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Myanmar military admits soldiers killed five villagers

21 July 2016 05:57 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Five villagers were killed by soldiers during an interrogation in Myanmar's northern Shan State, a senior general said on Wednesday, in a rare admission by Myanmar's still-powerful military which promised to prosecute the perpetrators, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Witnesses have told Reuters that soldiers rounded up dozens of men in the remote village of Mong Yaw, in an area riven by a long-running ethnic insurgency, on June 25 and led five men away. The bodies of the five were found in a shallow grave a few days later.

Lieutenant General Mya Tun Oo, one of Myanmar's highest-ranking officers and the chief of military intelligence, told a news conference in Yangon that a court martial was under way and that the verdict would be made public.

The military also pledged help for the victims' families.

"The court martial found that they violated the rules, failing to follow certain procedures, that led to the death of the victims during the interrogation," said Mya Tun Oo.

He did not say how many soldiers were being tried or what charges they faced.

Such a public admission of wrongdoing by soldiers from a top general in the presence of the international media is unprecedented. The armed forces have occasionally acknowledged troops have been at fault in previous incidents, but have usually done so in vaguely worded official statements.

The military's response this time suggests a heightened sensitivity about the army's image as it tries to present itself as a responsible partner in Myanmar's democratic transition and seeks closer ties with its Western counterparts.

The military is forging a delicate partnership with Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who swept to power after a historic election in November. The armed forces, which ruled the former Burma for nearly half a century, still control three security ministries and a quarter of the seats in parliament.

"Every soldier has to follow rules and regulations while investigating prisoners or detainees regardless of whether they are related to insurgents or regular citizens," said Mya Tun Oo, adding that the military would take action against the perpetrators according to the law.

"The military will take the best care and support of the victims' families," said Mya Tun Oo, without giving the details.