‘Save the Children’ Charity Alleges Military Killed Two Staff Members

Save the Children, an international charity organization, alleged that the military government in Myanmar killed two of its staff members in an attack on Christmas Eve.

Troops forced civilians from their cars, arresting some while killing others and burning their bodies, the charity group alleged, BBC News reported. With profound sadness we confirm two of our staff are among the burnt bodies found in Myanmar after an attack by the military on Xmas Eve,” the group tweeted Tuesday.

The two staff members, who were “both new fathers working on education for children,” were killed in the attack as they were traveling home for the holidays, Save the Children said. The group suspended operations in Myanmar after the casualties, NPR reported.

The charity group said at least 38 bodies were found in the eastern Kayah state, despite the military denying the acts. Save the Children called on the U.N. Security Council to convene and take action against the perpetrators in a tweet on Tuesday.

“We were so shocked at seeing that all the dead bodies were different sizes, including children, women and old people,” a commander from the Karenni National Defence Force, one of the largest of the militias opposing the junta, told Reuters.

The military seized control from the democratically elected government in February, with mass protests following that have led to the deaths of hundreds of people, BBC News reported. Myanmar’s ousted leader was sentenced to four years in prison for incitement and violating virus restrictions on Dec. 6.