[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

KAREN NEWS (r)



It has been reported that sometime around the 23rd of August, 1997 
(during the closing ceremony of the School), there was an explosive 
accident at the SLORC Officer Training School in Ba Htoo. 47 Officer 
cadets (from Aung Zay Ya Company) were killed, including one 
Lieutenant Colonel. We cannot confirm this information, but our 
source is reliable. 

(Reported by SPU)
OFFICE OF THE SUPREME HEADQUARTERS
             KAREN NATIONAL UNION
                       KAWTHOOLEI

                     Press Release No. 52
    Regarding 1997 SLORC Offensive against KNU

                                                   September  9, 1997

News of Combat Clashes during July and August 

* Tha-ton District, KNLA 1st Brigade Area: Four clashes took place 
between the KNLA and SLORC troops. Two dead and one wounded on SLORC 
side, and 2 dead on KNLA side. 

* Toungoo District, KNLA 2nd Brigade Area: A total of 20 clashes took 
place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. Seven dead and 26 wounded on 
SLORC side while one dead on KNLA side.

* Nyaung Lay Bin District, KNLA 3rd Brigade Area: A total of 10 
clashes took place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. One dead and 6 
wounded on SLORC side while the KNLA lost one dead. 

* Tavoy Mergui District, KNLA 4th Brigade Area: A total of 67 clashes 
took place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. The SLORC side suffered 
88 dead and 78 wounded, while the KNLA suffered 2 dead and 4 wounded.

* Pa-pun District, KNLA 5th Brigade Area: A total of 59 clashes took 
place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. The SLORC side suffered 11 
dead and 64 wounded, while there was no casualty on the KNLA side.

* Doo-pla-ya District, KNLA 6th Brigade and 103 Battalion Area: 
Twenty one clashes took place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. The 
SLORC side suffered 22 dead and 36 wounded. The KNLA side suffered 
one dead.

* Pa-an District, KNLA 7th Brigade Area: A total of 38 clashes took 
place between the KNLA and SLORC troops. The SLORC side suffered 17 
dead and 42 wounded, while there was no casualty on the KNLA side.

(A summary of the above shows that 221 combat clashes took place 
between the KNLA and SLORC troops during the 2 months, resulting in 
148 dead and 253 wounded on the SLORC side, while the KNLA suffered 7 
dead and 4 wounded. The KNLA's use of guerrilla and mobile warfare 
tactics has enabled it to take low casualty, to maintain an economy 
on ammunition and to capture weapons and ammunition from the enemy, 
from time to time.)

(Translated, printed and distributed by Karen Information Center)
OFFICE OF THE SUPREME HEADQUARTERS
                  KAREN NATIONAL UNION
                            KAWTHOOLEI

KNU Statement on Current Situation and Dialogue
                                                                     
                                                     September 8,1997


* In the brutal offensive that the SLORC has launched, after refusing 
the KNU's call for resolving problems dialogue, more than 200 Karen 
villages have been destroyed. Similarly, the Karenni, the Shan, the 
Chin and the Arakanese peoples have been subjected to barbarous 
attacks and destruction by the SLORC.

* After refusing the demand for dialogue by the NLD led by Daw Aung 
San Suu Kyi, the SLORC has been intensifying its repression against 
the NLD on all sides. Many NLD leaders are being unjustly arrested 
and sentenced to long-term imprisonment.

* Dissatisfaction and opposition against the SLORC are increasing 
daily among the civil servants, Buddhist monks, students, workers and 
the general public who have been demanding for political and economic 
changes. The more than 30 colleges and universities have still to be 
closed.

* The economic situation has been worsening in accordance as the 
deteriorating political situation. The worsening economic recession, 
indicated by increasing scarcity of fuel oil, rising prices of 
consumer foods, currency inflation, decreasing industrial production 
and etc. has reached and unprecedented point.

* An analysis together of the political and economic situation of 
Burma shows that the country has arrived at a very dangerous point 
and that it is urgently necessary to resolve the current economic and 
political problems through dialogue. The situation being as such we, 
the KNU, solemnly demand the SLORC to immediately -

1. Cease its brutal war against the Karen people and other ethnic 
nationalities, and commence a meaningful dialogue with the KNU and 
organizations representing other ethnic nationalities;
2. Cease its cruelty and repression against the general public and 
political parties based in towns, including the NLD, and commence 
a meaningful dialogue with the political leaders, including Daw Aung 
San Suu Kyi;
3. Release all the political prisoners unconditionally;
4. Initiate, without malice and with a view to forging a genuine 
unity of all the nationalities, for the holding of a tripartite 
dialogue, comprising of the democratic forces led by Daw Aung San Suu 
Kyi, the ethnic nationalities and the SLORC; and 

        At the same time, earnestly urge the ASEAN countries, the United 
Nations, the European Union, the United States, Japan, Canada, 
Australia and other democratic countries to make an intervention for 
the emergence of a tripartite dialogue in Burma, at the earliest 
date.

                        Central Committee
                       Karen National Union