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VOA: MANARPLAW



DATE=1/27/95
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-173044
TITLE=BURMA / MANERPLAW (L)
BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

INTRO:  SOURCES IN THE KAREN REBEL GROUP OPPOSING BURMA'S
GOVERNMENT SAY THE MAIN REBEL BASE IN THE JUNGLE ALONG THE BORDER
WITH THAILAND MAY HAVE BEEN ABANDONED TO BURMESE GOVERNMENT
FORCES.  V-O-A'S DAN ROBINSON IN BANGKOK REPORTS THE FALL OF THE
BASE, MANERPLAW, WOULD BE A SERIOUS BLOW TO THE REBELS -- THE
LAST MAJOR ETHNIC INSURGENT FORCE  NOT  TO HAVE SIGNED A
CEASEFIRE WITH BURMA'S MILITARY RULERS:

TEXT:  THE KAREN NATIONAL UNION (K-N-U) HAS  NOT  ISSUED ANY
STATEMENT CONFIRMING THE FALL OF MANERPLAW, THE MAIN OPPOSITION
HEADQUARTERS LOCATED ABOUT 280 KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF RANGOON.

EARLIER THIS WEEK, REBEL STATEMENTS REPORTED INTENSE FIGHTING
WITH GOVERNMENT TROOPS ADVANCING FROM NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE
BASE, SUPPORTED BY HEAVY ARTILLERY.

VARIOUS REBEL SOURCES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE GOVERNMENT OFFENSIVE,
WHICH ENDED A CEASEFIRE DECLARED BY RANGOON IN 1992, HAD PLACED A
STRANGLEHOLD ON THE MANERPLAW.

EARLIER FRIDAY, A KAREN SPOKESMAN TOLD V-O-A MANERPLAW REMAINED
IN REBEL HANDS.  BUT HE ACKNOWLEDGED A LACK OF UP-TO-DATE
INFORMATION FROM THE AREA.

MEANWHILE, REBEL AND DIPLOMATIC SOURCES REPORT IT IS HIGHLY
LIKELY MANERPLAW WAS ABANDONED -- PERHAPS ON THURSDAY OR EARLY
FRIDAY.  REPORTS SAY THE REBELS MAY HAVE SET FIRE TO THE BASE AS
THEY RETREATED.

ONE INDICATION MANERPLAW MAY HAVE FALLEN IS THE NUMBER OF
REFUGEES FLOWING INTO NEIGHBORING THAILAND.

AN OFFICIAL OF THE KAREN REFUGEE COMMITTEE TOLD V-O-A AT LEAST
TWO-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAD ALREADY CROSSED OVER AND THIS WAS
EXPECTED TO RISE.

MANERPLAW WAS ALSO HOME TO BURMESE STUDENT REBELS WHO FLED
RANGOON AFTER THE MILITARY CRUSHED A COUNTRY-WIDE PRO-DEMOCRACY
UPRISING IN 1988.

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ALL BURMA STUDENT DEMOCRATIC FRONT
(A-B-S-D-F) AS WELL AS THE KARENS HAVE SOUGHT TO PLAY DOWN THE
IMPACT OF THE LOSS OF MANERPLAW.  BUT ANALYSTS SAY IT WOULD HAVE
A CONSIDERABLE EFFECT.

BURMESE MILITARY-CONTROLLED MEDIA HAVE NOT MENTIONED THE
OFFENSIVE -- ALTHOUGH OFFICIALS IN THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT HAVE
ALL BUT ADMITTED THE ARMY WAS MOVING ON THE BASE.

LATEST EFFORTS (LAST YEAR) TO GET THE KAREN AND BURMESE LEADERS
TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE FAILED, AND RECENT REBEL STATEMENTS
ACCUSED THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT OF SCUTTLING ANY CHANCE FOR A
POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE LONG-RUNNING CONFLICT.

