MOSO VILLAGE, HPRUSO TOWNSHIP, KAYAH STATE – The Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF), an ethnic armed organization in the east of Myanmar, reported that 35 civilians, including women and children were captured by soldiers, put in trucks and burned to death. On December 24th, the Karenni Army (KA) and the KNDF have clashed with Division 66 and LIB 108 military troops near the Moso village for more than four hours. During the battle, the Burmese soldiers destroyed and burned three dump trucks, three small cars, a tractor and five motorcycles and arrested ten villagers including children. “Due to heavy artillery fire by the military council and as fighting broke out on the road to Utpo village, residents of Hpruso Township fled to safer places but on their way they encountered military soldiers”, said U Ba Nyar from Karenni Human Rights Group (KnHRG). “Some managed to escape but some people got trapped. They were put in trucks, tied up and set on fire during the night. An early morning search revealed that they were all dead.” Four members of the Border Guard Battalion 1004 who were negotiating for the release of the detainees were also tied up and shot in the head. “The civilians were brutally killed by the Terrorist Council at a crossroads while fleeing the war. The massacre of innocent civilians by the militia council is a crime against humanity,” added the KNDF statement. Since May 20th, 10,0000 people have become refugees and more than 650 houses and buildings have been destroyed due to the daily fighting wars with the military council in Kayah state, according to the Karenni State Consultative Council (KSCC). Since the coup on February 1st, 133 locals have been brutally killed by the military soldiers there. Local people in Kanni township, Sagaing divisison and Salingyi township, Magway division also reported massacres of villagers and burning of houses.