DTN News - MYANMAR NEWS: Suu Kyi's Party Wins 43 Seats In Myanmar Parliament

DTN News - MYANMAR NEWS: Suu Kyi's Party Wins 43 Seats In Myanmar Parliament 
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Hla Hla Htay - AFP
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 3, 2012: Democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi's party won almost all the seats it contested in Myanmar elections, becoming the main opposition force in the national parliament, official results showed Tuesday.

The veteran dissident's National League for Democracy stormed to victory in 43 of the 44 constituencies where it fielded candidates in Sunday's polls, according to an election commission announcement on state television.

The landslide win in the by-elections gave Suu Kyi her first-ever seat in parliament, although it will not threaten the comfortable majority of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

The Nobel laureate said in her victory speech on Monday that she hoped the vote would mark a "new era" for the nation after decades of repressive junta rule, but appealed for political unity and urged her supporters not to gloat.

The NLD won 37 seats in the 440-seat lower house, along with four in the upper house and two in the regional chambers, the results showed.

One quarter of the seats are reserved for unelected military officials.

The NLD lost one seat in eastern Shan state to the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, which has strong support among ethnic minorities.

The USDP took just one seat, in a constituency in northwest Sagaing where the NLD candidate was disqualified from standing.

Suu Kyi's election to political office marks the latest sweeping change in the country formerly known as Burma after decades of outright military rule ended last year.

Myanmar's quasi-civilian government has surprised even its critics over the past year with a string of reforms such as releasing hundreds of political prisoners and welcoming the opposition back into mainstream politics.

President Thein Sein hailed the polls as a success.

"The election was held successfully," the former general said in brief remarks to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with fellow leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Phnom Penh.

Observers say the regime needs Suu Kyi in parliament to bolster the legitimacy of its political system and spur an easing of Western sanctions.

The European Union opened a debate Tuesday on how fast to lift sanctions, with some EU states pushing for a "gradual, step-by-step" approach to ensure the regime continues pursuing reforms following the landmark vote.

The ASEAN leaders called for all Western sanctions against Myanmar to be lifted in light of the vote.

"The lifting of sanctions would contribute positively to the democratic process and especially economic development of Myanmar," a top Cambodian official told reporters, quoting leaders inside the meeting room.

At the last ASEAN summit in November, Myanmar was rewarded for its reforms by being promised the bloc's chairmanship in 2014. It is also eager to win greater foreign investment with the prospect of sanctions being lifted.

Experts expect the United States and Europe to ease some -- but not all -- sanctions against the regime to bolster the reformers while retaining some leverage to encourage further change.

Unlike in the 2010 general elections, the Myanmar government allowed foreign observers and journalists to witness Sunday's polls, which were to replace lawmakers who gave up their seats to join the government.

The 2010 vote, won by the military's political proxies, was plagued by complaints of cheating and the exclusion of Suu Kyi, who was released from seven straight years of house arrest shortly afterwards.

The NLD swept to a landslide election victory in 1990, when Suu Kyi was in detention, but the junta never recognised the result.

Related News;

ON THE ROAD TO CHANGE IN BURMA

The Express Tribune - ‎17 minutes ago‎

Suu Kyi's NLD won at least 40 out of the 45 seats which were at stake in the by-polls held on April 2. By Editorial File photograph shows pro-democracy opposition leader Aung being mobbed by supporters at headquarters of NLD in Yangon.

HISTORIC ELECTIONS IN MYANMAR

Los Angeles Times - ‎18 minutes ago‎

The people of Myanmar got their first taste of democracy in two decades Sunday, with unofficial results showing they had elected popular opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to parliament in the process that ushered in a new era for the long-isolated ...

US PLANNING MORE GESTURES TO MYANMAR

AFP - ‎1 hour ago‎

WASHINGTON — The United States indicated Tuesday that it planned further reconciliation gestures with Myanmar in the near future after democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's party swept landmark elections. President Barack Obama's administration in 2009 ...

