10 / 11 / 2010
Military-backed party claims overwhelming victory in Burma poll. The Independent
Burma's main military-backed party yesterday claimed an overwhelming victory in the country's contentious election, as refugees were forced to flee clashes between rebels and government soldiers near the Thai border returned home. The fighting has pushed around 20,000 refugees across the border to Thailand since it started on Sunday, when Burma held its first national elections for 20 years. Ethnic Karen fighters, who have been battling the government since the country won independence from Britain in 1948, boycotted the election and are resisting attempts to turn them into a border guard force. Government troops cleared the rebels from the eastern town of Myawaddy yesterday and told refugees it was safe to return.
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