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NEWS - Burma fighters in cross-bord



Subject: NEWS - Burma fighters in cross-border raid

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SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST - Saturday, October 16, 1999

THAILAND

Burma fighters in cross-border raid

ASSOCIATED PRESS in Mae Hong Son

Thailand claimed yesterday that fighters from Burma crossed the border
and
skirmished with Thai soldiers in the first such clash since a hostage
drama
at the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok two weeks ago soured relations between
the
two countries.
The identity of the intruders was uncertain, with Thai officers
describing
them as either Burmese troops, or ethnic guerillas allied to the
military
regime in Rangoon. The guerillas are often used to launch raids against
anti-government rebels operating along the rugged border.

Thai officials said the intruders penetrated about 1km into Mae Hong Son
province on Thursday afternoon and were chased off after about 15
minutes of
fighting with Thai forces, who fired eight mortar rounds at them.

A Thai army battalion reinforced the area yesterday, a military officer
said.

Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant-General Sanan Kajornklam said he
suspected the attackers, about 12 strong, were ethnic guerillas who had
been
used by the Burmese Government to raid refugee camps in Thailand.

But an officer in the Thai army taskforce in Mae Hong Son, 650km north
of
Bangkok, said the intruders were about 100 Burmese soldiers and tensions
remained high.

The Thai side of the long border is strung with camps housing some
100,000
refugees who have fled the Burmese army's suppression of rebel groups
over
the past 50 years. Most refugees support the rebels.

Five anti-government student militants disappeared after being flown to
one
of the camps on October 2, ending their siege of the Burmese Embassy,
where
they had taken 89 people hostage to demand democratic rule in their
homeland.

Their escape, worked out with Thai authorities to end the crisis without
bloodshed, infuriated the military regime in Rangoon and resulted in
Burma
closing the border.

In Rangoon, about 15,000 people took part in a government-organised
demonstration against terrorism and chanted slogans in support of the
military regime.

Bilateral trade has come to a standstill and a fishing agreement has
been
suspended. Burma's ambassador has said the border will not be reopened
until
the five hostage-takers are arrested and punished.

Burma said the Thai approach set a bad precedent that would encourage
similar actions, but was also clearly irked by statements from senior
Thai
officials who called the hostage-takers student fighters for democracy,
rather than terrorists.