BRIEFLY WORLD: MYANMAR PRESIDENT SAYS POLLS SUCCESSFUL

Indian Express - ‎1 hour ago‎

PHNOM PENH: Myanmar President Thein Sein said Tuesday that landmark weekend by-elections swept by Aung San Suu Kyi's party were carried out successfully. “It was conducted in a very successful way,” the retired general told reporters during a summit of ...

MYANMAR HOUSE OF FEAR BECOMES HOUSE OF HOPE

msnbc.com (blog) - ‎1 hour ago‎

The headquarters of Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy political party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Yangoon, Myanmar was teeming with people coming and going on Tuesday. By Ian Williams, NBC News YANGON, Myanmar – A dilapidated three-story ...

SUU KYI JOINS RULING CIRCLES

Bangkok Post - ‎1 hour ago‎

The victory of Aung San Suu Kyi and other democrats in Sunday's Myanmar elections must be congratulated. After 22 years, the Myanmar regime has finally given Mrs Suu Kyi and her supporters the election they won in 1990. The euphoria is understandable.

MYANMAR PRESIDENT SAYS BY-ELECTIONS "VERY SUCCESSFUL"

Firstpost - ‎1 hour ago‎

by FP Staff 1 min ago PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – Myanmar President Thein Sein said on Tuesday that landmark weekend by-elections swept by Aung San Suu Kyi's party were carried out successfully, signalling acceptance of a result that will boost the ...

PRAISES FOR NEW BURMA LEADER'S SUCCESS

Sky News Australia - ‎1 hour ago‎

Praises for new Burma leader's success Updated: 04:41, Wednesday April 4, 2012 Burma's president says by-elections won by democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and her party were successful, issuing the first government endorsement of the historic polls.

WEST SET TO REWARD MYANMAR

Oman Daily Observer - ‎3 hours ago‎

By Daniel Rook - WESTERN powers are poised to loosen sanctions against Myanmar to bolster reformers, analysts said, following landmark elections which foreign governments have hailed as a step towards democracy. Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's ...

OBAMA 'SOON' TO PICK AMBASSADOR TO BURMA

Washington Post (blog) - ‎3 hours ago‎

By Al Kamen Aung San Suu Kyi, arriving at her party's headquarters in Rangoon on Monday. (Khin Maung Win - AP) Burmese democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi's huge electoral win last weekend is seen as an important step in thawing relations between ...

SUU KYI'S PARTY WINS 43 SEATS IN MYANMAR PARLIAMENT

Tehran Times - ‎4 hours ago‎

Democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi's party won almost all the seats it contested in Myanmar elections, becoming the main opposition force in the national parliament, official results showed Tuesday. The veteran dissident's National League for...

MYANMAR POLLS PILE PRESSURE ON PRESIDENT

IBNLive.com - ‎4 hours ago‎

Yangon: The many tea shops throughout Yangon were full of people engaged in lively discussions on Monday as they digested the implications of the victory of Aung San Suu Kyi and her party in a historic by-election at the weekend.

MYANMAR LEADER PRAISES ELECTIONS AS 'SUCCESSFUL'

Arab News - ‎4 hours ago‎

Myanmar's President Thein Sein arrives for the 20th ASEAN summit meeting at the Peace Palace in the Office of the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh April. (Reuters) By JIM GOMEZ | AP PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Myanmar's president said Tuesday that ...

PRESIDENT FELICITATES AUNG SAN SUU KYI ON LANDSLIDE VICTORY IN BYE ELECTIONS

Associated Press of Pakistan - ‎4 hours ago‎

ISLAMABAD, Apr 3 (APP) - President Asif Ali Zardari has felicitated Aung San Suu Kyi on landslide win in bye elections in Myanmar and described it as “triumph of democracy as well as victory for the forces of harmony and reconciliation over that of...

