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| Southeast Asia |
| 2,000 flee Myanmar fighting |
| 2009-06-09 |
| [Straits Times] MORE than 2,000 Myanmar villagers have fled across the border into Thailand amid fierce clashes between ethnic Karen rebels and government soldiers, the Thai military and rights groups said on Monday. The ruling junta has been battling Karen National Union (KNU) rebels in the eastern regions for decades but the exodus into neighbouring Thailand is one of the biggest for years. 'Fighting erupted during the weekend and caused around 2,000 people to cross into the kingdom,' deputy Thai army spokesman Colonel Sirichan Ngathong told AFP. She added that another 400 Karen had entered Thailand's western province of Tak from Myanmar since the start of June. The Thailand-based Free Burma Rangers aid group said that villagers began fleeing after Myanmar forces shelled a camp where KNU guerrillas are based on Saturday. It put the number of people who had fled Ler Per Her camp in Myanmar - formally called Burma - to escape the violence at 3,295, mostly women and children. Hundreds of soldiers had surrounded the camp, it added in a statement. 'Those in the camp had already fled attacks from the Burma Army in eastern Karen state numerous times and had established homes there, which now have to be abandoned,' it said. The group said that those who had fled across the border were in 'urgent need of shelter, medical assistance, food and clothing'. The Thai army's Ms Sirichan said that the clashes themselves had not spilled over the border. 'So far the fighting had not affected Thailand. If there is fighting near the border then troops will be moved closer on alert,' she said. Tens of thousands of refugees live along Thailand's border with Myanmar, most of who have fled army crackdowns. Rights groups including Amnesty International have accused Myanmar's military regime of committing crimes against humanity by targeting civilians during its offensive against ethnic rebels. |
| Posted by:Fred |