Monday, October 1, 2007
The bodies of hundreds of executed monks have been dumped in the jungle in Burma and thousands of protesters are dead, a former intelligence officer for Burma's ruling junta has claimed.
Speaking from his border hideout last night Hla Win said: "Many more people have been killed in recent days than you've heard about. The bodies can be counted in several thousand."
Mr Win, the most senior official to defect so far, said he fled when he was ordered to take part in a massacre of holy men. He is hoping to cross into Thailand and seek asylum at the Norwegian Embassy.
The 42-year-old, who is ex chief of military intelligence in Rangoon's northern region, said: "I decided to desert when I was ordered to raid two monasteries and force several hundred monks onto trucks.
"They were to be killed and their bodies dumped deep inside the jungle. I refused to participate in this."
He made his escape with his teenage son from Rangoon, leaving behind his wife and two other sons.
The claims are reported by the exiled Burmese blogger Soneseayar.
Reports from exiles along the frontier claimed that hundreds of monks had simply "disappeared" as 20,000 troops swarmed around Rangoon yesterday to prevent further demonstrations by religious groups and civilians.
Reports reaching dissidents hiding out on the border also suggested some 2,000 monks are being held in prison or in university rooms which have been turned into cells. It was claimed that many were savagely beaten at a sports ground on the outskirts of Rangoon, where they were heard crying for help. Others who had failed to escape disguised as civilians were locked in their bloodstained temples.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Gambari, the United Nations special envoy, was in Burma today seeking meetings with the ruling military junta in attempts to halt violence against monks and pro-democracy activists.
Heavily-armed troops and police flooded the streets of Rangoon during Mr Ibrahim's visit at the weekend to prevent new protests.
He is yet to meet senior general Than Shwe or his deputy Maung Aye. The meeting is now expected tomorrow.
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=68276&in_page_id=34&ito=newsnow
