THE NATION: 980327: Army braced for

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Politics 

      Army braced for imminent
      Karen attack

      TAK -- The Army was out in force yesterday
      near the largest refugee camp along the
      border with Burma after Prime Minister
      Chuan Leekpai threatened retaliation if the
      camps are attacked in cross-border raids. 

      Leaders of the camp at Mae Hla, the
      largest of a string of camps sheltering
      some 100,000 refugees along the border,
      said they anticipated an imminent attack by
      pro-Burma guerrillas to mark Burma's
      Armed Forces Day holiday today. 

      Hundreds of Thai soldiers were strung
      along the roads around Mae Hla, home to
      30,000 people, and taking up position in
      the hills to thwart any raid by the ethnic
      Karen guerrillas allied with Burma's military
      regime. 

      Army chief Chettha Thanajaro on
      Wednesday said the camps should not be
      used to harbour anti-Burma rebels and that
      able-bodied men suspected of being
      combatants should be sent back to Burma
      to defuse the threat of more cross-border
      raids. 

      Thailand is grappling for a solution to raids
      from Burma, by the pro-Burma Democratic
      Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) guerrillas
      against the refugees, mostly Karen. 

      The refugees largely support the Karen
      National Union, which has fought the
      Burmese government for more autonomy
      for the Karen for 50 years. 

      In the past three weeks, raiders from the
      DKBA have repeatedly crossed the rugged
      border, which is nearly impossible to seal
      off, and burned two refugee camps and
      fired mortars at a third. 

      Meanwhile, more than 100,000 refugees
      who have fled persecution and fighting in
      Burma look set to benefit from an expected
      change in Thailand's border policy, aid
      workers and officials said. 

      Thai officials are finalising plans to change
      a long-standing policy and allow the United
      Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
      (UNHCR) to help run refugee camps along
      the border with Burma. 

      ''We would like to have the UNHCR play a
      greater role,'' Deputy Foreign Minister
      Sukhumbhand Paribatra told Reuters. ''We
      want to create conditions for more
      transparency.'' 

      Last month, the National Security Council
      (NSC) chaired a meeting with UNHCR and
      concerned Thai agencies following Prime
      Minister Chuan's mandate for UNHCR's
      greater role that will verify Thailand's
      transparency in dealing with refugees. 

      At the Feb 19-21 meeting in Chiang Mai,
      the working group proposed that UNHCR
      be allowed to help assess the situation in
      admission or refusal of Burmese displaced
      persons into the country, participate in the
      registration and repatriation, witness the
      voluntary repatriation and help Thailand
      solve the refugee problems. 

      Although the detail has yet to be finalised,
      international observers and aid workers
      applauded the proposed change. ''The
      international community has had this on
      their plate for a time -- urging the Thais to
      give UNHCR a role,'' one US official said.
      ''It would enhance the protection of refugees
      at the border.'' 

      The Thai change-of-heart follows a series
      of attacks by Burmese-backed guerrillas on
      several ethnic Karen refugee camps. 

      DKBA members, supported by the
      Burmese army, have raided and razed
      several camps this month, killing at least
      five people and burning down more than
      1,000 homes. 

      A UNHCR spokesman said the
      organisation is prepared to help Thailand
      ease the burden of assisting refugees but
      has yet to receive a formal request. 

      Although non-governmental organisations
      (NGOs) are permitted to help out in the
      sprawling camps along the border,
      Thailand has rejected repeated requests
      from the UNHCR for an established
      presence there. 

      The Cabinet has addressed the camp
      issue but the final decision must be made
      by the NSC, which is due to discuss with
      the UNHCR representative soon,
      Sukhumbhand said. 

      ''There are a number of things to be worked
      out -- what kind of role [the UNHCR would
      play], what kind of commitment [it would
      have],'' he said. 

      Foreign Ministry spokesman Kobsak
      Chutikul said the Cabinet on Tuesday
      considered how to enhance the UNHCR's
      position in the camps as they will be moved
      further inside Thailand and whether
      combine some of the camps for the sake of
      logistical practicality. 

      The UNHCR, which has a presence at
      refugee camps on the Cambodian border
      and ran camps housing more than half a
      million Indochinese refugees on Thai soil in
      the late 1970s to 1980s, conducts regular
      visits but must have permission to go to the
      camps near the Burmese frontier. 

      The Nation, Agencies