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Reuters Border clash reports "amusi

Subject: Reuters Border clash reports "amusing, annoying" -Myanmar

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Border clash reports "amusing, annoying" -Myanmar

BANGKOK, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government has called =
reports of exchanges of fire on its border with Bangladesh "amusing but =
annoying" rumours aimed at creating misunderstanding between two =
friendly countries.=20

Asked to comment on reports from Bangladesh security officials of =
exchanges between Bangladesh and Myanmar border troops, a Myanmar =
spokesman replied in a faxed statement to Reuters late on Wednesday:=20

"Sometimes it is amusing but annoying as well to read and hear such =
rumours. It is quite obvious that some quarters are out to create =
misunderstanding between two friendly neighbours."=20

Lieutenant-Colonel Mohammed Wasim of the Bangladesh Rifles told Reuters =
earlier on Wednesday that in a three-hour exchange on Tuesday a Myanmar =
frontier force fired on a Bangladeshi border camp without provocation.=20

He said the Myanmar side used heavy machineguns, while the Bangladeshi =
side replied with mortars. It was not immediately known if there were =
any casualties.=20

Wasim said the Myanmar side had yet to respond to a proposal for a =
meeting over the incident, which occurred at Tumbru, 65 km (40 miles) =
southeast of Cox's Bazar.=20

Cross-border shooting incidents are not uncommon between the two sides, =
often accompanied by Bangladeshi allegations of intrusions by Myanmar =
forces into its territory.=20

The latest shootout followed the arrest of two suspected Myanmar =
militants armed with sub-machineguns along the frontier on Sunday, =
officials said. It was not immediately clear if the shooting incident =
was linked to the arrests.=20

The arrested militants said they were members of Myanmar's frontier =
force but Bangladesh police suspect them of belonging to armed Moslem =
groups seeking either a separate homeland or an end to the Yangon =
military junta's rule.=20

In the early 1990s, Myanmar forces overran a Bangladesh Rifles camp near =
the border, killing one paramilitary soldier.=20

"They often intrude into our territory and abduct fishermen and wood =
cutters," a Bangladesh Rifles officer said, adding that nearly 300 =
Bangladeshis, mostly fishermen, were in Myanmar jails.=20

He said the fishermen had been falsely charged with illegal fishing.=20


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<H1>Border clash reports "amusing, annoying" -Myanmar</H1>
<P>
<P>BANGKOK, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government has called =
reports=20
of exchanges of fire on its border with Bangladesh "amusing but =
annoying"=20
rumours aimed at creating misunderstanding between two friendly =
countries.=20
<P>Asked to comment on reports from Bangladesh security officials of =
exchanges=20
between Bangladesh and Myanmar border troops, a Myanmar spokesman =
replied in a=20
faxed statement to Reuters late on Wednesday:=20
<P>"Sometimes it is amusing but annoying as well to read and hear such =
rumours.=20
It is quite obvious that some quarters are out to create =
misunderstanding=20
between two friendly neighbours."=20
<P>Lieutenant-Colonel Mohammed Wasim of the Bangladesh Rifles told =
Reuters=20
earlier on Wednesday that in a three-hour exchange on Tuesday a Myanmar =
frontier=20
force fired on a Bangladeshi border camp without provocation.=20
<P>He said the Myanmar side used heavy machineguns, while the =
Bangladeshi side=20
replied with mortars. It was not immediately known if there were any =
casualties.=20

<P>Wasim said the Myanmar side had yet to respond to a proposal for a =
meeting=20
over the incident, which occurred at Tumbru, 65 km (40 miles) southeast =
of Cox's=20
Bazar.=20
<P>Cross-border shooting incidents are not uncommon between the two =
sides, often=20
accompanied by Bangladeshi allegations of intrusions by Myanmar forces =
into its=20
territory.=20
<P>The latest shootout followed the arrest of two suspected Myanmar =
militants=20
armed with sub-machineguns along the frontier on Sunday, officials said. =
It was=20
not immediately clear if the shooting incident was linked to the =
arrests.=20
<P>The arrested militants said they were members of Myanmar's frontier =
force but=20
Bangladesh police suspect them of belonging to armed Moslem groups =
seeking=20
either a separate homeland or an end to the Yangon military junta's =
rule.=20
<P>In the early 1990s, Myanmar forces overran a Bangladesh Rifles camp =
near the=20
border, killing one paramilitary soldier.=20
<P>"They often intrude into our territory and abduct fishermen and wood=20
cutters," a Bangladesh Rifles officer said, adding that nearly 300 =
Bangladeshis,=20
mostly fishermen, were in Myanmar jails.=20
<P>He said the fishermen had been falsely charged with illegal fishing.=20
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