Three Burmese soldiers rebelled in central Burma

DVB (August 22,2003)

Three soldiers who fled from Infantry Battalion [IB] - 88 in Minbu as a result of rebellion have taken refugee on an island in the River Irrawaddy between Minbu and Magwe.

According to the local people from Minbu, the soldiers fired army boats of IB-88 which attempted to approach the island.

“Yesterday, they were shooting at each other but today I haven’t heard a single shot,” said a local resident from Minbu.

As a result, one child and an adult who were watching the drama were wounded.

To capture the three soldiers, soldiers from IB – 88 of Minbu, IB – 10 of Saku and Brigade – 88 of Magwe have surrounded the island. The army also hired an experienced diver and ten swimmers to search around the island. Meanwhile, hundreds of kamikaze soldiers searched on land.

But even one of them was a sergeant who is known to be a sniper with many fighting experiences also found it difficult to locate the three soldiers because the island is full of thick reeds and swamps, according to local people.

The problem started on14 August when the three soldiers stole one thanakha (sandalwood) tree from a thanakha farm owned by IB – 88. One of them was arrested and was badly tortured in an army detention centre.

Then, they interrogated him to reveal the names of other soldiers. The sergeant and soldier who escaped rescued and smuggled the imprisoned soldier and fled with 3 G-3 assault rifles and more than 400 rounds of bullets.

According to the local people, the three soldiers were discovered while they tried to hide some guns and ammunitions at their parents’ houses in Minbu.