BATTLE IN BURMA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20760, 31 December 1930, Page 11

BATTLE IN BURMA.

rebels face troops.

PUNJABIS IN ACTION.

LOSSES OF INSURGENTS.

RETREAT INTO JUNGLE.

PURSUIT BY RIFLEMEN.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received Deeembor 31, 12.23 a.m.) // DELHI. Deo. 80. When faced with tho alternative' of fighting or surrendering the Tharrawaddy insurgents chose tho former yesThey gavo battle to a detachment of the 2/15 Punjabis near the village of" Udo, The rebels were armed with rifles, sporting guns and short Burmese swords. They opened firo on tho Punjabis, causing a few casualties. The soldiers returned tho fire and killed 60 men and wounded 36. The remainder retreated into the jungle, followed by the Punjabis, who continued to firo. The casualties are not known. Seven hundred men of the Burma Rifles, fermed with machine-guns, joined in the pursuit.

M ORGANISED RISING.

MANY BRUTAL OUTRAGES. j ' OPERATIONS BY TROOPS.

British Wireless. RTJGBTJ* Dec. (29. The outbreak of disorder in Burma was the subject of a communication addressed yesterday by the Government of Burma to the Commissioners and deputy-Com-missioners throughout tho province. The,report states: "The facts of the outbreak are an follows: —The rebels come from villages south-west of Tharrawaddy and north-east of Insein. The rising was clearly organised in advance and it is stated that without any attempt to represent their grievances tho rebels committed brutal outrages, murdering Government officers, Europeans and Burmese, and private persons without, distinction of race or station and looting and destroying property.

"They can plead no excuse, either on political or economic grounds. It is essential for the peace of loyal and lawabiding subjects the.t a rising of this kind be dealt with as rapidly as possible and with all the forces at the disposal of the Government.

"Two companies of troops, British and Indian, have already arrived at Tharrawaddy. A battalion of Burma Rifles will arrive to-day. The police have already achieved considerable success and the situation is improving daily.

"The Government intends to continue operations until tho rebellion is put down and law and order completely restored." A message from Delhi says the rebels are/ ensconced in the fastnesses of tho Alanthaung Mountains, behind five miles oi impenetrable jungle, and have so far defied the efforts of strong forces of troops and police to dislodge them. They are equipped with hundreds of rifles and ammunition and they occupy a position flanked by long lines of felled trees.

The Government forces, who are planning a joint offensive to-day, will have a difficult task and the expedition is likelv to last several weeks.

Rebels captured during the week-end state that their headquarters are in the mountains and that their leader and organiser, who is a Shan chief, is named Shwe Kyi Lon, or "Golden Crow." His avowed aim is to become King of Burma. Those captured bear tattooed regimental numbers and state that they were pressed into the rebellion.