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REFUGEES PROTEST THAI FORCED RELOCA



Media Release
Date: February 12, 1998

                                    
                 REFUGEES PROTEST THAI FORCED RELOCATION


Mae Hong Son Province: About 100 people -today staged a rally at
Mae Yae Hta refugee camp to protest against the Thai government's
plan to move four refugee camps. The people from Mae Yae Hta
camp, some 88 kilometres from the Maesariang district town, which
is one of those affected, held placards, posters at the roadside
outside the camp.

The four camps in Mae Hong Son province, Mae Yae Hta, Klopa, Uda
Hta and Mae Sa Kup are scheduled to be merged to another refugee
camp in Mae Ra Mu, about 200 km away.

The people from the camp are opposing the move for security
reasons, because Mae Ra Mu was previously attacked by troops from
Burma's Slorc and the Slorc-sponsored Democratic Karen Buddhist
Army (DKBA).

The planned move will involve relocating 10,321 people to the new
site which already houses 4,885 people. Refugee sources are
extremely worried at the prospect of increasing the camp
population by over 200% in an area which is smaller and hillier
than the current site.

The Thai authorities planned the relocation to curb illegal
logging in the area and will only allow aid agencies to deliver
assistance at Mae Ra Mu. The protesters do not want to move to
the new site and are asking to be allowed to stay and receive
assistance in the current location. They have pledged to
cooperate with the authorities to preserve the Salween national
park.

The protesters carried placards which read: "We do not want to
move to the new site and we want to continue to stay at the
current site following the Thailand's law", "We also against the
drug trafficking and illegal logging" and "We will immediately
return to our motherland when the genuine democracy was restored
in Burma".

Meanwhile, 40 trucks arrived at the scene to move 80 families
from Mae Yae Hta camp in the first stage of the relocation. The
authorities warned that if the refugees refused to move by the
deadline of noon today, they will be forced to move or will be
deported to Burma. Thai soldiers took the posters down in the
refugee camp. There are a number of people from the international
media closely watching the situation which is becoming
increasingly tense.


For more information, please contact 01-654-4984.