Burmese troops commit atrocities

BANGKOK, Thailand – Burmese troops have gang-raped, murdered, and even crucified Karen women, or those in their charge, who took on the roles of village chiefs in hopes they would be less likely abused than traditional male leaders, a Karen group said Thursday.

The atrocities – which also include beheadings, torture, forced prostitution, and slave labor – are often committed as the troops attempt to root out a 60-year-old insurgency by guerrillas of the Karen ethnic minority, the Karen Women Organization said in a report.

Although the United Nations and other organizations have documented similar atrocities against Burma's ethnic minorities, the government has consistently denied allegations of human rights abuses, saying its troops are only engaged in anti-terrorist operations. More>>

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