The United Nations' office in Myanmar expressed concern Thursday about escalating human rights abuses after reports that a group opposed to the junta may have executed 25 civilians it captured and allegations that troops had burned down a village.
The struggle between the military regime that took power in February after ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and those opposing it has sharpened in recent months.
Elements of what had initially been a nonviolent civil disobedience movement have evolved into a fledgling armed resistance force in response to harsh repression from police and soldiers who killed hundreds of peaceful protesters and bystanders.
The statement by the UN office cited abuses by both sides, calling on "all actors in the current crisis to ensure that international human rights norms and standards are respected."
"This includes upholding the obligation to minimize collateral harm to civilians and to civilian infrastructure, and prohibiting the application of collective punishments against communities, families or individuals," the UN office said.
The statement noted the discovery of two mass graves in the eastern state of Kayin, also called Karen, containing the human remains of 25 people "who had reportedly been detained on 31 May by the Karen National Defense Organization," or KNDO.
The KNDO is one of the fighting forces of the Karen National Union, the political organization of the Karen ethnic minority that has been fighting for decades for more autonomy from the central government.
The junta said Sunday that the 25 bodies were those of road construction workers who were detained and killed by the KNDO.
In response, KNDO spokesman Wah Nay Nu was quoted by The Irrawaddy, an independent online news service, as saying the men were not civilians but government military personnel who were spying. Some were shot dead by KNDO forces but others were killed by shelling from government forces, he said.
On Wednesday, however, the Karen National Union said it would investigate and stated that it "follows the Geneva Convention which does not condone the killing of civilians during armed conflict." The statement added that any wrongdoing could be prosecuted, without providing specifics.
The UN statement called for "those responsible for human rights violations to be held accountable, including the perpetrators and their chain of command."
Also in dispute was the burning of Kinma village in the Magway region in Myanmar's heartland on Tuesday.
A resident of the village confirmed to The Associated Press accounts in independent media that government troops were responsible for burning down most of the village's roughly 250 houses, and that an elderly couple unable or unwilling to flee with the rest of the villagers were believed to have died. The villager spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals by the government.
Government-controlled media, however, reported that "terrorists" had burned the home of someone unsympathetic to their cause, and wind spread the fire to other homes.
The government and its opponents each refer to the other side as "terrorists."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "is deeply concerned and disturbed" by the reports of government forces burning down villages in Kinma, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
This "reminds us of the systematic burning of villages in North Rakhine state, which we saw in the past and which led to the dramatic exodus of the Rohingya people," Dujarric said.
"The Secretary-General continues to strongly condemn the continued repression by the security forces against civilians across the country, which again is having major regional ramifications and requires a unified international response," Dujarric said.
Noting the discovery of the two mass graves, Dujarric said the United Nations calls on all parties to ensure that international human rights standards are respected including minimizing harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure and prohibiting collective punishment against communities, families or individuals.
Iranian agents allegedly plotted to assassinate Canadian human rights advocate and former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler, a longtime vocal critic of Iran. Details of the foiled plot were first reported by The Globe and Mail citing unnamed sources on Monday and confirmed to CTV News by Cotler's office.
Police in Halifax say the death of a Walmart employee who was found inside an oven in the store last month is not suspicious, but they are refusing to release any additional details.
Canadians are bracing for a chilly start to the week as snowfall and other wintry conditions are expected to make landfall across western and eastern provinces.
Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) are meeting with a special mediator for the first time Monday to continue talks as they enter the fourth day of a national strike.
Nine people were injured, including two critically, after a stolen vehicle collided with a TTC bus in North York early Monday morning, Toronto police say.
Dozens of people in Halton Region are out tens of thousands of dollars after buying fake or nonexistent tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dates in Toronto, police say.
Environment Canada is warning about an intensifying storm that is expected to bring powerful winds to Vancouver Island and the British Columbia coast this week.
