The United Nations Security Council condemned last week\u2019s massacre in Myanmar of more than 30 people, including two Save the Children staff, that was blamed on junta troops.<\/P>
The killings took place on Christmas Eve in eastern Kayah state, where pro-democracy rebels have been fighting the military, which took over the government from the democratically elected administration in February.<\/P>
In a statement released Wednesday evening, Security Council members \u201cstressed the need to ensure accountability for this act\u201d.<\/P>
They also called \u201cfor the immediate cessation of all violence and emphasised the importance of respect for human rights and of ensuring safety of civilians\u201d.<\/P>
The statement said \u201cat least 35 people\u201d, including four children and two staff of Save the Children charity, were killed in the attack.<\/P>
The Security Council also \u201cstressed the need for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all people in need, and for the full protection, safety and security of humanitarian and medical personnel\u201d.<\/P>
Anti-junta fighters say they have found more than 30 burnt bodies, including women and children, on a highway in Kayah state following the attack.<\/P>
Two Save the Children employees have been missing and the rights group confirmed Tuesday that they were among the dead.<\/P>
Myanmar has been in chaos since a February coup, with more than 1,300 people killed in a crackdown by security forces, according to a local monitoring group.<\/P>
Self-proclaimed \u201cPeople\u2019s Defense Forces\u201d have sprung up across the country to fight the junta, and drawn the military into a bloody stalemate of clashes and reprisals.<\/P>
In the aftermath of the attack, Washington renewed calls for an arms embargo on the junta.<\/P>
Western nations have long restricted weapons to Myanmar\u2019s military, which even during the pre-coup democratic transition faced allegations of crimes against humanity for a bloody campaign against the Rohingya minority.<\/P>
The UN General Assembly voted in June to prevent arms shipments into Myanmar, but the measure was symbolic as it was not taken up by the more powerful Security Council.<\/P>
China and Russia, which hold veto power on the Security Council \u2013 as well as neighboring India \u2013 are the major arms providers to Myanmar.<\/P>
<\/P>
Source: NAM News Network<\/P>
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The United Nations Security Council condemned last week\u2019s massacre in Myanmar of more than 30 people, including two Save the Children staff, that was blamed on junta troops.The killings took place on Christmas Eve in eastern Kayah state, where pro-dem…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n