Mo So massacre
The Mo So Massacre, also known as the Christmas Eve Massacre, occurred in the afternoon of December 24 2021, in Hpruso Township, located in Myanmar's Kayah State. Over 40 people were killed and burned beyond recognition without exception in their vehicles by Myanmar Army troops. The troops first engaged in a fight with the Karenni Border Guard Force which resulted in the deaths of 4 Karenni Border Guard Force soldiers, then ransacked the victims and their belongings. The next morning, individuals from the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) saw the victims burned in their vehicles and  properties. Two Save the Children staff went missing during the incident and were later confirmed dead. On December 27, the KNDF reported that 13 locals were unaccounted for during the massacre, including eight employees of a gasoline station. However, it was reported by the state news that they first shot the soldiers before they were killed. The incident was met with international condemnation from the United Nations, Save the Children, and the US Embassy in Myanmar. Incident. The KNDF stated that over a hundred soldiers from the Myanmar Army's Light Infantry Division 66 that travelled from Demoso to Hpruso  had engaged in a fight with forces from the Karenni Army and the KNDF. The military forces of the Myanmar Army killed four soldiers from the Karenni Border Guard Force by shooting at them, they tied them up and later attempted to stop them from entering the place. There, the military forces from the Myanmar Army tortured and arrested the individuals residing in the area. They were also robbed of their private properties. The commander troop of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) Brigade 4 spotted fire on the vehicles by 04:30 UTC (11:00 MYT) on December 24 at the  scene of the incident but didn't see the burned bodies as they were still blazing. After reporting it to the KNDF, they could not visit the scene until the morning of the next day because of fear of the military junta in the area. Upon analyzing the scene, they found that the bodies of the victims were burned beyond recognition; either turned to ashes or charred. They also saw a finger of a young child, supposedly around five years old or younger. Some of their clothes were also scattered about the scene. The troops saw miscellaneous things at the  scene belonging to the victims, reporting that the victims were only escaping the area because of the military clashes occurring there. Two individuals from 'Save the Children', who originated from a "humanitarian activity" went missing after they were caught up in the incident. Their vehicles were burned, according to the agency. By December 27, the KNDF noted that over 13 individuals were missing at the scene of the incident, including eight people from Loikaw who worked in a petrol station, and three more who were believed to be on the roadway where the massacre occurred. The Myanmar military junta was  also recognized as the principal culprit of the disaster, according to them. The Karenni Human Rights Group counted 27 skulls from the victims at the scene and further believed that there were still many people that have not been discovered yet. There were three large trucks, three small cars, two tractors, and five motorcycles discovered to have been looted as well, containing a supply of food, medication, and gasoline. Meanwhile, according to Myanmar's state, their soldiers killed an unknown number of people in seven vehicles which came from Kwaing Ngan and pertained that they shot the troops before they  were "captured dead". The military soldiers also referred to the victims as "terrorists with weapons". They reported that these vehicles contained "recruits for terrorist training". However, the KNDF noted that they were villagers and not individuals with firearms. Reactions. Within Myanmar. 59 civil organizations across Myanmar condemned the massacre, and promised that "they will stand with Karenni People to get justice". The Myanmar government, meanwhile, refused to comment on the incident. Save the Children temporarily suspended operations in certain parts of Myanmar after the attack happened. The National Unity Government of Myanmar condemned the incident, tweeting that the international community  must "act immediately & decisively to end the military junta’s escalating war crimes & crimes against humanity." International. The United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths replied that what had occurred was a "horrific" incident and that the Government of Myanmar must investigate the massacre. The American embassy in Myanmar also condemned the massacre, deeming it "barbaric", demanding the government to "immediately cease its indiscriminate attacks in Karen State and throughout the country and ensure the safety of all civilians in line with international law.”