A House of Representatives MP from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), Kyaukme constituency, said that six out of eight charred remains found in Kyaukme, northern Shan State, after clashes between Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) and government troops,were believed to be local civilians.
The lower house MP, Sai Tun Nyan, told Mizzima that 3 charred remains found near Pan Lau village, Kyaukme Township, were brothers in their twenties and 3 out of 5 charred remains found near Woh Lone village might be local civilians.
“One of five charred remains found near Woh Lone cannot yet be identified but three of them are certain to be civilians as their family members have been traced. Two people were reported missing in Woh Lone and another one from a nearby village is also missing. So these unidentified charred remains are likely to be local civilians,” Sai Tun Nyan said.
Though the six were known to be civilians, the two remaining bodies have not yet been identified as only their bones were left intact and an inquiry is still underway, he added.
The three charred remains found near Pan Lau village were identified as Ai Nauk, Ai Ma and Ai Think. They were buried by local people on May 21, two of them were brothers and the other one was their brother-in-law, he added.
Sai Tun Nyan also said that he had requested local villagers to bury all five charred remains found near Woh Lone village.
“I heard that one of these three people had been ordered to sendfood supplies during clashes with the SSPP. He was shot during one of the clashes and his elder brother tried to take him to hospital. They then encountered a government military column and government troops might have killed both as they were suspected of being Shan State Army (SSA) soldiers. A civilian porter taken by government troops allegedly witnessed the killing of them by machete,” he said.
He went on to say that his party was investigating the murders of civilians and these incidents had already been reported to the government and its administration.
Hundreds of war refugees have been fleeing from their houses after fresh clashes erupted again in early May this year between government troops and SSPP/SSA.
The Myanmar Army issued a press release on May 21 which says there were 13 clashes between May 5 and 20 after SSPP/SSA troops intruded into government controlled areas in KoneNyu and Tun Sauk villages, HsipawTownship in northern Shan Stateand NaungKuan and Tane Lone villages in Kyaukme Township and NammaBawda in Lashio Township. 7 enemy soldiers were killed and assorted arms and ammunitions seized.The Myanmar Army lost some personnel including a battalion commander and many more were reported wounded.
The press release further says that the Myanmar Army is warning those who violate the six-point peace principle laid down by the Myanmar Armywill be dealt with in accordance with article 341 of the 2008 Constitution.