THE NATION: Thailand admits blame f

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Thailand admits blame for attack on Karen refugees

posted at 14:58 hrs (Bangkok time) 

MAE SOT, Thailand, March 20 -- Thai authorities admitted Friday that a lapse in security had led
to a cross border attack on a Karen refugee camp by Myanmar-backed forces last week that left
four dead and more than 30 injured. 

''We accept we were inactive,'' National Security Council (NSC) secretary general General
Boonsak Kamheangridirong told reporters as western ambassadors toured the scorched remains of
Huay Kalok camp just north of here. 

''I accept that it (security) should have been stronger, particularly in our intelligence gathering,'' he
added. 

Refugee leaders say that some 100 or more troops of an ethnic Karen splinter-group, the
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), along with Myanmar (Burmese) government troops
ventured unopposed into Thailand and torched the camp destroying some 1,000 dwellings. 

The governor of Thailand's northern Tak province, Pongpayom Vasaputi, told ambassadors that the
authorities had heard two or three hours before the attack that intruders were planning to set fire to
Huay Kalok. 

It was the second such attack to burn the camp down in the space of one year. 

The governor also promised Thailand would relocate the refugees to a safer site further inside the
country within one month. 

''We have decided to move the Huay Kalok camp and move the displaced persons to a place that
is more safe,'' Pongpayom said. 

Over 90,000 Karens loyal to the Karen National Union (KNU) -- the only major ethnic insurgency
yet to sign a ceasefire with Yangon's (Rangoon's) ruling junta -- are encamped at the Thai border. 

The ambassadors of the United States, Britain and Australia were also due to visit a second camp at
nearby Mae Hla later on Friday. Mae Hla was shelled from Myanmar at the weekend killing one
refugee. 

The diplomatic visits reflect growing international concern over the attacks in Thailand last week and
at the weekend. 

Several countries, including the United States and Britain, which spoke out as president of the
European Union, have criticised Myanmar's military authorities for waging a campaign of terror
against refugees in Thailand. 

Some non-governmental organisations have also criticised the Thai military for inadequately
protecting the border camps. 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Thailand welcomed the
decision to relocate Huay Kalok camp. 

''This is the best news I've heard,'' said Amelia Bonifasio the UNHCR representative in Thailand. 

''It is a welcome decision for the UNHCR and those in the international community who are very
concerned by the (refugee) tragedy, 

''This camp was attacked last year and is within shelling range (of Myanmar). Relocation further
away from the border is the best way to ensure the safety and security of the refugees.'' 

The Tak governor added the province was hoping to find a new site 50 to 100 kilometers (31 to 62
miles) from the Myanmar frontier to house all of the 60,000 Karens in four border camps in Tak. 

Promises last year by Thai authorities to move the Huay Kalok refugees currently camped in shacks
three kilometers (two miles) from the border failed to materialize. 

The UNHCR is not permitted by Thailand to run the temporary camps, which are filled with tens of
thousands of refugees who have fled fighting between the junta and Karen rebels in Myanmar. 

Fears persist of repeated raids although Thai military have beefed up their presence particularly at
Mae Hla, home to some 30,000 Karens. 

Refugees there have built bunkers around their bamboo homes, while others are currently
abandoning their camps at night to sleep in surrounding fields for safety. 

At the weekend, Thai forces fired shells into Myanmar after a mortar attack on the camp at Mae
Hla. 

NSC chief Boonsak said he would raise the issue of the cross-border raids in a visit to Yangon to
be made before the end of the month. 

Myanmar has said that the camps offer refuge for KNU guerillas fighting against central government
forces accross the border. 

Thai military say the attacks are largely a dispute between the two Karen factions. The DKBA,
which is aligned with Yangon authorities, split from the KNU four years ago amid an ideological
dispute. (AFP)