Over 2,981 Karen flee during the SPDC/DKBA and KNLA clashes

June 10, 2009

HURFOM: Fighting in Karen areas have forced over 2,981 villagers to flee to the Thai – Burma border.

HURFOM field reporters documented the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and Burmese Army battalions clashing with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA).

The fighting occurred in Pa-an District, Karen state, during the first week of June; the report indicated that the DKBA combined armed forces with the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) to try and clean out the KNLA-controlled area.

The Karen Human Rights Group also reports that over 3,000 villagers fled and the Irrawaddy reports more than 3,500.

The first reported attack occurred on June 2nd, as SPDC Infantry Battalion (IB) 81 and KNLA Battalion (22) Military column No.3 clashed in Wah Mee Kala village.

On June 4th, the DKBA Central Security Council, based between Kaleh Dae and Kaleh Kho villages, and KNLA battalion No.21 fought in Mae Th’ Ree. Approximately129 villagers had to move to Kaleh Khee. A Mae Th’ Ree villager said, “Because of the continued fighting in the area, we decided to leave as soon as possible from our village.”

The children in the affected areas have been forced to stop their education and flee to a safer place. According to one child from Bp Nweh-Phoo village, “the situation in the areas became worse; our family and other villagers left our village. Even though we want to study, the situation is terrible and the school had to close.”

The fighting continued on June 5th, said a source living in the Ler Per Her Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp: “The DKBA brigade No.999 and SPDC brigade No.22 joint military force attacked the Ler Per Her camp at 4:00 pm. About 1,264 IDPs had to move to Noe Poe and Mae Pa Luu.

Then on June 6th, the SPDC shot about 30 mortars at KNLA battalions 22 and 101 in Ler Per Her camp at 12:30.

The situation remains difficult for many of the IDPs and refugees, even if they have escaped the fighting. One relief worker said, “the rain has continued, so the refugees are faced [with added] difficulties for shelter, food and healthcare. At the moment, we don’t have enough cooking equipments for them nor enough food.

“Some children are getting malaria, diarrhea; we don’t enough materials nor medicine to prevent this from happening. We need cooking pots, blankets, mosquito nets, mats, some medicine and tarps,” he added.

Bp Nweh Phoo village also had about 164 villagers forced to flee to Au Tu Hta, according to the HURFOM reporter.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News