Myanmar Junta Forces Kill 32 Civilians in Deadly Monastery Massacre

In one of the deadliest incidents in Myanmar’s ongoing conflict, junta forces reportedly killed 32 civilians hiding in monasteries in Sagaing region on Saturday, RFA reported.

According to the news agency, a column of junta troops entered Let Htoke Taw village around 5 a.m. and targeted civilians sheltering in monasteries, shooting them dead.

“The people were fleeing as the junta forces were shooting, some people were hiding in monasteries,” said Nway Oo of the anti-junta Civilian Defense and Security Organization. “All the men were asked to sit down and were shot dead.”

The National Unity Government has called the massacre a war crime, while the military has not commented on the incident, the source added.

This attack marks one of the bloodiest episodes in Myanmar’s ongoing turmoil since the 2021 military coup.