BLACK OUTLOOK IN BURMA.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 18764, 31 December 1930, Page 9

BLACK OUTLOOK IN BURMA.

Activity Of Lawless Tribes. AIMS OF REBEL LEADER. United Press Association--By Electric Telegraph—Copyright DELHI, December 29. Ensconsed in the fastnesses of the Alanthaung mountains, behind five miles of impenetrable jungle, the Burma rebels have hitherto defied the efforts of strong forces of troops and police to dislodge them. They are equipped with hundreds of rifles, much ammunition, and 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 likely to last several weeks. Rebels captured during the weekend state that their headquarters is in the mountains, and that the 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 rebellion. INSURGENTS GIVE BATTLE. SHARP ENCOUNTER REPORTED. United Press Association- -By Electric Telegraph—Copvright (Received December 31, 12.15 a.m.) DELHI, December 30. Faced with the alternative of fight or surrender, the Tharrawaddy insurgents chose the former yesterday, and gave battle to a detachment of the Second and Fifteenth Punjabs near the village of Udo. The rebels, armed with rifles, sporting guns and short Burmese swords, opened fire on the Punjabs, causing a few casualties. The soldiers returned the fire, killing sixty and wounding 36. The remainder retreated to a jungle, followed by the Punjabs, who continued to fire. The casualties are unknown. Seven hundred men of the Burma Rifles, armed with machine guns, joined in the pursuit. OUTLOOK IMPROVING. ORDER MUST PREVAIL British Official Wlreles* RUGBY, December 29. The outbreak of disorder in Burma was the subject of a comunication addressed yesterday by the Government of Burma to the Commissioner and Deputy-Commissioners throughout the province. It states: “The facts of the outbreak are as follows:—The rebels come from villages south-west of Tharrawaddy and nortneast of Insein. “The rising was clearly organised in advance and it is stated that without any attempt to represent their grievances the 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 law-abiding subjects that a rising of this kind should 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 the Burma Rifles arrives to-day. The police have already achieved considerable success, and the situation Is improving daily.

“The Government intends to continue operations until the rebellion is put down and law and order are completely restored.”