An Israeli airstrike late Monday slammed into a densely populated residential area in Lebanon's capital close to the UN headquarters, Parliament, the prime minister's office and several embassies.
Tropicana customers are in revolt over an orange juice bottle redesign. Again.
Police in Halifax say the death of a Walmart employee who was found inside an oven in the store last month is not suspicious, but they are refusing to release any additional details.
Environment Canada is warning about an intensifying storm that is expected to bring powerful winds to Vancouver Island and the British Columbia coast this week.
SaskPower is appealing a decision ordering the provincial Crown to pay $840,000 after two of its line workers died while on the job.
Jury selection is underway in the trial of two men accused of smuggling migrants across the Canada-U. S. border.
Ontario has tabled a bill that aims to shutter 10 supervised consumption sites the government deems are too close to schools and daycares.
Police and agriculture officials seized more than 80 goats and two sheep from a property in Sherbrooke, P.E.I., on Friday.
A man carried out a string of stabbings across a swath of Manhattan on Monday morning, killing two people and critically wounding a third.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday lives should not be put at risk in a standoff between police and hundreds of illegal miners stuck underground in a disused mine shaft and the miners should be recovered safely.
An Israeli airstrike late Monday slammed into a densely populated residential area in Lebanon's capital close to the UN headquarters, Parliament, the prime minister's office and several embassies.
Retired Sydney radio broadcaster and former Australian national rugby coach Alan Jones was charged Monday with multiple sex crimes against males over two decades, police said.
Thieves broke into the grounds of Windsor Castle, King Charles' residence west of London, and stole two vehicles from royal land, police said, in a major breach of security.
Australian senators on Monday voted to censure an Indigenous colleague who yelled at King Charles III during a reception in Parliament House last month.
The U.S. on Monday imposed sanctions on Amana, the largest organization involved in illegal settlement development in the West Bank, and its subsidiary Binyanei Bar Amana Ltd.
Iranian agents allegedly plotted to assassinate Canadian human rights advocate and former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler, a longtime vocal critic of Iran. Details of the foiled plot were first reported by The Globe and Mail citing unnamed sources on Monday and confirmed to CTV News by Cotler's office.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau argues gender equality has to be part of any solution to solving global poverty and hunger.
A group of physicians are setting up unofficial overdose prevention sites outside two Vancouver Island hospitals Monday, aiming to help people struggling with addiction – while also sending a message to the government.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an E. coli outbreak in at least 18 states linked to some organic carrots, which has led to at least one death.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to tackle high rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity as President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services. They’re goals that many in the public health world find themselves agreeing with — despite fearing what else the infamous anti-vaccine activist may do in the post.
Six monkeys were still on the loose early Monday after dozens escaped earlier this month from a South Carolina compound that breeds the primates for medical research, according to authorities.
Strategies for mitigating the negative mental health effects of social media tend to focus on reducing time spent scrolling, according to a B.C. researcher, who says there may be a way to limit the harm without logging off.
Famously known for its extensive ring system, Saturn is one of four planets in our solar system that have the distinctive feature. And now, scientists hypothesize that Earth may have sported its own ring some 466 million years ago.
Jonathan Majors and Meagan Good have announced their engagement at the same annual event where they met two years ago.
Dozens of people in Halton Region are out tens of thousands of dollars after buying fake or nonexistent tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dates in Toronto, police say.
Kevin Costner has left 'Yellowstone,' and some viewers are not happy about it. The actor, who played the patriarch John Dutton on the hit series, addressed some backlash over his character’s exit.
A company affiliated with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones asked a federal judge on Monday to disqualify a bid by the satirical news outlet The Onion to buy Jones' Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, alleging fraud and collusion.
Some supermarkets in Russia have taken to keeping butter in locked cabinets amid rising prices.
Some experts say the Canadian dollar will remain weak through at least the end of this year.
