More than 30 people, including women and
children, were killed and their bodies burnt in a village in Myanmar’s
conflict-torn Kayah state last week by the army, humanitarian agencies said.
The Myanmar military said it had shot and
killed an unspecified number of “terrorists with weapons” from the
opposition armed forces in the village after they did not stop for a military
check.
“In view of the escalating violence in
Myanmar, increased international preventive action is required, including an
arms embargo,” the EU’s High Representative for foreign affairs, Josep
Borrell, said in a statement.
“The EU also stands ready to impose
further sanctions against the military regime,” he added.
Since a military coup in February, the EU has
imposed targeted sanctions on the Myanmar military, its leaders and entities.
EU financial assistance to the government was halted and assistance that could
be seen as legitimising the military government was frozen.
“The appalling act of violence
perpetrated by the military regime in Kayah State on 24 December, killing and
burning more than 35 people, including women and children, as well as
humanitarian workers, underscores the urgent need to hold those responsible
accountable,” Borrell said.
The Save the Children aid group said that two
of its staff were killed in the attack in Kayah last week.
