14 ethnic Mon rebels were killed last month by an ethnic Karen rebel group in Southern Mon State, Burma, said the top leader of the Mon rebel group today. Initial speculation indicates an arms conflict may have been behind the killings.

14 Mon guerrillas of Honsawatoi Restoration Party, or HRP, were killed on March 20 by soldiers from the Karen National Union, or KNU, near Minhla village, about 10 miles northeast of Ye town, Nai Pan Nyunt, chairman of the HRP, told The Irrawaddy on phone this afternoon.

The rebels, including at least one senior member, were on route to a KNU military position controlled by the Six Brigade in order to buy arms, the Mon leader said. They were carrying 8 million kyat (about US $ 10,000), said Nai Pan Nyunt, who is currently based in Southern Mon State, near the Thai border.

The HRP, a splinter group of a few hundred rebels, broke away from the New Mon State Party in November 2001. The New Mon State Party entered into a ceasefire with the military junta on June 29, 1995.

"I feel so sorry about the killing and the incident should not have happened between our ethnic groups," Nai Pan Nyunt said. "It is bad for the KNU’s image."

Padoh Mahn Sha, secretary general of the KNU, has not confirmed the killing. He is yet to receive any information from the Minhla area concerning the killings and is still investigating the incident.

Mahn Sha said clashes between the two groups may occur since the HRP has been known to commit robbery’s in Karen villages.