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re voa 3 11 96
- Subject: re voa 3 11 96
- From: cd@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 17 Mar 1996 05:54:00
voa grace de dawn star, paris
DATE=3/11/96
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-194080
TITLE=BURMA / FIGHTING (L-O)
BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: FIGHTING IS CONTINUING IN NORTHEASTERN BURMA BETWEEN
GOVERNMENT FORCES AND ONE OF THE LAST ETHNIC REBEL GROUPS STILL
FIGHTING THE RULING MILITARY JUNTA IN RANGOON. AS V-O-A'S DAN
ROBINSON REPORTS FROM OUR SOUTHEAST ASIA BUREAU, BURMA'S MILITARY
IS REPORTED TO HAVE USED AIR POWER IN ITS OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE
REBELS.
TEXT: SINCE A CEASEFIRE WITH BURMA'S MILITARY BROKE DOWN LAST
YEAR, ETHNIC KARENNI REBELS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR CONTROL OF
SEVERAL STRATEGIC HILLS ABOUT 30 KILOMETERS FROM THE THAI BORDER.
LAST WEEK, THE KARENNI NATIONAL PROGRESSIVE PARTY (K-N-P-P)
ACKNOWLEDGED RETREATING FROM A STRATEGIC MOUNTAIN POSITION
(NONGLONG HILL) -- ONE OF SEVERAL STRONGHOLDS LOST SINCE
DECEMBER.
THE REBELS SAY AT LEAST 70 GOVERNMENT TROOPS WERE KILLED AND 150
OTHERS WOUNDED IN RECENT FIGHTING. THE KARENNI SAY ONE OF THEIR
SOLDIERS WAS KILLED AND FIVE OTHERS WERE WOUNDED.
THERE HAS BEEN NO INDEPENDENT CONFIRMATION OF THE FIGURES AND NO
COMMENT FROM RANGOON ON REBEL CLAIMS.
KARENNI MILITARY STRENGTH IS ESTIMATED AT ABOUT ONE THOUSAND
REBEL FIGHTERS. REBEL STATEMENTS SAY BURMA'S MILITARY HAS PUT
THREE TO FOUR THOUSAND TROOPS INTO THE OFFENSIVE.
// OPT // THE KARENNI AND THEIR ETHNIC COUSINS, THE KAREN, ARE
THE ONLY GROUPS STILL HOLDING OUT AGAINST BURMESE TROOPS
FOLLOWING THE SURRENDER TO RANGOON FORCES OF KHUN SA -- THE SHAN
STATE OPIUM TRAFFICKER WHO COMMANDED A 10 THOUSAND-STRONG REBEL
ARMY. // END OPT//
KARENNI STATEMENTS ALSO SAY BURMESE GOVERNMENT AIRCRAFT HAVE
BOMBED AND ROCKETED REBEL POSITIONS. ONE STATEMENT, SEEN IN
BANGKOK, SAYS LATEST AIR ATTACKS TOOK PLACE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY,
BUT CAUSED NO REBEL CASUALTIES.
THAILAND HAS HAD ITS TROOPS NEAR THE THAI BORDER TOWN, MAE HONG
SON, ON HIGH ALERT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS TO PREVENT ANY SPILLOVER OF
FIGHTING.
LAST YEAR'S CEASEFIRE WITH RANGOON BROKE DOWN AFTER BURMESE
TROOPS OCCUPIED A ZONE THE KARENNI SAID WAS UNDER THEIR CONTROL.
HOWEVER, OBSERVERS SAY ANOTHER REASON WAS THE DETERMINATION OF
BOTH SIDES TO CONTROL RICH TEAK FORESTS IN THE AREA. (SIGNED)
NEB / DR / TMS / WOD
11-Mar-96 5:44 AM EST (1044 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America