May 12, 2024
The National Unity Government (NUG) has urged the international community to take effective action against the military junta’s crimes, including the massacre of 32 civilians in the Letkhotaw village of Myingyan Township, Sagaing Region. According to a statement released by the NUG’s Ministry of Human Rights today, these crimes have gone unpunished.
At approximately 5 AM on May 9, around 70 members of a combined military force, including troops from the 33rd Light Infantry Division, the 13th Light Infantry Regiment, and the 909th Combat Engineering Regiment, blocked access to the Letkhotaw village and attacked with heavy and small arms. They massacred civilians who were sheltering inside the monastery.
During this assault, six civilians were killed, and the attackers executed 24 men and one woman with gunfire as they attempted to flee to the monastery. The victims ranged in age from 15 to 60 years old.
Additionally, one more civilian died on the way to the hospital while 17 others were injured, bringing the total number of fatalities to 32. The military also abducted over 20 civilians, including children and women, from the village and transported them to the Gwe Pin Taung monastery, located more than two miles away.
The armed group reportedly burned down houses in the village, destroying all the residents’ properties. The NUG’s Ministry of Human Rights condemned these systematic and widespread crimes against humanity and called for accountability for the ongoing assaults targeting civilians.
The NUG and the Ministry of Human Rights have been documenting detailed information regarding these incidents and are committed to seeking justice for crimes against humanity through all possible legal channels.
