An interview with the spokesperson of the PNDF-KK
The Pa-O National Defense Force – Kham Kaung (PNDF-KK) – under the leadership of the Pa-O National Federal Council (PNFC) – is a local defense force operating in the Shan-Karenni border areas and in the Pa-O region in cooperation with other local alliances.
On 11 March, PNDF-KK claimed in a statement that the massacre of 22 people that took place at the Nam Neint village monastery was perpetrated by the military council. Regarding the incident, the military council, Pa-O National Organization (PNO), Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO), Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), and National Unity Government (NUG) issued corresponding statements. Of all the groups, the spokesperson of PNDF-KK, which released a statement along with records of ground findings about the mass killing, was interviewed by the Karen Information Center (KIC) to learn more about the tragic incident.
Q: Based on what evidence can you claim that the Nam Neint massacre was committed by the military council?
A: On 11 March, military council troops set fire to villages along their route before shelling them. When they entered the village, they fired machine guns. The villagers hid in the small cellar-like compartments under the monastery they had built. The regime soldiers entered the monastery and burned down the warehouse with the rice sacks. After the arson attack, 22 people – one woman, 18 men, and the head monk and two other monks – were found dead. The regime’s troops dragged them out of the cellar, lined them up in front of the monastery and shot them. We can clearly see that from the photos we have published. You can see too many bullet holes like sieves on the east wall and at the entrance to the underground apartment. We also found bullet holes on the backs of the bodies. From this, we can see that the soldiers of the military council pulled out the villagers who were hiding in the basement, lined them up and then shot them. In addition, the regime’s soldiers left remnants of weapons on the monastery grounds. We found many shell casings marked “Made by Ka Pa Sa” Looking at these, it’s certain that the villagers were killed by the military council.
Q: What do you say about the military council’s claims that the mass murder was committed by PDFs?
A: On 11 March, photos of the massacred bodies with Tumee rifles and air rifles were posted through the military council’s propaganda channels, claiming that the massacre was perpetrated by PDFs in Karenni State. When we found the bodies, there were no guns left. We found household lists around the bodies. When we look at these documents, we see that most of these villagers are from Nam Neint village. They weren’t killed by PDF as the military council claimed.
Q: What is PNDF-KK ‘s position on the actions of the military council that massacred the residents of Nam Neint?
A: These are inhumane acts of the military council. The regime has done such inhumane things through the ages. Not long ago, they also committed such acts in Karenni. We’re working with organizations at home and abroad to get justice for those killed. Our goal is to wipe out the military council. So we’ll fight until the end. But we’ll never show leniency to the military council that murdered our Pa-O people in an inhumane way.
Q: Can you tell me how you’ll respond to the military council?
A: We’ll respond to the military council, but we can’t say it publicly because some things are military in nature. At least we’ll work to bring justice to the people who were murdered by the military council.
Q: What would you like to say to the public about the Nam Neint incident?
A: The military council will do anything to drive a wedge between the Pa-O and the Karenni. They have been doing that from the beginning. Now they have done it to stir up an ethnic conflict between the Karenni and the Pa-O and to get the Pa-O on their side. We have published our statement with clear evidence. Therefore, I want the public to believe the news only after they have carefully verified it. I want them to be wary of fake news on social media.
Sent by KIC.