REPEAT PROPAGANDA OF OLD NEWS

[Rangoonp@xxxxxxx]

REPEAT PROPAGANDA OF OLD NEWS.  They continually report and re-report
surrenders of small groups over the past 4 or 5 months and past years.
Old news with a new look.  Beware their truth!

Armed GROUP'S Remnants Surrender in Myanmar

            Xinhua
            15-DEC-98

            YANGON (Dec. 16) XINHUA - A total of 50 members of an
            anti-government drug trafficking armed group laid down their
            arms to surrender to the government last week, official
            newspaper The New Light of Myanmar reported
            Wednesday. 

            The armed group members, who are remnants of the Mong
            Tai Army (MTA) drug trafficking armed group operating on
            the Myanmar-Thai border, "exchanged arms for peace" with
            the government at the regional battalion in Konhein
            Township, Shan State in the eastern part of the country, on
            December 13. 

            Similar armed groups are still in the jungle planning to
            exchange arms for peace, the report added. 

            In October, 106 members of the remnants of the MTA
            surrendered to the government. 

            Since January 1996, former notorious drug warlord Khun Sa
            and his MTA have unconditionally surrendered to the
            Myanmar government in succession, bringing the number of
            the surrendered to 15,000 by May this year. 

            Meanwhile, 44 members of anti-government armed groups,
            most of them are ethnic, also turned in to the government
            during last four months. 

            Up to now, a total of 17 anti-government ethnic armed
            groups as well as the MTA drug trafficking armed group in
            the country have made peace with the government. 

            The government said it still permits the turned-in armed
            groups to retain their arms for "self-protection and
            area-defense."