News on Dec.14

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Re: News on Dec.14


Karen guerrilla mutineers said detaining envoys

    By Sutin Wannabovorn 

    BANGKOK, Dec 14 (Reuter) - Disgruntled guerrillas of the Karen National
Union (KNU), Burma's largest remaining guerrilla army, have detained KNU
envoys in a worsening mutiny, Karen sources said on Wednesday. 

    About 300 mutineers have occupied a strategic hill at the confluence of
the Salween and Moei rivers in southeastern Burma since December 2, in
defiance of the Christian-dominated leadership of the KNU. 

    ``The situation is very tense and we are very concerned over the fate of
our delegates,'' a source in the KNU leadership told Reuters by telephone. 

    He said four groups of delegates had been sent to negotiate with mutiny
leader Kyaw Tan since fighting broke out on Sunday, but so far only KNU vice
president Muang Muang had returned. 

    ``We do not have any more information about the rest of our delegates.
The Karen leaders are trying their best to settle the internal conflict,''
the source said. 

    Thai army officers based on the border, quoting Thai intelligence
sources, said the mutineers had killed at least three delegates. They said
seven guerrillas were wounded in fighting when the mutineers tried to cross
the Salween towards KNU headquarters at Manerplaw, located about 280 kms (175
miles) northeast of Rangoon on the Moei river. 

    There was no independent confirmation of the incident, and the sources
did not know whose side the seven wounded were on. 

    The mutiny, rooted in differences between rank-and-file Buddhists and
KNU's mainly Christian leaders, has forced the KNU to put on hold plans for
peace talks with Burma's rulers. 

    KNU leader General Bo Mya announced at a news conference in Bangkok on
December 7 that he planned to hold peace talks with the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC), the ruling body of the Burmese military junta,
through the mediation of a Japanese-Karen friendship association. 

    The KNU, fighting the Rangoon central government since Burma gained
independence from the Britain in 1948, wants to follow 13 other ethnic
minority armies that have signed ceasefires with the SLORC since the latter
offered peace talks in April 1992. 

    ``The mutiny was initially the result of religious conflict but personal
and ideological issues are involved too. This is our immediate problem. We
will talk about negotiations with the junta later,'' a senior Karen source
said. 

    Karen sources said Burmese troops, allegedly breaking their own
ceasefire, had meanwhile taken advantage of the Karen disarray to make
military advances. 

    ``The Burmese army is very active these days. There has been some
sporadic shelling at Kaw Moo Raw and hundreds of them have been moving
towards our position at Jyauk Nyat,'' one source said. 

    Reports of the shelling and troop advances came only from Karen sources.
Rangoon has not commented on the situation, although the SLORC is continuing
its policy of peace negotiations with the rebels despite the internal
conflict with the mutineers. 

    Kaw Moo Raw, about 60 km (37 miles) south of Manerplaw, used to be the
centre of dry-season fighting between government troops and Karen rebels,
until the SLORC two years ago declared a unilateral suspension of military
operations against ethnic rebel armies. 

    Jyauk Nyat is about 10 kms (six miles) north of where the mutiny is
taking place. 

    At least four people were killed and an unknown number were wounded in a
shootout four months ago when a group of young Karen guerrillas stormed Bo
Mya's residence and demanded immediate peace talks with Rangoon, according to
Thai army sources. 

REUTER
Transmitted: 94-12-14 14:28:21 EST

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Chinese Premier to visit Rangoon - official report


    RANGOON, Dec 15 (Reuter) - Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng will make an
official visit to Burma in the near future, official Burmese media reported
on Thursday. 

    Li would be the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Burma since the
ruling junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), rose to
power five years ago, official radio and newspapers said. 

    No date was given but visits anticipated in the ``near future'' by
official media have followed as quickly as a week later. 

    China has been the SLORC's biggest backer and has provided Burma with
both military and non-lethal assistance, while the Western world and most
democratic countries have shunned Rangoon. 

    The SLORC launched a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in a
nationwide uprising in September 1988, killing hundreds and probably
thousands. 

    Li's visit to Burma is in response to the visit of the SLORC's powerful
intelligence chief, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, to Beijing in September. 

 REUTER


Transmitted: 94-12-15 05:20:34 EST

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