WASHINGTON (REUTERS, AFP) - US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Thursday (Dec 9) that the United States was "outraged" by reports that Myanmar soldiers rounded up and killed 11 people in the north-western region of Sagaing.
The soldiers were accused of shooting the people and setting fire to their bodies. Charred remains were discovered in a village.
Video footage purporting to show the burnt bodies was circulated on social media and images were published by some media outlets, including the Myanmar Now news portal.
"We are outraged by credible and sickening reports that the Burmese military bound 11 villagers, including children, in north-west Burma and burned them alive," Mr Price said, using the old name of the country.
Mr Price repeated Washington's call for the military to end the use of violence and to release those unjustly detained since Myanmar's generals seized power in a Feb 1 coup.
The remains were found in a village in Sagaing, an area which has seen fierce fighting between security forces and militia set up by opponents of military rule, said residents, who added that some of the victims were still alive when burned.
The state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said on Friday the reports were "fake news" and evidence of a "conspiracy by local and international connections".
The Democratic Voice of Burma news outlet also reported troops had seized villagers who had been unable to flee following an attack on junta troops.
The Sagaing region has seen regular clashes between junta troops and civilian militia. Another Dontaw resident told AFP that the 11 had been "arrested while they were hiding" near a monastery on the west side of the village, and had been taken away by junta troops.
A spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday he was "deeply concerned by the reports of the horrific killing of 11 people... who were reportedly shot and burnt by the military".
"Credible reports indicate that five children were among those people killed," he added.
