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Thai Shelling Kills Myanmar Rebels



Thai Shelling Kills Myanmar Rebels

 .c The Associated Press  

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Thai shelling across the Myanmar border killed seven
Myanmar-allied guerrillas and wounded 20, a Thai general said today. 

The army shelled a base belonging to the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, a
group allied with Myanmar's military government, in retaliation for recent
attacks on refugee camps in Thailand. 

The shelling, which occurred Sunday, reportedly so enraged the guerrillas that
they vowed to burn all the refugee camps in Thailand in revenge. 

``Good. I'm glad they are furious,'' said Gen. Chamlong Photong, commander of
the Thai 3rd Army. ``This is one way of telling the DKBA that we will not
tolerate their actions. We will not allow our sovereignty to be violated.'' 

He said the casualties were confirmed by Col. Sai Phone of the Myanmar army. 

More than 100,000 people, mostly members of Myanmar's ethnic Karen minority,
are living in about two dozen refugee camps in Thailand after fleeing abuse
and offensives by the Myanmar army. 

Most of the refugees are sympathetic to the Karen National Union, a guerrilla
group that has been fighting for Karen autonomy since 1948. 

Myanmar, ruled by the military, is also known as Burma.