Govt soldiers clash with KNU fighters; troops and weapons captured

(13 Jan 2005)

Day Shots
1. Seized weapons with rebels in background
2. Two shots of rebels with weapons

Night Shots
3. Close up of captured Myanmar soldier''''s face
4. Pan left of captured Myanmar soldiers
5. Karen rebel (patch on camouflage) standing over captured soldiers
6. Captured Myanmar soldiers sitting on ground in line
7. Close up of tied-up wrists of soldier
8. Various shots of Myanmar soldiers sitting on ground
9. Two Karen rebels standing over captured soldiers
10. Karen rebel cocking gun and then laying it down on ground
11. Karen rebel reading from sheet of paper to captured soldiers
12. Karen rebel standing
13. Pull out from hands of captured solider to wide of six soldiers
14. Karen rebels picking up arms and walking away

STORYLINE:

Myanmar''''s military attacked a major stronghold of the Karen ethnic rebel group on Tuesday, despite the two sides having been in an informal cease-fire for about a year, the insurgents said.

Video footage obtained by APTN appears to show Myanmar soldiers that were captured by Karen National Union (KNU) fighters during the offensive on the Thai border.

The rebels from the Karen National Union (KNU) said government forces attacked the guerrillas'''' Battalion 201 at their Kalaw Waw camp opposite Thailand''''s northern province of Tak.

Thai border security forces confirmed there had been fighting in the area, but gave no details.

KNU General Secretary Mahn Sha said Myanmar troops positioned for their attack on Monday.

They then started shelling the camp where guerrillas and villagers had gathered for a ceremony.

Mahn Sha said KNU troops had captured seven Myanmar soldiers and seized more than 10 weapons.

But he gave no figures for Karen losses and did not say if the fighting was continuing.

Similar shelling had taken place at other KNU camps, he added.

Myanmar''''s ruling junta never comment on military affairs.

The KNU has alleged many previous violations of the cease-fire by the government, particularly operations against Karen civilian villages.

The Karen have sought autonomy in Myanmar, also called Burma, for more than half a century.

It has become one of the world''''s longest-running insurgencies.

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