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Junta not to rule forever says Burma's top General
The Asian Age (14/04/1998)
 
Rangoon: Burma's top general said the military government will not rule
the country forever, state-run media reported on Monday.
 
"Our Tatmadaw(Armed forces) will not take up the responsibilities of the
state forever.. it would be improper to do so," senior General Than Shwe,
chairman of the ruling military body and Burma's Prime Minister, was
reported as saying on Saturday to a group of military officers and cadets.
 
But the leader of the Peace and Development Council- the previous ruling
body also headed by Gen. Than Shwe- seized power in 1988 after squashing
bloody pro-democracy uprisings across the country.
 
The SLORC and the SPDC have said repeatedly their goal was to build a
modern and peaceful nation and also to build strong armed forced. "The
duty of the Tatmadaw is to safeguard the State and we must build our
Tatmadaw to become strong, modern and qualified to safeguard the
territorial integrity of the state and its sovereignty," Gen Than Shwe
said. He said it was important to have strong armed forces because of the
"geopolitical condition" of Burma. (Retuers)
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Karens launch attack against Burmese bases
Bangkok: Ethnic rebels battling Burma's military regime claimed on Monday
to have launched overnight attacks with mortars and rocket-propelled
grenades against two enemy bases. No casualties were initially reported.
 
The Karen National Union said that a total of 200 guerrillas attacked the
bases at Myawaddy and Ban Wah Ley inside Burma near its tense border with
Thailand.
 
The KNU said its fighters seized a large quantity of supplies. The KNU has
been fighting the central government of Burma, for 50 years to win more
autonomy for the ethnic Karen minority. Ranged against it are the Burma
military and a KNU splinter group, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army.
(AP)
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Burma Info (CCN)