GOVERNMENT, DPP BOTH CONGRATULATE MYANMAR ON VOTE

Taipei Times - ‎4 hours ago‎

By Shih Hsiu-chuan and Chris Wang / Staff reporters The government yesterday congratulated Myanmar on conducting a peaceful and incident-free election, and expressed its wishes to increase exchanges and cooperation with the country.

READING WHILE EATING FOR APRIL 3: ART MEETS SCIENCE

TIME - ‎4 hours ago‎

By Megan Friedman | @megancarol | April 3, 2012 | + Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi makes her way trough the crowd as she arrives to the office of her National League for Democracy (NLD) in Yangon April 2, 2012.

MYANMAR PRESIDENT SAYS BY-ELECTIONS 'VERY SUCCESSFUL'

The Sun Daily - ‎4 hours ago‎

PHNOM PENH (April 3, 2012): Myanmar President Thein Sein said on Tuesday that landmark weekend by-elections swept by Aung San Suu Kyi's party were carried out successfully, signalling acceptance of a result that will boost the political clout of his ...

LIFTING SANCTIONS SEEN AS KEY TO MYANMAR REFORM

swissinfo.ch - ‎5 hours ago‎

Switzerland has eased sanctions on Myanmar's political rulers following elections in which pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi won a landslide victory. Bern announced on Tuesday that it had lifted a visa ban on President Thein Sein and 86 other ...

MYANMAR-LD SUUKYI 2 LAST

IBNLive.com - ‎5 hours ago‎

PTI | 08:04 PM,Apr 03,2012 Observers say the regime needs Suu Kyi in parliament Observers say the regime needs Suu Kyi in parliament to bolster the legitimacy of its political system and spur an easing of Western sanctions. President Thein Sein hailed ...

TOP MYANMAR OFFICIAL WELCOMES ELECTION RESULTS

The Hindu - ‎6 hours ago‎

On a day when the Myanmar president Thein Sein termed Sunday's by-elections “successful”, his key aide said the results reflected the people's desire for “change”, and welcomed the emergence of a strong opposition as good for democracy.

IS MYANMAR'S REFORM REAL?

The Atlantic - ‎6 hours ago‎

By Joshua Kurlantzick Recent elections in the long-time dictatorship went well, but the country has a long way to go. People in Yangon rally to hear election results announced. Reuters This week's by-elections in Myanmar, in which roughly one-tenth of ...

UPDATE 1-MYANMAR PRESIDENT SAYS BY-ELECTIONS "VERY SUCCESSFUL"

Chicago Tribune - ‎6 hours ago‎

* Suu Kyi party win extended to 43 of 45 house seats * President Thein Sein happy with ballot * EU, UN, ASEAN laud Myanmar for conduct of poll (Updates with complete election result, international reaction) By Prak and Chan Thul PHNOM PENH, ...

HAMISH MCDONALD

The Age - ‎6 hours ago‎

THE Burmese are a tranquil people, even on an election day clearly going to challenge the army generals who've ruled them for the past 50 years. So it was at the little wooden Buddhist prayer hall of No. 9 Ward in Rangoon's Mayangone district, ...

PRESIDENT'S HUGE GAMBLE WITH DEMOCRACY MUST PAY DIVIDENDS

Brisbane Times - ‎6 hours ago‎

The Burmese are a tranquil people, even on an election day that is clearly going to challenge the army generals who've ruled them for the past 50 years. So it was at the little wooden Buddhist prayer hall of No.9 Ward in Rangoon's Mayangone district,...

BUDS OF BURMA REFLECT FLOURISHING ASIA

The Australian - ‎6 hours ago‎

AT a press conference this week at her National League for Democracy headquarters in Rangoon, Aung San Suu Kyi told supporters that Burma's by-elections were a "triumph of the people" and the "beginning of a new era". These by-elections appear to be ...

