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BURMA/REFUGEES
DATE=11/19/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-222904
TITLE=THAI-BURMA REFUGEES (L ONLY)
BYLINE=GARY THOMAS
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS AND DIPLOMATIC
OFFICIALS ARE INVESTIGATING THE FORCED REPATRIATION BACK TO
BURMA, OF SOME ONE-THOUSAND ETHNIC KAREN REFUGEES. AS VOA
CORRESPONDENT GARY THOMAS REPORTS FROM BANGKOK, THERE ARE
ALLEGATIONS THAT THAI TROOPS KILLED SIX OF THE REFUGEES.
TEXT: WESTERN DIPLOMATIC SOURCES, WHO ASKED NOT TO BE NAMED, SAY
SOME ONE-THOUSAND ETHNIC KAREN FROM BURMA WERE FORCIBLY EVICTED
FROM THEIR BORDER SETTLEMENT SATURDAY, BY THAI SECURITY FORCES.
SIX PEOPLE ARE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE OPERATION,
FOUR OF THEM ALLEGEDLY EXECUTED BY THAI TROOPS.
DIPLOMATIC SOURCES SAY THEY HAVE CONFIRMED THE INCIDENT, WHICH
REPORTEDLY TOOK PLACE IN TAK PROVINCE, AND THAT THERE WERE
CASUALTIES. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE NOT YET INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED
WHETHER ANY OF THE REFUGEES WERE EXECUTED.
A BANGKOK NEWSPAPER QUOTES THE COMMANDER OF THE FOURTH INFANTRY
TASK FORCE AS DENYING THAT ANY SUCH ATTACK TOOK PLACE. THE
OFFICER IS QUOTED AS SAYING TWO PEOPLE WERE INJURED BY THAI
TROOPS WHEN THEY SNUCK OUT OF A REFUGEE CAMP AFTER CURFEW.
STAFF OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
TRAVELLED TO THE AREA WEDNESDAY FOR AN INVESTIGATION.
ACCORDING TO DIPLOMATIC SOURCES, LOCAL THAI SECURITY FORCES
SWOOPED IN EARLY IN THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 15TH TO DISLODGE THE
KAREN FROM THEIR MAKESHIFT SETTLEMENT AT THAY PU LAW SU, A SITE
NEAR THE BURMESE BORDER AND WEST OF THE THAI TOWN OF UMPHANG.
THE TROOPS WERE TRYING TO MOVE THEM TO ANOTHER LOCATION.
THE KAREN HAD BEEN SETTLED THERE FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS TO ESCAPE
FORCED RELOCATION BY BURMESE TROOPS. HOWEVER, THAILAND DOES NOT
CONSIDER THEM REFUGEES, SINCE THEY WERE NOT FLEEING FROM
FIGHTING.
THE DIPLOMATIC SOURCES SAY THE THAI TROOPS OPENED UP WITH
AUTOMATIC WEAPONS AND GRENADE LAUNCHERS TO GET THE REFUGEES
MOVING. THEY SAY THE SOLDIERS STARTED BEATING THE REFUGEES AND
BURNED THEIR SHELTERS. REPORTS SAY ONE ADULT WAS KILLED AND THAT
A BABY, WHO WAS DROPPED BY HIS MOTHER IN THE PANIC, DIED.
KAREN SOURCES ALLEGE FOUR OF THE REFUGEES WERE TIED UP AND BEATEN
BY THE THAI SOLDIERS AND THAT THREE WERE THEN SHOT. THE FOURTH,
THEY SAY, WAS TOLD TO LEAVE AND SHOT DEAD AS HE DID SO. BUT THIS
PORTION OF THE INCIDENT HAS NOT BEEN INDEPENDENTLY CONFIRMED.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REST OF THE KAREN IS NOT CLEAR. OFFICIALS
SAY THEY DO NOT YET KNOW IF THEY ARE STILL IN THAILAND OR IF THEY
WERE FORCED BACK INTO BURMA. ONE WESTERN OFFICIAL EXPRESSED
CONCERN THAT, AS HE PUT IT, THE TRAIL WILL BE COLD BY THE TIME
INVESTIGATORS ARE ALLOWED INTO THE AREA TO PROBE THE MATTER.
WESTERN DIPLOMATS, WHILE DECRYING THE REPORTED INCIDENT, SAY THEY
ARE CONVINCED THAT THE ORDER TO MOVE THE KAREN DID NOT COME FROM
BANGKOK, BUT WAS GIVEN AT A LOWER LEVEL.
SOME 100-THOUSAND ETHNIC KAREN HAVE TAKEN REFUGE IN THAILAND,
MOST OF THEM FLEEING THE BURMESE MILITARY'S CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE
KAREN NATIONAL UNION, WHICH HAS BEEN FIGHTING FOR AUTONOMY FROM
RANGOON SINCE 1948. KAREN REFUGEE OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE BEEN
WELL TREATED BY BOTH THAI MILITARY OFFICIALS AND LOCAL RESIDENTS.
(SIGNED)
NEB/GPT/FC
19-Nov-97 6:12 AM EST (1112 UTC)