Reuters-Karen rebels reject Myanmar

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Subject: Reuters-Karen rebels reject Myanmar govt ceasefire call 

Karen rebels reject Myanmar govt ceasefire call
03:06 a.m. Mar 29, 1999 Eastern
TADO THUTAH, Myanmar, March 29 (Reuters) - The Karen National Union (KNU),
which is fighting for an autonomous Karen state, on Monday spurned the
latest ceasefire call from Myanmar's military government.

KNU president General Bo Mya said the group would instead step up its nearly
half-century-old armed struggle against the government until Yangon held
tripartite peace talks with him and national pro-democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi.

``We will not give up our struggle until the government agrees to hold
political negotiations with us and Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for
Democracy (NLD) party,'' he said.

Bo Mya spoke to reporters at his jungle hideout in eastern Myanmar on the
bank of the Moei River, which marks the border with Thailand.

Myanmar's premier, Senior General Than Shwe, on Saturday called on rebel
groups to enter into truces with the government at a parade marking the
country's 54th Armed Forces Day.

The KNU has been fighting for an autonomous state since 1949 from bases
along the Thai-Myanmar border. Several rounds of peace talks with the
government have failed.

Bo Mya also criticised Yangon for not granting a visa to Suu Kyi's British
husband, Michael Aris, who died of prostrate cancer on Saturday. He had
repeatedly sought a visa to visit his wife in Yangon one last time.

``The military government is cruel and inhumane for not granting the visa
for Michael Aris to see his wife before he died,'' Bo Mya said.

``The KNU sympathises with Suu Kyi and will continue to fight alongside with
her. We will not give up our struggle as suggested by Than Shwe,'' he added.

Myanmar's ruling State Peace and Development Council has already made peace
with 17 anti-government groups representing ethnic minorities around the
country.