                       ///  REST OPT  ///

THE UNITED STATES THIS WEEK EXPRESSED CONCERN TO THE BURMESE
GOVERNMENT, AND SAID IT IS EVALUATING HOW HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
CONNECTED WITH THE CURRENT FIGHTING MIGHT AFFECT RELATIONS.
(SIGNED)

NEB/DR/JWH

27-Jan-95 7:14 AM EST (1214 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America


DATE=1/27/95
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-173040
TITLE=BURMA/MANERPLAW (S)
BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

INTRO:  NEWS REPORTS SAY THE MAIN JUNGLE BASE OF ETHNIC-KAREN
REBELS AND BURMESE OPPOSITION FORCES ALONG THE BORDER WITH
THAILAND MAY HAVE FALLEN TO TROOPS OF BURMA'S MILITARY
GOVERNMENT.  AS WE HEAR FROM V-O-A'S DAN ROBINSON IN OUR
SOUTHEAST ASIA BUREAU, THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION
FROM THE KAREN REBEL MOVEMENT, BUT VARIOUS SOURCES REPORT
MANERPLAW MAY ALREADY HAVE BEEN ABANDONED:

TEXT:  EARLIER FRIDAY, A KAREN SPOKESMAN IN BANGKOK DENIED
MANERPLAW HAD FALLEN, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THERE HAD BEEN AN
EVACUATION OF REBEL DEPENDENTS FROM THE TOWN.

DIPLOMATS AND OTHERS WATCHING THE SITUATION SAID IF THE REBEL
BASE HAS NOT FALLEN, IT IS ON THE VERGE OF BEING TAKEN.

SOURCES ON THE BORDER, INCLUDING KAREN REFUGEE OFFICIALS, REPORT
AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES FLOWING INTO THAILAND.
NON-GOVERNMENT AID AGENCIES WORKING ON THE BORDER WERE REPORTED
PREPARING FOR AN INCREASE IN THAT NUMBER.

THE KAREN REBELS ARE THE LAST MAJOR ETHNIC-INSURGENT FORCE
OPPOSING BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT, WHICH HAS SIGNED CEASEFIRE
DEALS WITH OTHER REBEL GROUPS.

THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT MOVE ON MANERPLAW, WHICH BEGAN IN
DECEMBER, HAS BEEN CRITICIZED BY THE UNITED STATES AND HUMAN
RIGHTS GROUPS.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT (THURSDAY) SAID THE UNITED STATES IS
EVALUATING HOW HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CONNECTED WITH THE CURRENT
FIGHTING MIGHT AFFECT RELATIONS WITH BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT.
 (SIGNED)

NEB/RAE

27-Jan-95 6:19 AM EST (1119 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America

DATE=1/26/95
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-173029
TITLE=U-S-BURMA (S ONLY)
BYLINE=RON PEMSTEIN
DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO:  THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES BY
THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT IN ITS CURRENT MILITARY OFFENSIVE AGAINST
KAREN REBELS ON THE BURMESE BORDER WITH THAILAND COULD AFFECT
RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES.  RON PEMSTEIN REPORTS FROM THE
STATE DEPARTMENT.

TEXT:  THE UNITED STATES HAS EXPRESSED CONCERN TO BURMA ABOUT ITS
ARTILLERY SHELLING AND MORTAR ATTACKS AGAINST MANNERPLAW ON
BURMA'S EASTERN BORDER WITH THAILAND.  THE STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS
THE AREA IS HOME TO MANY BURMESE DEMOCRACY ADVOCATES THAT TOOK
REFUGE THERE AFTER DEMOCRACY DEMONSTRATIONS WERE SUPPRESSED BY
THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT IN 1988 AND 1989.

THE AREA IS A BASE FOR KAREN REBELS AND OTHER MINORITY GROUPS
RESISTING CONTROL BY RANGOON.  THE STATE DEPARTMENT CALLS ON THE
BURMESE GOVERNMENT TO PEACEFULLY RESOLVE ITS DIFFERENCES WITH
ETHNIC MINORITIES.

THE PRINTED STATEMENT SAYS THE UNITED STATES IS ESPECIALLY
CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE DISLOCATED BY THE FIGHTING.
TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE REPORTED TO HAVE TAKEN REFUGE IN
THAILAND.  THE STATE DEPARTMENT ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT
PRIVATE CITIZENS BEING FORCED TO ACT AS PORTERS FOR THE MILITARY.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT IS EVALUATING HOW THESE HUMAN RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS MIGHT AFFECT AMERICAN RELATIONS WITH BURMA. ANY
IMPROVEMENT IN RELATIONS, U-S OFFICIALS SAY, DEPENDS ON PROGRESS
IN HUMAN RIGHTS. (SIGNED)


NEB/CB/RP/LWM

26-Jan-95 7:24 PM EST (0024 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America