(Reuters) - At least 22 people, including three Buddhist monks, were shot dead at close range in central Myanmar last week, according to a doctor s post-mortem report, in what opponents of military rule say was a massacre of civilians conducted by the army. A spokesman for Myanmar s junta, which staged a coup two years ago to depose the elected government, said its troops had been involved in clashes with rebel fighters in the Pinlaung region of southern Shan state but had not harmed any civilians. Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said in a statement the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) and another rebel group entered the village of Nan Neint after government forces arrived to provide security with a local people s militia. When the terrorist groups violently opened fire… some villagers were killed and injured, he said. He did not respond to multiple calls from Reuters for further comment. Reuters could not independently verify any of the claims. A spokesman for the KNDF said it
At least 22 people, including three Buddhist monks, were shot dead at close range in central Myanmar last week, according to a doctor's postmortem report, in what opponents of military
At least 22 people were shot dead at close range in central Myanmar, according to rebel groups and a member of the ousted government, but the junta denies it is increasing deadly attacks against unarmed villagers.