By Hsu Yee / MPA
Junta forces have burned more than 40 civilians alive over the past year, according to a report released Tuesday by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
The AAPP documented the deaths of 42 individuals who were burned alive and 30 others whose bodies were set on fire after being arrested and killed, bringing the total number of victims to 72 between Jan.1, 2024, and March 18, 2025.
A political activist based in Monywa recalled one particularly gruesome incident:
“In October 2024, the Kyar Bilu military column brutally hacked six civilians to death and hung their bodies on fences during raids across Butalin Township. It was devastating.”
The activist condemned the junta’s increasing brutality, stating:
“Burning people alive and dismembering bodies are not just acts of inhumanity—they are the result of unchecked military power.”
“While such atrocities are unacceptable in the civilized world, the international community has done little beyond issuing statements of condemnation, allowing the military to act with impunity.”
According to AAPP, the highest number of victims were recorded in the Sagaing Region, with 24 deaths, followed by the Magway Region, which saw 20.
The report also detailed a brutal raid carried out by junta troops in Thar Gaung Village, Yesagyo Township, Magway Region, between March 7 and 12, 2025. During the attack, six civilians were arrested, tortured, and killed. Among them, U Chit Maung was beheaded, and his body was set on fire.
Similarly, on October 17, 2024, the military brutally killed six civilians in Sipar Village, Butalin Township, dismembered their bodies, and hung them on fences—further underscoring the junta’s reign of terror.
