(Reuters) – A senior United Nations official said on Monday he was horrified by reports of the discovery of the bodies of at least 35 civilians in Burma, calling on local authorities to investigate the killings which activists have blamed to government forces.
The military made no comment on the incident near the village of Mo So on Friday. The junta spokesperson could not be reached.
According to the official press report, soldiers shot dead an unspecified number of “armed terrorists” in the ranks of the rebels opposed to the military government. No mention was made of civilian deaths.
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and the Coordination of Relief Services, Martin Griffiths, said he considered the reports of the killing of civilians, including at least one child, credible.
“I condemn this serious incident and all attacks against civilians across the country,” he said in a statement, calling for the opening of a “thorough and transparent” investigation to bring those responsible to justice.
He also called for the protection of civilians.
According to residents and NGOs working in the area, soldiers shot dead civilians. Photos released by NGOs show charred bodies, some of them in the back of a burnt out van.
More than 1,300 people were killed as part of the repression of the contestation of the military putsch of February 1, according to the report drawn up by an NGO that the army contests.
(Reuters editorial staff; French version Jean Terzian)
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