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REUTERS: MANERPLAW




 Burmese rout Karen rebels, sack headquarters
 
    MAE SOT, Thailand, Jan 27 (Reuter) - The rebel Karen
National Union (KNU) suffered a severe setback in its
decades-old struggle for autonomy on Friday when Burmese troops
entered and sacked their headquarters at Manerplaw.
    More than 3,000 people, including KNU guerrillas who
abandoned their weapons on the Burmese side of the Moei river,
fled into Thailand as heavily-armed Burmese troops closed in on
the jungle base with the aid of an artillery barrage.
 The KNU, the strongest ethnic group still fighting for
autonomy from Rangoon, themselves set fire to strategic
buildings on Thursday night at Manerplaw, 280 km (175 miles)
southeast of the capital.
    Rangoon troops entered the Karen base on Friday morning and
burned those buildings not already set alight by the retreating
rebels, one Karen source told Reuters by telephone.
    It was the first time Manerplaw had been captured since the
KNU guerrilla army began fighting for autonomy from the Burmese
central government more than 40 years ago.
    Manerplaw was also home to student and other anti-government
groups.
    The All Burma Students' Democratic Front said in a statement
that according to their intelligence sources, the ruling State
Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) had ordered the
capture of Manerplaw no later than February 2.
    It alleged that Burmese troops had ``been commanded to use
chemical shells fired by heavy artillery.''
    The United States said it was concerned over reports of
shelling and attacks by the Burmese army around Manerplaw, and
urged Burma to abide by its oft-stated intent to resolve
problems with its ethnic minorities peacefully.
    ``We are also concerned about reports that the Burmese
government is forcing private citizens to act as porters for the
military,'' it said in a statement quoting Acting State
Department Spokesman Christine Shelly and issued in Bangkok.
    Washington repeated an earlier appeal to Burma to cooperate
over human rights, the democratic process and anti-drugs
efforts, at the risk of facing greater international isolation.
    No details of casualties in the latest fight were available,
but the Karen source said he thought hundreds had been killed on
both sides.
    ``When the Burmese army overran the KNU camp, the only place
for us to go was to cross to Thailand,'' the source said.
    He said field reports indicated that about 3,000 Burmese
troops had occupied Manerplaw and about one dozen satellite
camps nearby.
    The source said he expected Burmese troops would soon attack
and capture the Karen second stronghold of Kaw Moo Ra some 60 km
(35 miles) south of Manerplaw on the banks of the Moei river.
    ``We heard that they moved more than 50 tanks to Myawadi and
nearby towns ready to attack us now,'' he said.
    The KNU, believed to command about 8,000 armed men, was
regarded as the strongest ethnic group still fighting the SLORC.
Others include Mon and Shan ethnic groups.
    Thirteen other rebel factions have reached ceasefire
agreements since the SLORC offered peace talks more than two
years ago.
Reut07:45 01-27

Reuter N:Copyright 1995, Reuters News Service