ACTIVISTS WARY OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI VICTORY

The Australian - ‎6 hours ago‎

WHILE many in Burma are euphoric about the spectacular victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in Sunday's by-elections, the optimism of veteran activists Ko Ko Gyi and Min Ko Naing is firm but cautious.

MYANMAR PRESIDENT SAYS BY-ELECTIONS “SUCCESSFUL”

Independent Online - ‎6 hours ago‎

By Reuters A boy wearing the colours of the National League for Democracy on his head, waves during the visit of Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi at Sagaing. PHNOM PENH - Myanmar President Thein Sein said on Tuesday that landmark weekend ...

WHAT'S NEXT IN MYANMAR?

New York Times (blog) - ‎6 hours ago‎

By DANIEL POLITI It seemed unthinkable only a few months ago. On Sunday, people danced in the streets of Yangon, celebrating that Nobel Peace laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had won a seat in Myanmar's Parliament. Her party, the National League for ...

BURMESE PRESIDENT HAILS ELECTIONS

Irish Times - ‎7 hours ago‎

Burmese president Thein Sein said the elections had been conducted successfully. Photograph: Stephen Morrison/AFP/Getty Images Burmese president Thein Sein today said landmark weekend byelections swept by Aung San Suu Kyi's party were carried out ...

INDIA CONGRATULATES SUU KYI FOR THUMPING VICTORY

Zee News - ‎7 hours ago‎

New Delhi: India on Tuesday congratulated pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi for leading her National League for Democracy (NLD) to a thumping victory in Myanmar by-elections and said these polls represent a major milestone in its transition towards ...

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Hla Hla Htay - AFP
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News: Burma's Military Budget To Increase Significantly

DTN News: Burma's Military Budget To Increase Significantly *In 2009, Burma signed a contract with Russia for the purchase of 20 MiG-29 jet fighters at a cost of nearly US $570 million. Source: DTN News / Irrawaddy (NSI News Source Info) YANGON, Myanmar - June 5, 2010: At the four-monthly meeting of Burma's top generals held in Naypyidaw during the last week of May, the junta significantly increased its military budget from last year, according to sources close to the Burmese military. A military source told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that although the amount budgeted to the military is unavailable, it is known to be much larger than last year's military budget. “The money allocated to the military was budgeted under the heading 'Defense Budget', but there was no specific line items for separate expenses,” he said. The military source added, however, that it is generally believed that large military equipment purchases will be made within the next six months. In 2009, Burma signed a contract with Russia for the purchase of 20 MiG-29 jet fighters at a cost of nearly US $570 million. Analysts believe that many of Burma's future military purchases may come from North Korea. According to a report by UN experts obtained by The Associated Press last month, North Korea is exporting nuclear and ballistic missile technology and using multiple intermediaries, shell companies and overseas criminal networks to circumvent UN sanctions. The UN's seven-member panel monitoring the implementation of sanctions against North Korea said its research indicates that Pyongyang is involved in banned nuclear and ballistic activities in Iran, Syria and Burma. In November 2008, Gen Thura Shwe Mann, the regime’s No 3 ranking general, made a secret visit to North Korea and signed a memorandum of understanding, officially formalizing military cooperation between Burma and North Korea with his North Korean counterpart, Gen Kim Kyok-sik. During his trip to Pyongyang, Shwe Mann also visited sites of secret tunnel complexes built into the sides of mountains to store and shield jet aircraft, missiles, tanks and nuclear and chemical weapons. In addition, according to Burmese Maj Sai Thein Win, a former deputy commander of a top-secret military factory who defected and brought with him top secret documents and photographs about Burma's nuclear projects, secret underground bunkers and tunnels have been built at many locations in Burma. Sai Thein Win, who was trained in Burma as a defense engineer and later in Russia as a missile expert, said that about 10,000 Burmese officials have been sent to Russia thus far to study military technology, including nuclear technology. Sai Thein Win also said in a report that Burma is trying to build medium-range missiles such as SCUDs under a memorandum of understanding with North Korea. “Burma wants to have rockets and nuclear warheads. Burma wants to be a nuclear power,” Sai Thein Win said. One reason the regime is able to increase its military budget and import expensive military equipment and technology may be its expected increase in energy revenues. A study by the Washington-based United States Institute of Peace said that Burma's export earnings from the country's growing energy sector will double in the next five years, due mainly to oil and gas transit pipelines now being built from Burma to China. The Institute said the calculation is based on energy exports—mostly gas—accounting for at least 45 percent of the $6.6 billion earnings declared by Burmese interests in 2008. Burma's military regime is infamous for spending a large percentage of its national budget on the military, rather than on education, health and other public services. According to Burma military experts, 40 to 60 percent of the national budget is allocated to the military. In contrast, 0.4 percent of the national budget is spent on healthcare, while 0.5 percent is spent for education, according to a report released in 2007 by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a think-tank based in London. In other news regarding the four-monthly meeting, according to military sources there was no major military reshuffle in Naypyidaw.

