Maw Mi Myar (The Kantarawaddy Times)
The Progressive Karenni People’s Front (PKPF) announced on April 24 that a total of 257 civilians were killed in Karenni State since the coup d’etat (during one year and three months period) as of April 24.
PKPF reported that most of the casualties were caused by Myanmar military’s extrajudicial killings and indiscriminate artillery shelling.
“There were more males [who were killed]. According to our statement back in December, about eleven percent of the people who were killed were female. After that announcement, we don’t use the percentage to describe anymore, we just announce the overall total numbers of civilians killed. We have not classified how many females, children, elderlies, and mothers who died in childbirth” PKPF’s spokesperson told Kantarawaddy Times
He added that the highest death toll was in Demoso Township. He said that in order to meet with family members of victims, they have to connect with local PDF to collect as much information as they can, therefore it was challenging for their securities as well.
“The main region that we were unable to access was in Chaut-Mile in Demoso Township, we could not reach out at all. Unlike Demoso, in other townships, such as Loikaw and Phekon, if a civilian was shot and killed, since the military troops would deploy to other places, we could enter the village to collect the information of where people were killed. In these regions, we can go with a local PDF and see the situation. But in Demoso it is impossible to go and we dare not go. Some local PDFs go there [in Demoso], however, we dare not go, especially in Demoso township” said PKPF spokesperson.
Among 257 deaths, 231 were killed due to the extrajudicial killings and artillery shelling by the military, 24 were killed while fleeing the conflict, and 2 were killed in demonstration.
On the 15th of April in Chi Keh ward in Loikaw Township an eight-year-old child was shot dead according to KNDF’s statement released on the 23rd of April.