Hundreds of organic baby- and toddler-sized rompers sold by an Ontario-based sustainable clothing company have been recalled over concerns they could catch fire and injure children, according to Health Canada.
A piece of national park history surfaced at Point Pelee National Park this week – a pair of parks badges from 1939 and 1940.
Chelsea striker Sam Kerr and U.S. midfielder Kristie Mewis are expecting a baby.
BetMGM said the fight between the YouTube star, Jake Paul and the 58-year-old Mike Tyson was its most-bet boxing or mixed-martial arts fight.
Nick Demski sat slumped in his locker, staring off into space.
James Harden connected on the 2,974th 3-pointer of his career Sunday night and broke a tie with Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Allen for the No. 2 spot on the NBA's list.
In part two of a three-part series into how thieves are able to drive off with modern vehicles so easily, CTV W5 correspondent Jon Woodward uses a device flagged by police to easily clone a car key.
When a Tesla crashed on Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto last month, the first people on scene knew there were occupants inside but couldn't immediately get them out.
Almost four out of five Canadian drivers switch to winter tires when the weather calls for them, according to a new survey.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
A Nova Scotia couple fulfilled their wildest dreams Thursday night when they got engaged at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto.
Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
Four years ago, Phill Hebb started up 'Phil’s Unique Birdhouses' and since then, they’ve made their way all across Canada and into the United States.
A New Brunswick fashion designer recently won the top prize at a national event for a dress she made using an unconventional material.
Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
The owners of an e-bike shop in Richmond, B.C., are reeling after someone crashed a stolen truck into their showroom during an attempted smash-and-grab over the weekend.
The Grey Cup celebrations may not be over yet. A lucky fan may be sitting on a 50/50 ticket worth $434,405.
A group of physicians are setting up unofficial overdose prevention sites outside two Vancouver Island hospitals Monday, aiming to help people struggling with addiction – while also sending a message to the government.
Ontario has tabled a bill that aims to shutter 10 supervised consumption sites the government deems are too close to schools and daycares.
Dozens of people in Halton Region are out tens of thousands of dollars after buying fake or nonexistent tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dates in Toronto, police say.
Nine people were injured, including two critically, after a stolen vehicle collided with a TTC bus in North York early Monday morning, Toronto police say.
Calgary drivers had a slow and slippery commute to work on Monday, thanks to a dump of snow.
Police are responding to a crash involving more than a dozen vehicles on Highway 1 east of Gleichen, Alta. Gleichen RCMP said the multi-vehicle crash occurred in the westbound lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway between Highway 842 and Highway 56.
A High River couple is celebrating a big lottery win that will help them retire.
The Canadian dollar is at its lowest level since May 2020, with $1 CAD converting to $0.71 U.S. That means purchasing produce from the states is more expensive for Alfonso Curcio, the owner of Farmer’s Pick in Ottawa.
A few weeks ago, they learned the tickets they booked last August were never real.
An inquest begins today into the 2016 death of Abdiraham Abdi, who died after an altercation with Ottawa police officers in 2016. The inquest is scheduled for 21 days, and will hear from approximately 25 witnesses.
Members of a homeless encampment on Notre-Dame Street in Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve have been given eviction notices by the Quebec government.
Mactar Mbaye has made a career of flipping houses but his route to his dream job was a circuitous one, saying an ugly incident of racial profiling helped him find his voice and motivated him to be a positive role model.
Lion Electric Co. is opening the door to a possible sale of the company as the electric bus maker struggles to staunch an ongoing cash bleed.
Alberta's health minister says the province's new hospital agency will be operational next spring, months later than expected.
Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch says he expects defenceman Darnell Nurse to be out five to 10 days after a hit to the head from Toronto forward Ryan Reaves.
Albertans should be prepared for a test of the emergency alert broadcast system.
Police in Halifax say the death of a Walmart employee who was found inside an oven in the store last month is not suspicious, but they are refusing to release any additional details.
