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　　　　- JULY,1997 -

　　　STATEMENT OF KNLA GENERAL HEADQUARTERS.July 3'97, 5/JUL.
　　　* As the SLORC unilaterally abrogated talks with the KNU and launched a major military offensive against the KNU and the Karen people in February 1997, many clashes have been taking place, ever since. In the ferocious offensive,the SLORC has been employing its military divisions 101/11/22/33/ 44/55/66/77/88/99 and the area garrison units against the KNLA 6th Brigade. in Kaw-Ka-Reik and Moulmein districts, 4th Bde. in Tanessarim division, 7th Brigade. in Pa-an district, 5th Brigade. in Pa-pun district, 1st Bbrigade. in Thaton district, 3rd Brigade. in Nyaung Lay Bin district, and 2nd Briggade. in Toungoo and Pyin Ma Na districts.
　　　* Lt.Gen. Tin Oo himself commands this especially savage offensive. Though the commander of 16th Bn., Thu Mu Heh, and a few followers surrenderd to the enemy, the remaining KNLA commanders and troops have successfully countered, with full patriotism, the SLORC 's brutal offensive.
　　　* In resisting the barbarous offensive of the SLORC, troops of the alliance forces such as the ABSDF, PLF, ABMU & etc. have joined hands with the KNLA. During the period from February 11 to June 30, 1997, 380 major and minor clahses had taken place. Land mine attacks were staged 221 times. There were 584 dead and 544 wounded on the SLORC side, while troops of the KNU and the alliance forces suffered 26 dead and 22 wounded.
　　　* As the KNLA avoided positional warfare and employed mainly the mobile, guerrilla and mine warfare, it has managed to stage a large number of small-scale clashes. As a result, it has managed to minimize its casualty, while inflicting heavy casualty on the enemy and, at the same time, prevented waste of ammunition.
* In the present military offensive, the SLORC troops have committed, on a wide scale, atrocities and human rights violations such as execution, torture, forced labor, looting of valuables, burning the villages and food supplies, forced relocation, deliberately killing the live-stock & etc. of the Karen people. These atrocities are much worse than the massacres of the Karen people by the BIA during the Japanese occupation, and they will go down in the annuals of Karen history as the most horrible bloodshed, attacks and destruction.
* Instead of resolving the political problems by political means, if the SLORC continues its barbaric offensive against the KNU and the Karen people in the present manner, the KNU and the KNLA will have no alternative but to continue to resist and counter, in self-defense, the military offensive of the SLORC.
Abbreviatiosns: KNLA = Karen National liberation Army (Military wing of Karen resistance); SLORC = state law and Order Restoration Council (Military dictatorship of Burma); KNU = Karen National Union (Political wing of Karen resistance); ABSDF = All Burma Students' Democratic Front;PLF = People's Liberation Front; ABMU = All Burma Muslim Union

　　　Statement of KNU President Saw Bo Mya regarding Meh-Tha-Raw-Ta Agreement of Ethnic Nationalities of Burma, 8/JUL.
1.　　Through peace mediators, U Khun Mya and Saya Tun Aung Chaing, the SLORC indicated that dialogue would be resumed if the KNU would adopt the position to repudiate some of the ten points of Meh-Tha-Raw-Ta Agreement of the Ethnic Nationalities' Seminar, that are not directly related to the KNU.
2.　　On 7-6-97, I informed the SLORC that out of the 10 points of Meh-Tha-Raw-Ta Agreement, the KNU would withdraw its involvement with points 2-3-5-7-8-10, with the expectation of stopping the military conflicts in Burma at the earliest date possible, resolving the political problems expeditiously through negotiation and resuming the dialogue from the lowest possible level.
3.　　In addition to ignoring the immolating concession of the KNU, the SLORC has engaged in loathsome acts such as (1) delaying its meeting with the KNU, and continuing its constant attacks and destruction against Karen villages, forced relocation, torture and execution of Karen civilians (2) exposing the communication mentioned above by sending copies of the letter to organizations of other ethnic nationalities and (3) distributing copies of the letter, at home and abroad.
4.　　On account of the SLORC's insincere activities, I hereby revoke all the intent and purpose of the letter sent to the SLORC regarding Meh-Tha-Raw-Ta Agreement and, as before, I shall abide by the ten points of the 1997 Ethnic Nationalities' Meh-Tha-Raw-Ta Agreement and the statement.
5.　　As the KNU is firmly convinced that the best means of resolving problems is through dialogue and negotiation peacefully, the KNU shall continue to strive for the resolution of problems between the KNU and the SLORC through dialogue and negotiation.
　　　,-Saw Bo Mya. President Karen National Union.

　　　SLORC Army, Officers surrendered, 12/JUL.　On 4,July. Company commander Capt,Thura-Aung-Kyaw-Oo and his men, Yan-Naing and Thiha from company No.(2)/ LIB(44), surrendered to KNLA and ABSDF joint column in Taungoo district area, with some rifles and ammo.

　　　KNLA BATTLE NEWS Of Month/June, 15/JUL.　>From 6/-1 to 6/30, (134)clashes broke out between the KNLA troops and SLORC troops. (81)KNLA mines were exploded.(100)SLORC soldiers were killed,(174)SLORC soldiers were injured,(58)SLORC soldiers lost their legs. KNLA suffered (7)dead, (4)injured.