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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 9 april 2024
Ethnic guerrillas in Myanmar look set to seize an important town on

the Thai border from military

By GRANT PECK Myanmar plane made an
Associated Press unscheduled flight to Mae
BANGKOK (AP) — Guer- Sot from Yangon, Myan-
rilla fighters from Myan- mar’s biggest city. Thai
mar’s Karen ethnic minor- media reported that the
ity claimed Monday to be plane had received per-
close to seizing control of mission from Thai authori-
a major trading town bor- ties to evacuate people
dering Thailand, as soldiers fleeing Myawaddy. It was
and civil servants loyal to not clear if those fleeing,
the military government described as military and
appeared to be preparing civil servants loyal to Myan-
to abandon their positions. mar’s military government,
The occupation of My- had already crossed into
awaddy town by the Karen Thailand over the river that
National Liberation Army, marks the border.
the armed wing of the Thailand’s Foreign Minis-
Karen National Union, or try on Monday confirmed
KNU, appeared imminent that approval was given for
as the guerrillas seized or three flights on a Yangon-
besieged strategic army Mae Sot route to transport
outposts on the town’s out- passengers and cargo,
skirts, a spokesperson and one each day on Sunday
members of the KNU said Members of the Karen National Liberation Army and People’s Defense Force examine two arrested through Tuesday. Myan-
Monday.Myawaddy, in soldiers after they captured an army outpost, in the southern part of Myawaddy township in Kayin mar’s government later
Kayin state, is Myanmar’s state, Myanmar, March 11, 2024. canceled its requests for
most active trading post Associated Press the remaining two flights.
with Thailand, and its fall crossings, in Rakhine state Suu Kyi in February 2021 the fighting outside since The Thai government was
would be the latest in a in the west, and is under and suppressed wide- Sunday afternoon. They closely monitoring the situa-
series of shock defeats suf- growing attack elsewhere. spread nonviolent protests said most residents were tion along the border, and
fered by the army since last The military government un- that sought a return to working as usual, while oth- is ready to take all neces-
October, when an alliance der Senior Gen. Min Aung democratic rule. ers were preparing to flee sary measures to maintain
of three other ethnic rebel Hlaing has acknowledged Three residents of Myawad- to Mae Sot, just across the peace and order, and to
groups launched an offen- it is under pressure, and dy town, who spoke on the border in Thailand. Two of keep the people along the
sive in the country’s north- recently introduced con- condition of anonymity them said they had not border safe, the Thai minis-
east. Over the past five scription to boost its ranks. because they fear being seen any members of the try said. In times of fighting
months, the army has been The nationwide conflict in arrested by either warring government’s security forc- along the frontier, Thailand
routed in northern Shan Myanmar began after the side, told The Associated es since Sunday. has generally granted tem-
state, where it conceded army ousted the elected Press by phone that they The situation was highlight- porary shelter to Myanmar
control of several border government of Aung San had heard no sounds of ed Sunday night when a villagers. q

Haiti police recover hijacked cargo ship in rare victory after

5-hour shootout with gangs

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Police said in the statement gang used a front loader infrastructure. They have airport that remains closed
— Haiti’s National Police Sunday that those respon- to demolish a police station burned down multiple po- and stormed Haiti’s two
agency says that it has re- sible for the hijacking were in the Port-au-Prince suburb lice stations, opened fire biggest prisons, releasing
covered a hijacked cargo members of two gangs, of Canaan where at least on the main international more than 4,000 inmates.q
ship laden with rice follow- named the 5 Seconds and four police officers were
ing a gunbattle with gangs the Taliban gang. They said killed in a recent attack.
that lasted more than five gunmen seized the trans- The station was no longer
hours. port ship Magalie on Thurs- operational.
Two police officers were in- day as it departed the port Gang violence continued
jured and an undetermined of Varreux. on Monday, with police
number of gang members Radio Télé Métronome re- using megaphones to or-
were killed in the shootout ported that the gangs kid- der the evacuation of the
that occurred Saturday off napped everyone aboard Champ de Mars area near
the coast of the capital, the ship and stole some the National Palace in
Port-au-Prince, authorities 10,000 sacks of rice out of downtown Port-au-Prince
said in a statement. the 60,000 sacks it was car- as heavy gunfire erupted
It was a rare victory for an rying. The ship was headed nearby.
underfunded police de- to the northern coastal city The most recent gunbattle
partment that has strug- of Cap-Haitien. between police and gangs
gled to quell gang violence Also on Sunday, online comes more than a month
following a spate of attacks news site Radio graphie after gunmen began tar- A National Police officer patrols an intersection in Port-au-Prince,
Haiti, Saturday, April 6, 2024.
that began Feb. 29. reported that the Taliban geting key government Associated Press