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re voa 3 11 96



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