Karens Hold Large Strips Of Burma

Chronicle (Levin), 10 September 1948, Page 5

Karens Hold Large Strips Of Burma

Received Thursdav, 7 p.111. LONDON, Sept. 9. British eori'ospondeiits in Burma state that the commuuiques issued by the Burmese (loveriiiueut should be treatt'd. wiih the grcatest reserve.. Go\ ernuient eominuniques have been 'uf [tains to emjdiasise that the Karioi revolt is not seriuus and tluit|, an under st ujidi 11 g has now beeji reai-hed with the insurgeuts, Tht? Daily Telegniph s correspondent, howcver, says he gatliers that the revolt was carefully planned and that the Karens are in full cuiitrol of a large section of territory from Morgui in tlie souiIl along the Tenasserim coast to Tavov, as well as a large urea in the north. They are well su]'plied with aruis which they ha\ e been suiugg'l i 11 g' in for some time, have an ' oxcellent wirekvs service, and are ob taining money by house to house collectiojis aiuuug tliemseh cs. The correspomients emphasise thiit the Karens are violenlly anti-Uommun ist and that they are under 110 illusions about tlie real rharacter of tlie present Burmese Governnient. Manv of the tribesinen have long-standing scores againsl tlie Burmese owing to atrocties which ihe Burmese committed in K;u'e.n territory during the Japanese occupulion.