KARENS FORCED TO FLEE FROM TOWN NEAR RANGOON

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 May 1949, Page 5

KARENS FORCED TO FLEE FROM TOWN NEAR RANGOON

RANGOON, May 22 (Rec. 11.10 a.m.). —The entire Karen garrison and the Karen president, Saw Ba U Gyi, escaped when Burmese Government forces recaptured Insein, 10 miles north of Rangoon, today. The Karens, who took Insein on January 31, today evacuated to the north. They left behind 200 wounded and sick and 300 Karen non-com-batants, as well as large quanties of arms and ammunition.

Captain David Vivian, a former British Army officer, is reported to be fighting on the Karen side. He also . escaped before the town was taken.

The Karens in January released Vivian from the Insein gaol, where he had been serving a five-year sentence for violation of the Arms Act.

Tonight a Burmese Government communique reported further Burmese successes. Government troops were closing in on Daiku, a Karen stronghold 80 miles north of Rangoon. To the west of Daiku fighting was going on at Hmawbl, an important town on the Rangoon-Prome railway, after repeated attacks on Government troops there. Planes bombed three Karen villages in the Bassein delta district. In upper Burma, Government troops inflicted heavy casualties on the rebels who attacked Yeu police station, west of Shwebo. Newspaper reports in Rangoon say that Burma’s many and varying rebel groups are arguing amongst themselves about the desirability of seeking terms from the Government.