanmar are shocking but not uncommon, and the bodies continue to pile up while the international community, the United Nations and ASEAN have failed to find an appropriate response.

At least 25 people from about 17 neighborhoods and villages near Budalin Town in Sagaing Region, northwest of Mandalay, were the last to be massacred, according to the National Unity Government (NUG) in exile. The killings occurred between 11 and 20 October in what appeared to be revenge for a recent resistance operation.

The dismembered bodies of 6 villagers, including three children, three women and an elderly person, were found hanging from the fence posts of local houses in the village of Sipar. A separate report said the bodies had been decapitated and disfigured beyond recognition.

“They are taking revenge for losing the war with us late last month, but the people they killed were civilians. Ko Thitsar, leader of the People’s Defense Force (PDF), the NUG’s armed wing in Sagaing Province’s Depayin County, told The Irrawaddy: “This is a very cowardly thing to do.

NUG officials said that the killings broke out after the Northwest Regional Military Command suffered significant casualties in a clash with anti-regime forces near Sipar in Budalin District. A contingent of about 100 soldiers was then deployed and the houses, supported by air strikes, were razed to the ground.

During the raids on neighboring villagers, 60 more people were taken and used as human shields. The convoy went from one civilian house to another, forcing hundreds of people to flee.

NUG once again calls on the international community to hold the junta led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing accountable for war crimes. It was once again warned that if such massacres are allowed to go unpunished, such tactics and doctrine will continue and increase.

This is more than a fair point. Despite the public outcry over war atrocities in the Middle East and Ukraine, reported daily in Western media, hardly a word is said about the tragedies in Myanmar or the failures of regional policies such as ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus.

Former Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop, appointed by the UN as special envoy to Myanmar in April, said even less. One month after Bishop’s appointment, 76 people were tortured and Killed in Byian PhyuIn Rakhine State, more than two days.

Later in June, independent media and the NUG supported Arakan Army (AA) claims that up to 80 people were massacred in Rakhine State after being subjected to “horrific and insidious” military torture by drunken soldiers. order.

Information about the massacres against the Rohingyas in July and August was as abundant as it was diverse. BBC notedIt is difficult to report.

The International Criminal Court has been asked to expand its long-running investigation into previous massacres against the Rohingya to include the massacres. loyalty At least 37 people lost their lives in the incident that took place on February 28 and March 2 last year.

One month later 165 people was killed by air force bombardment of the village of Pazigyi, west of Mandalay, now known as the Pazigyi massacre.

More than 2,000 people died in nearly 210 massacres from February 2021 to December 2023, when the junta overthrew an elected government, according to Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica, which compiles lists of civilian deaths attributed to the military.

Since then the army has lost control of large parts of the country to a number of ethnic armed organizations and the PDF; But those with outside interests still insist that talks with the military must continue while anti-regime forces are quietly ignored.

Min Aung Hlaing expected He will visit China next month to meet with Premier Li Qiang about elections promised to be held next year with China’s encouragement. Real elections are an impossible prospect and an insult to thousands of war victims.

in a few words said Bishop’s statement on his assignment was that he is willing to maintain close communication and strengthen cooperation with China and ASEAN to reach consensus on the proper handling of the Myanmar issue. This will not work and the massacres will continue.