China: Myanmar refugees returning home

KUNMING, China, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Myanmar residents living near the Chinese border began to return home Sunday as fighting eased between Myanmar troops and Kokang militants, authorities said.

The residents fled into China's Yunnan Province when fighting erupted Thursday between Myanmar soldiers and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Xinhua, China's state-run news agency reported Sunday.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, apologized for Chinese casualties and thanked China for offering refugees food, medical treatment and shelter, Xinhua reported.

Xinhua did not say how many Chinese were killed or how many Myanmar residents fled to China.

Chinese officials Friday urged Myanmar to resolve its dispute with the Alliance Army and safeguard the stability of the border, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said.

As part of a 1989 agreement, Myanmar allowed the Alliance Army to retain weapons and practice self-governance in the Kokang region, which has about 150,000 residents, Xinhua reported.