Police and agriculture officials seized more than 80 goats and two sheep from a property in Sherbrooke, P.E.I., on Friday.
Extended periods of dry weather in the summer and throughout the fall have contributed to a developing drought situation in the Maritimes.
A winter storm is heading to western Manitoba this week.
Nick Demski sat slumped in his locker, staring off into space.
Jury selection is underway in the trial of two men accused of smuggling migrants across the Canada-U. S. border.
SaskPower is appealing a decision ordering the provincial Crown to pay $840,000 after two of its line workers died while on the job.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is changing the hours of six border crossings in Saskatchewan in the new year.
A group of municipal and regional councillors in Ontario have come together to speak out against the potential use of the Notwithstanding Clause to deal with encampments.
The City of Brantford is urging the province to earmark funds for a new hospital.
One person has been taken to hospital after a crash near Paris, Ont.
A winter storm watch has been upgraded to a warning for parts of northeastern Saskatchewan, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says. With as much as 30 centimetres of snow possible in some areas.
A 33-year-old woman was stabbed in downtown Saskatoon on Saturday, and police want to clarify it was not connected to the Santa Claus Parade.
Police in Prince Albert are asking people who live near 32nd Street West to check their home surveillance cameras after a shooting in the area on Sunday.
Few details are available, but a Kapuskasing school and childcare centre are on lockdown Monday due to a police investigation.
Greater Sudbury's planning committee will vote Nov. 25 on a rezoning and official plan amendment for the former hospital in Sudbury, a key step in a major redevelopment of the Paris Street site.
WestJet is returning to Sudbury with a plan to offer direct flights to Calgary beginning in June.
Located at the London Health Sciences Centre Victoria Hospital, LHSC says the hub that is set to open Nov. 25, will offer vital support, resources and care to young Londoners living without housing.
The City of London says its leaf and yard waste materials collection program is experiencing a delay due to an increase in the number of bags placed out.
Around 7:20 p.m. on Sunday, police said a woman was working in a locked business in the area of Richmond Street and Horton Street when somebody knocked at the door.
This year, Collingwood’s Christmas tree debuted Saturday with what some described as an underwhelming display, prompting both criticism and sympathy for the organizers.
Barrie police are searching for several individuals who they say are linked to an alleged stabbing.
Provincial police are hoping to identify an individual accused of trespassing inside an Alliston high school on two separate occasions.
The federal government has invested $3.6 million, helping Windsor rapidly build 12 new affordable homes.
Windsor police are informing the public of some training taking place near the downtown core all week.
A helicopter hovering near E.C. Row Expressway and Banwell Road is helping install equipment at the new battery plant.
A group of physicians are setting up unofficial overdose prevention sites outside two Vancouver Island hospitals Monday, aiming to help people struggling with addiction – while also sending a message to the government.
Premier David Eby will introduce his new cabinet in British Columbia today after last month's tight election win that gave his New Democrats a slim, one-seat majority.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
Protesters against the proposed Grassy Mountain coal mining project demonstrated in downtown Calgary Friday.
Early Friday morning, the union representing Canada Post workers officially went on strike. The strike will have a wide-reaching impact on many Canadians, and it comes at a difficult time for charities.
A back-and-forth question between Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi when it comes to calling a Lethbridge-West byelection has no distinct answer nearly five months later.
A Sault Ste. Marie program that gives people on social housing the opportunity to purchase a newly renovated home has just changed the lives of another local family.
About 700 Canada Post workers are walking the picket lines in communities across northeastern Ontario.
After receiving reports of a dangerous and erratic driver, police in Sault Ste. Marie charged the driver of a vehicle on Highway 17 this week.
The four women sipping tea around an antique wooden table in rural Newfoundland said they weren't looking for much in a mate: kindness, humour, a good sense of fun and, ideally, a full set of teeth.
Newfoundland and Labrador's return on investment for sponsoring a professional English soccer team was not quite as rosy as previously claimed.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
