NEWS FROM KAREN SIDE

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

STATEMENT 
                                           FROM THE COORDINATING
COMMITTEE
                                        OF THE MAE THA RAW HTA
AGREEMENTS


1. The statement released by SLORC and found on the internet on July 17,
1997 was tailor made and synchronized with Secretary 1 Khin Nyunt's
Press
Conference of June 27,1997.

2. In that statement we found that SLORC tried to attack and degrade;
       a) the Mae Tha Raw Hta Agreements
       b) Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's and the NLD's activities 
       c) the KNU and KNPP resistance movements

3. Although SLORC cited 15 groups who supposedly supported Khin Nyunt's
speech, they did not identify the names or positions of those
responsible
for the remarks. We have since received clarification from some of these
groups that they never made such comments.

4. The Mae Tha Raw Hta meeting was the first gathering of the ethnic
nationalities since the begining of SLORC's military rule in Burma.

5. Regardless of our ceasefire or non-ceasefire status with the SLORC,
all
the ethnic participants openly shared our sufferings with each other in
good faith and mutual trust.

6. Ethnic brothers and sisters, after a week of long discussions,
clearly
planned common strategies and signed the agreements because we are all
well
aware of who our common enemy is.

7. The Mae Tha Raw Hta Agreements are a very strong sign of unity
amongst
the ethnic nationalities. If SLORC is really sincere about building
ethnic
unity, they need to support the Mae Tha Raw Hta Agreements. That SLORC
has
degraded these agreements means that they are only interested in 'forced
unity' under their military rule.

8. The 15 armed ethnic groups which SLORC has orchestrated ceasefires
with
are not representative of 15 ethnic nationalities. The Shan, Wa, Pa-o,
Palaung and Karenni groups which signed ceasefires only partially
represent
their ethnic populations. Some groups have confessed that they agreed to
sign only under forced conditions and not in their own free will.

9. Thus, as we are responsible for carrying out the terms of the Mae Tha
Raw Hta Agreements and building unity amongst the ethnic groups, we were
disappointed by the SLORC's 'counter Mae Tha Raw Hta' statement.


Coordinating Committee
of the Mae Tha Raw Hta Agreements.

July 27, 1997

BATTLE NEWS.

On 8.6.97 a battle between UWSA & SLORC was borken in Meung Hsat
township.
Meung Li area. 28 SLORC troops were killed in action. 2 killed & 1
wounded
from Wa side.

On 28.6.97 a battle was broken between Wa troops & SLORC troops in
Menung
Pin township. Ton Ta area. 25 SLORC troops were killed. No casualties
from
Wa side.