BURMESE TOWNS THREATENED BY CHINESE COMMUNISTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 May 1949, Page 8

BURMESE TOWNS THREATENED BY CHINESE COMMUNISTS

RANGOON, May 21. — Four thousand Chinese Communists, who seized Paoshan and Tengchung, in the Yunnan province, are massing on the Burmese border, according to eye-witness reports reaching Rangoon. The reports say they are preparing to attack the Burmese border town of Sadon (Fort Harrison) in the Myitkyina district. Government officials in Rangoon say the reports are substantially correct, but they think the main threat is to the town of Bhamo, 170 miles north-west of Mandalay, on _ the Shewelhi river, where the Chinese border is less than 10 miles away. The officials said Burma had taken adequate defence measures. The English language newspaper, Nation, today urged the Burmese Government to invoke foreign aid to protect Burma’s north-eastern frontier against the Chinese Communists.

The Karen insurgents have proclaimed a Karen State in Central Burma.

Newspaper reports stated that the Karens had issued a printed proclamation from their headquarters in Nyaunglebin, declaring the area between Daiko and Toungoo a Karen State.

Daiko is 78 miles north of Rangoon and Toungoo is 85 miles further north.

The proclamation called on all political leaders in the area to report immediately to the Karen authorities under pain of severe punishment. The rebels in Central Burma today demanded and received about £23,000 as “protection money” from the British-owned Burma Oil Company. The People’s Volunteer Organisation is demanding a further £90,000 a month as royalty to the rebel Government.

The company’s properties lie in the area of the rebel “State.”