ABSDF NEWS AGENCY (r)

[caroline@xxxxxxxxxx]

March 13, 1996 Press Release
             Fighting Continued in KNPP Area
	45 minute-long fighting between KNPP and a military column of
Slorc LIB 261 occurred in three kilometer north of Naunglon hill at 8:38
a.m, on 11 March 1996.  Nine Slorc soldiers were reportedly killed during
this fighting. 
	At 11:00am on the same day, Slorc troops resumed another attack
with over 250 shells of heavy weapons on the Rambo hill 2, a stronghold of
KNPP, about 6 Kilometer far from the north of Naunglon hill. Slorcs troops
occupied Rambo hill 2 after the retreat of KNPP at about 6 p.m. One KNPP
platoon commander was killed by the artillery shell. 
	There was no fighting reportedly taken place yesterday. However,
about 750 soldiers from the tactical command No (3), under LID 55 command
were reinforced from the former Khun Sas MTA area to southern KNPP region.
They later joined with the Slorc troops in KNPP region. 
                Sufferings of Local People from Thantaung
	Slorc military columns have issued an order which forcing the
local people in Thantaung township, Karen State for preparation of the
Thantaung Tourist Resort Site in Visit Myanmar Year 1996. 
	Military columns from frontier LIB 535 under the Slorc western
military command have issued an order in which forced the local people
from Thahtay Gone, Kyetche Tan, Kywete and Ywatanshe village along the
Thantaung-Taungoo motor-road in Thantaung township to move to Kyauk Tai
village in Taungoo township by 29 February 1996.  According to that order,
those who fail to obey the order would be labeled as insurgents.  Anyone
would be killed and houses would be burnt down if they fail to comply the
order, it said. 
	last year, several traditional villages of Gaybar, Kayan(Pa Daung)
and Kayan ethnic minorities in this region have been forced to move for
the same purpose of preparing for the Visit Myanmar Year. 
	Slorc Secretary (1) Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt visited to Thantang in the
first week of May, 1995 and guided to build up a Tourist Resort Site in
the region by the Visit Myanmar Year 1996. Some implementation have been
accomplished in preparation to his guideline for Visit Myanmar Year since
then. 
	As a part of preparation in the region, Slorc has spent 300
million kyats for the construction of six-lane mortar road connecting 20
miles distance between Taungoo and Thantaung. This motor-road will
facilitate the transportation o the Thantaung Tourist Resort Site.
Consequently, all the houses along this road had to move 27 feet back in
order to give the space to the road. Moreover, residents were ordered
build up the fences and zinc roofs to their house. They were also ordered
to contribute some money for the motor-road construction.  Due to these
orders for the beautification and preparation of Thantaung Tourist Resort
Site, local people from the region were under miserable condition.  ABSDF
News Agency ABSDF (Dawn Gwin)