3 Policemen Beheaded in Burma Riots : Death Toll Reaches 78 as 30 Protesters Are Gunned Down

Burma erupted in murderous rioting today as demonstrators beheaded three policemen and troops in the capital opened fire on anti-government protesters, killing more than 30 people, Radio Rangoon said.

The Burmese government-owned radio also said a mob attacked a police station in Moulmein in southern Burma, killing one officer.

Although Western diplomats believe the death toll is much higher, Burma has reported 78 deaths, about 160 people wounded and more than 1,500 arrests in three days of protests against the authoritarian government of President Sein Lwin.

Crowds Fired On

Radio Rangoon, monitored in Bangkok, said security forces fired 15 times to disperse crowds in Rangoon. It said 33 people were killed, 59 were wounded and 113 were arrested for “violence and looting.”

The radio said three policemen were beheaded and another member of the security forces and a civilian were killed in outlying areas of the capital.

It said another officer was taken away by a mob outside the capital.

In Moulmein, on the southern coast, demonstrators seized guns from police firing to disperse them, marched to the police station and fatally shot one policeman, the radio said.

Buses Burned

It said rioters set fire to buses, police stations and government family quarters, destroyed railway lines and burned other buildings in and around Rangoon.

Japan’s Kyodo News Agency said more than 100 people were killed and nearly 1,000 wounded today when troops fired machine guns and automatic weapons at the protesters in Rangoon.

Diplomats in Rangoon and Bangkok, speaking on condition of anonymity, said up to 200 may have been killed in three days of protests but that access to reliable information has been difficult.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Ben Justesen said the department had “no hard information on casualty numbers, but they appear to be substantial.”

No Tourist Visas

Burmese embassies around the world stopped issuing tourist visas this week and have been expelling some visitors before the expiration of their seven-day visas.

“They’re flushing everyone from the country,” said one British tourist returning to Bangkok. Other travelers said they were interrogated and jailed, and several appeared near shock.

A curfew was imposed in the capital Tuesday and gatherings of more than five people were banned.

“The government hasn’t gotten control of the situation yet,” said a Bangkok-based diplomat monitoring developments in Burma.

The demonstrations--the largest public protests since a military coup in 1962--began last month shortly after Sein Lwin became both president of the country and chairman of its sole political party.

Sein Lwin has been accused by students and other demonstrators of ruthless suppression of dissent. He replaced Ne Win, who resigned after ruling Burma for 26 years and imposing isolationist economic policies.