Kawlin

Myanmar military kills seven hostages captured in upper Sagaing region, releases five

(This report contains descriptions and graphic images depicting the effects of extreme and lethal violence, which may be upsetting to some readers. We advise discretion in viewing this content. ) Junta forces have executed seven of the 16 civilian hostages that they captured on May 30 in Kawlin Township, upper Sagaing Region, local news sources reported this week. A junta column initially took the civilian villagers hostage while conducting raids east of the town of Kawlin between May 28 and June 4. The bodies of the seven victims were found on a hill one mile from Moke Wa village, Kawlin Township, on Monday, after the column withdrew to the military base in Koe Taung Boet village, Kanbalu Township. Five of the bodies were found together, and two others were found nearby, according to a local woman closely connected to the Kawlin District PDF, who cited eyewitnesses. “Some of their hands were tied and their throats were cut. The bodies had already begun to decompose, since we found them three days after they were killed. I didn’t want to look but we had to in order to identify them,” she said. The military’s precise motives for executing the hostages are still unknown.…