DTN News: Burma's Military Junta Buys 230 Military Aircraft In 21 Years

DTN News: Burma's Military Junta Buys 230 Military Aircraft In 21 Years

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) BANGKOK, Thailand - December 26, 2009: With its recent purchase of 20 MiG-29 fighter jets, Burma's military junta has acquired a total of 230 military aircraft since seizing power in a bloody coup in 1988—nearly 100 more than the regime of former dictator Ne Win. In his book “Building the Tatmadaw,” Burmese military expert Maung Aung Myoe writes that the junta procured 210 aircraft for the Tatamdaw-Lay [air force] between 1988 and 2006, supplied by China, Poland, Russia and the former Yugoslavia. A Russian-made MiG-29 jet fighter takes off from Mingaladon Air Force Base in Rangoon in 2008. (Photo: Andy Davey)

By comparison, from 1962 to 1988—the 26-year period that Burma was ruled by Ne Win's Burmese Social Programme Party—the air force acquired 131 military aircraft. With the 20 MiG-29s it recently bought from Russia for US $570 million, Burma appears to be continuing its ongoing efforts to close the gap with its much better-equipped neighbors. In 2001, the regime purchased 12 MiG-29s after a border clash with Thailand in which the Thai military forced Burmese troops from border strongholds using US-made F-16 fighter jets. Thailand's air force currently has an estimated 315 aircraft, including 184 combat aircraft. It has also ordered more advanced 12 JAS 39 Gripen aircraft from Sweden. Another Southeast Asian nation, Vietnam, recently signed a billion-dollar deal with Russia for the purchase of Sukhoi Su-30MK2s and a submarine. Bangladesh, a neighbor that has tension with Burma over a territorial dispute in the Bay of Bengal, is estimated to have more than 200 military aircraft, including MiG-29 SEs. Burma's latest batch of MiG-29s from Russia were purchased after the regime rejected an offer of a special price on J-10 fighter jets from its close ally, China. Lt-Gen Myat Hein, commander in chief of Burma's air force, (left) meets Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing on November 6, 2009.

According to Burmese military sources, the commander in chief of Burma’s air force, Lt-Gen Myat Hein, traveled to China in November to discuss upgrades of Chinese-made military aircraft already owned by Burma and to look into the possibility of making future purchases. However, the junta finally decided to buy the Russian planes, despite concerns about their reliability after frequent reports of MiG-29s being grounded in Russia and other countries. A fourth-generation military aircraft, the MiG-29 was first produced in the Soviet Union in 1983. The cost of the jets was also no deterrent, despite the fact that Burma remains one of the world's poorest countries. Around a third of the country's population live under the international poverty line, earning less than a dollar a day, according to UN figures. But even with its ruling generals sparing no expense in their pursuit of a more powerful air force, Burma is likely to remain behind its neighbors. “Compared with the air forces of neighboring countries, particularly Thailand’s, the Tatmadaw-Lay’s air power is relatively low,” wrote Maung Aung Myoe in his book. “Although it has acquired advanced aircraft such as the MiG-29, it has problems with operational capability, in addition to lacking qualified pilots.”

