The three civilians were killed when elements from the rebel Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) shelled the town of Myawaddy, on the border with Thailand, with heavy weapons during fighting with the army.
The fighting sent more than 7,000 Burmese fleeing across the river that marks the border to the Thai town of Mae Sot on the opposite bank. A Thai military spokesman said at least one rocket-propelled grenade landed in the bustling trading town.
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.
The NLD won the last election in 1990 by a landslide but the military regime- which has ruled for 48 years and now led by Senior General Than Shwe – simply ignored the results.
This time it took no chances. Campaigning was highly restricted, there were widespread reports of voting irregularities and intimidation of the electorate to ensure votes were cast in favour of pro-junta parties.
The threats against voters had prompted renegade soldiers of the pro-junta DKBA to take over government offices in the town of Myawaddy in an effort to protect the voters.
The breakaway DKBA group said that the army had threatened to shoot people who did not vote, forcing them to intervene on the side of the electorate. A Japanese journalist, working for the APF news agency, was also arrested in the town on Sunday when he slipped across the river.
Reports from Mae Sot said that about 300 DKBA troops clashed with Burmese soldiers in Myawaddy on Monday despite negotiations that allowed the rebels to withdraw.
They found their routes out of Myawaddy blocked by army trucks and clashes erupted, though the fighting was contained in the town where residents who were not able to flee were ordered to remain indoors.
