The bodies of six male youths were found in a private outdoor toilet in a small village outside the Karenni State capital, Loikaw. They were riddled with bullets and other injuries, their hands and legs broken and tied with ropes.

Banyar, director of the Karenni Human Rights Group (KHRG), told NMG that he suspects that the young men, who’re probably between 18 and 25 years old, were tortured as they have numerous injuries, including to their mouths and heads. He suspects that they’re from Ner Net Taw and Nawng Yar wards where a number of youths went missing on 24-25 January, as no one has been reported missing recently from Yay Yo village, where the bodies were discovered.

Many people have gone missing in recent days after being abducted by the junta’s forces, who’ve been going door-to-door to check family records as part of their offensive in Karenni State this month. This week, Burma Army soldiers (BA) searched houses in Nawng Yar, Nawng Yar (b), Dor U Khu, Ner Net Taw wards and Pado and Yay Yo villages.

The house owner found the bodies after noticing a foul smell shortly after returning to his house on Thursday. A volunteer team in Loikaw collected the bodies.

Among those missing in Burma’s smallest state, Banyar said he’d no contact with eight people among those arrested by BA who were abducted from Min Su ward on 12 January. He said at least 200 people are probably missing in the state and they’ve no information about at least 50 of them. ”If they were held in prison, we usually get some information,” he said, vowing to continue trying to find the missing persons.

According to KHRG, between 1 February and 16 January, the regime killed 198 civilians in Karenni State and arrested 268 people.