DTN News: Guinea's Military Junta Imports Arms Despite Embargo

DTN News: Guinea's Military Junta Imports Arms Despite Embargo • Sanctions were imposed after stadium massacre • President fearful of fresh coup, say military sources *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) CONAKRY, Guinea - November 4, 2009: Guinea's military junta has imported millions of dollars worth of weapons in recent weeks, despite international sanctions imposed on the country after members of the presidential guard massacred at least 160 people at an opposition rally in September. Light arms worth $45m (£27m) were flown into the country on 23 October in defiance of the embargo, according to local and diplomatic sources in the capital, Conakry. Soldiers on patrol in Conakry, where tensions remain high after at least 160 people were killed in September during a political rally. Sources suggest the weapons were bought in Ukraine by the defence minister, Sékouba Konaté, during a recent private visit, and their arrival was supervised by a specially hired group of South African security advisers. The South African newspaper Beeld alleges that as many as 50 mercenaries could be in Guinea working for the government and the president, Captain Moussa "Dadis" Camarra, who seized power after a coup last December. The atmosphere in Conakry is increasingly tense. Last week a city-wide strike was called. Most shops and banks closed to mark one month since the violent suppression of an anti-government rally at the national football stadium. Local human rights workers believe scores were killed when government soldiers, led by members of the presidential guard, opened fire on pro-democracy demonstrators at a stadium on 28 September. Dozens of women were raped in a co-ordinated attack by the military, which prompted international outrage. A series of sanctions followed, including a freeze on assets and travel bans against the leaders of the junta. Dadis disputes the number of dead, blaming rogue military elements for the violence, which he claims was provoked by the opposition. But he now appears to be an isolated figure, cancelling his weekly television appearances and refusing requests for media interviews. This may in part be due to a recent intimate profile by the French television channel France 24, in which Dadis was filmed in his pyjamas in the presidential bed. He shows the reporter his preferred bedtime reading, a book entitled The Power of Positive Thinking. French media have since been ejected from the country. Dadis is now rarely seen on the streets. Sources in the military say he is becoming fearful of a counter-coup from within his own military. He is not alone. The chief of presidential security, Claude Pivi, who is believed to have personally supervised the September attack, now drives through town escorted by no fewer than seven battle wagons with anti-aircraft guns strapped to the back. In the 50 years since it won independence from France, Guinea has never known a freely elected government. Analysts say the main fear of the junta is not unrest among the public, but a split within the military. To shore up support, Dadis has begun recruiting militia units from among his own Forestier ethnic group in the east of the country. He has promoted fellow Forestiers to senior positions in preference to those from other tribes. The international political pressure is also testing nerves. Dadis has pledged to allow a team of UN investigators into the country, saying those responsible for the September massacre will face punishment. Some officers are said to fear that they will be made scapegoats. "The army is deeply divided," said Corinne Dufka, of Human Rights Watch. "Members of other tribal groupings within the military feel marginalised and many soldiers have personally told me they are horrified by the massacre, which they say was the work of a small minority." Members of the opposition coalition meanwhile continue to face the threat of arrest and violent assault. While leaders of the Forces Vives have agreed to participate in West African-led negotiations with the military junta, many still operate either from abroad or in hiding. Britain, the US and France, as well as west African nations, are calling on Dadis to stand down. Presidential elections are due to be held in January. Dadis has so far refused to honour his pledge not to run. The fear is that further conflict in Guinea could again spill over into neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone, which have only recently emerged from years of violent conflict. There are unconfirmed reports of former Liberian combatants joining Dadis's militias. Mouctar Diallo, one of the leading opposition leaders, called on the foreign powers to rescue the country from Dadis. "We are asking the international community to help us to dismantle his ethnic militias," he said. "The people of Guinea are in danger. We have the right and a duty to demand a humanitarian intervention."

