WorldThousands were fleeing a Myanmar town bordering China on Tuesday after at least 30 people were killed in fighting between the army and ethnic rebels as Beijing called for an immediate ceasefire between the two sides. The fighting has also raised fears of a repeat of 2015, when the displaced flooded across the border into China, raising tensions with Beijing. An army source requesting anonymity told AFP that “about 7,000 local residents are fleeing to the China side because of fighting”. “Almost all residents from Laukkai town are fleeing,” said Brigadier General Nyo Tun Aung from the Arakan Army (AA), estimating that thousands had left. Many rebel groups in the border region share close cultural ties with China, speaking Chinese dialects and using the country's yuan currency.

Source: Sunday Times March 07, 2017 11:45 UTC