More than ten thousand refugees fled election-related violence in Burma into neighbouring Thailand after the junta's troops clashed with rebels at several key flashpoints along the border.

The most serious fighting between Burmese troops and rebels from the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) in the border town of Myawaddy left at least three dead and 11 injured, the result of tensions that flared during Sunday's widely-condemned elections.

Elements from the DKBA shelled the town with heavy weapons after Burmese troops moved in to clear rebels who had taken over government buildings during Sunday's poll to protect voters from military intimidation.

Gunfire and mortar blasts went on sporadically for most of the day in Myawaddy sending the thousands of refugees scurrying across the frontier river Moei to the Thai town of Mae Sot.

Further south at the Three Pagodas Pass border crossing there were reports of exchanges of fire that went on for an hour, though there was no word of any casualties in the fighting.

The violence was in stark contrast to the poll on Sunday – the first election in 20 years in the military-run country – which passed off quietly and the turnout was reportedly low, a reflection of the feeling that the result was a foregone conclusion.

Early official results showed successes for pro-junta parties, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the National Unity Party (NUP), though authorities have yet to release the number among the eligible 29 million voters who bothered to cast their ballot.

Detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), was banned from taking part. It called for a boycott and claimed success with reports that turnout was as low as 35 per cent.

telegraph.co.uk

Well of course the election results could have been predicted. And of course it wasn't fair.

This is Burma, one of the most corrupt countries in the world.