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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