DTN News: Myanmar TODAY August 30, 2009 ~ Rebel Leader Says 30 Myanmar Troops Killed

DTN News: Myanmar TODAY August 30, 2009 ~ Rebel Leader Says 30 Myanmar Troops Killed

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - August 30, 2009: Fresh fighting broke out Saturday in Myanmar's northeast between the junta and rebel ethnic forces, whose leader declared they had killed more than 30 government soldiers, Chinese state media said. Thai soldiers patrol as Karen refugees, fled from the fighting inside Myanmar, walk along the road at the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Salid, Thailand. Over 4,000 Karen refugees have fled into Thailand to escape heavy fighting between Myanmar soldiers and the Karen guerrillas. The clashes in Myanmar's remote northeast have driven up to 30,000 refugees across the border in recent weeks, the UN has said, causing China to issue a rare admonishment to its neighbour and ally to resolve the conflict. The Global Times website quoted ethnic Kokang army leader Peng Jiasheng as saying in an interview that his forces had killed more than 30 junta troops and captured another 50. It said he refused to give his location. The Washington-based US Campaign for Burma (USCB), which uses Myanmar's former name, also said around 30 junta soldiers had been killed with another 40 injured and 20 missing, citing local sources and ethnic media. Battles that erupted this week in Kokang, a mainly ethnic Chinese region of Myanmar's Shan state, have violated a 20-year ceasefire and analysts have warned the fighting could escalate into full-scale civil war. The USCB said around 7,000 junta troops were in the region late Friday, where they had had at least eight military encounters with rebel groups over two days. A bomb was also thrown across the border Friday killing one and injuring several others in a mountainous region of China's southern Yunnan province, reported state-run China Daily, quoting a Chinese Red Cross official. Refugees were still crossing the border Saturday, said Khuensai Jaiyen, editor of the Shan Herald Agency for News. "It's not like the other day, we're not hearing of too many but they are still crossing," he told AFP. Only sketchy details of the fresh fighting in Myanmar emerged, but China's Global Times said one of its correspondents in the area witnessed "fierce" gunfire between the Kokang ethnic army and government forces on Saturday. The state newspaper said Chinese border guards had been put on alert to prevent the conflict spreading to China. A resident of China's Zhenkang county on the border, who gave only his surname Xie, told AFP he heard gunfire in the distance early Saturday. "It was pretty loud. Everybody could hear it. I heard it for about an hour," he said. A statement from the Chinese foreign ministry on Friday said it "hopes that Myanmar can appropriately solve its relevant internal problems and safeguard the stability of the China-Myanmar border". It also urged its neighbour "to protect the safety and legal rights of Chinese citizens in Myanmar". China is one of the few allies of Myanmar's isolated junta, its main source of military hardware and a major consumer of its vast natural resources, despite Western concerns over the military-ruled nation's rights record. Refugees who had crossed to the border town of Nansan were being housed in tents or other makeshift shelters and authorities were providing them blankets, medical care and other necessities, Chinese state media reports said. The Global Times said Chinese border defence troops detained a group of unidentified armed Myanmar nationals as they attempted to cross the border at Nansan. It gave no other details. China's state-run press has otherwise provided only scant coverage of the situation, a sensitive issue for Beijing due to its long-time support of Myanmar's military government. Win Min, a Thailand-based Myanmar analyst and academic, said tensions had grown in Myanmar because the junta was trying to exert control ahead of the elections in 2010. He said the army wanted to bring ethnic groups under its command as border guard forces, but many of them, seeking greater autonomy from the junta, were reluctant. "The Burmese military are showing ceasefire groups that if they don't agree with their plans they are going to fight," he said.