The Karen National Union (KNU) will make an investigation into the killing of 25 alleged civilians from a Uchaung Bridge construction site between Kanaelay-Kawkhee near the KNU-controlled area, according to its statement on June 16th.

On June 13th, the army-controlled media accused that the Karen National Defence Organization (KNDO)of killing 25 civilians on May 31st.

KNUs central body says they will investigate the junta's claims to uncover the truth. The Karen National Union they asserted already has the rules and regulations to take action against such cases.

And they will release the result of the investigation.

The KNDO is not the main military arm of the KNU and it is better known KNLA Karen National Liberation Army, that has been defending Karen ethnic rights during the last 70 years.

The KNLA has no control over for the actions of the KNDO unit.

Unlike the Tatmadaw, the KNU insists that they abide by the Geneva Convention which opposes the killings of civilians during armed conflicts.

It has been well documented that regime soldiers are unaware of the Geneva Convention and on the contrary are instructed to treat civilians inside ethnic states as enemies who are linked to EAOs.

State media published photographs of 25 dead bodies all-male lined up in a forest, where they were apparently found over a two-day period.

The KNDO has responded to the allegations saying the men killed were not construction workers as claimed by the junta, but “members of military intelligence” disguised as civilians.

But according to a report in Frontier magazine the KNDO unit admits “some Tatmadaw soldiers” were killed in “revenge for the blood of innocent civilians”.

If KNDO is admitting to executing enemy combatants outside of combat, it is still a violation of the Geneva Convention and contrary to the KNU rules and actions in the treatment of captured enemy prisoners.