§ Mr. A. BEVANasked the Secretary of State for India if he will inform the House as to the present situation in regard to the disturbances in Burma?
§ Sir S. HOAREThe following statement covers the events of the past week.
The general improvement in the situation continues. On 20th November, a military police party in the Pegu District met a gang of rebels between 20 and 30 strong, and killed the leader, wounded several others and recovered four guns and over 100 rounds of ammunition. The leader, who was not known at the time, has since been identified as Myat Aung, the right hand man of Saya San, whom he succeeded in the Tharrawaddy District. Karen irregulars in another part of the Pegu District met another gang of rebels under Tun Myat, killed two, wounded one and recovered two elephants which were 775W being used by rebels. Elsewhere patrols have operated as usual. During the week 159 rebels were released from custody, and the number remaining is 884. One irregular police and one village headman were reported killed. Saya San was executed on 28th November. There has been no rain, and as it is now too late for rain to do any good, the crop over most of Lower Burma will probably be light. The price of paddy in Rangoon remained fairly steady. The numbers on relief works increased in the Myingyan and Sagaing Districts, but decreased elsewhere, the total being over 17,000.