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58 SAID SLAIN BY MYANMAR TROOPS



The Daily Yomiuri
July 2, 1997

58 SAID SLAIN BY MYANMAR TROOPS 

MAE HONG SON, Thailand (Reuter)?The ethnic Shan resistance faction on
Tuesday accused Myanmar troops of massacring 58 civilians in Shan State last
month, Shan and Thai Army sources said.

The Shan State Army (SSA) said in a statement that on June 6, Myanmar troops
arrested 26 people in Chianglom village of Kunhing district. The troops said
the people had relocated without permission.

The statement said all 26 villagers were tied up and shot dead at close range.

"The Myanmar soldiers have seriously violated human rights in Shan State,"
it said. "The Myanmar Army...tied up 26 people and killed them in cold blood
at close range. The people were only accused of violating an order not to
relocate."

Similar incidents occurred on June 10 and June 16 when 32 people were killed
in two villages of Kunhing district, the statement added.

Myanmar government officials were not immediately available for comment.
A Thai Army source based on the border said he had heard about the incident
from Shan refugees who fled to Thailand, but added he had not been able to
confirm the number of victims.

A veteran Shan guerrilla said from the border that the massacres occurred
after Myanmar's military government, known as the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC) began its "four-cut" operation against the
rebels, who are fighting for autonomy for central Shan State.

"The four-cut operation began since May as the SLORC is trying to cut the
people from the resistance groups," the guerrilla said.

The operation is intended to deprive the rebels of information, supplies and
other assistance, and to block their recruiting and propaganda efforts, he said.

The Myanmar government said last month that the former Mong Tai Army (MTA)
guerrillas of opium warlord Khun Sa had killed 25 civilians in eastern Shan
State in early June.

The SSA is a loose grouping of fighters who broke away from the MTA before
Khun Sa surrendered to the Myanmar troops in January 1996.

Myanmar slaps Suu Kyi, U.S.

YANGON (Reuter)?Myanmar's state-run media on Tuesday lashed out at the
United States for bullying weak countries and for exploiting democracy
activist Aung San Suu Kyi, whom it said had no chance of ever becoming
leader of Myanmar.

Commentaries published in all official Myanmar newspapers said U.S. attacks
on the human rights records of countries like Myanmar showed that Washington
was continuing its policy of bullying the weak in pursuit of geopolitical
hegemonism.

"The U.S., a superpower, has become a nation to be hated," the commentary said.

"The U.S. followed the words of its puppet and loyalist Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
and bullied the weak," it said. "U.S. President (Bill) Clinton and U.S.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright do not seem to possess mindfulness,
sensibility and sympathy. They only listen to the exaggerated falsehood of
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi."


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