THOUSANDS FLEE CLASHES

YANGON: Thousands of people fled heavy fighting on Myanmar’s northern border with China overnight, activists said yesterday, as the government blocked UN special rapporteur Yanghee Lee from visiting the area. Clashes between the army and ethnic minority militias in Myanmar’s borderlands have intensified in recent months, undercutting Aung San Suu Kyi’s vow to bring peace to the country. Dozens have been killed and thousands displaced since fighting erupted between the army and the Kachin Independence Army in November. – AFP