Myanmar Military Accused of Massacre of 40 Resisting Civilians

At the end of last month, protesters held a rally denouncing the military coup in downtown Yangon, Myanmar. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] Reports have emerged that the Myanmar military junta, following the coup, massacred around 40 civilians in retaliation against anti-junta resistance forces.

According to major foreign media on the 20th, the massacre occurred four times in Kani-gu, a stronghold of anti-junta forces in the Sagaing region of central Myanmar, last July. Comparing testimonies from residents with videos and photos collected by human rights organizations, the largest-scale massacre took place in In village. At least 14 men in the village were tortured and beaten to death.

Sagaing has been a site of months-long clashes between the civilian armed group called the People's Defense Force (PDF), which demands the restoration of democracy, and the military junta. The Myanmar military has also stated, "If the People's Defense Force treats us as enemies, we have the right to protect ourselves."

Meanwhile, since staging the coup in February, the military has faced various levels of resistance. The military justified the coup by claiming that the November general election held last year was fraudulent.