From bad to worse

Last week we spent several tense days, as the Thai authorities suddenly announced plans to repatriate everyone living in the No Boh and Oo Thu Hta unofficial refugee camps (see post on Ler Per Her refugees). They claimed that after talks with the DKBA (the military group that caused the villagers to flee) that it was safe to return, and that after talking with the refugees, and affiliated community groups, the repatriation was voluntary.

There is no doubt that all of them would love to go back - if DKBA were gone, if they didn't face the same threat of forced labor, forced conscription, and landmine injury. However, with the area now firmly under DKBA control, there was no reason to believe that the situation would be livable.

My organization helped a coalition of local community based organization conduct a survey amongst the refugees last fall, conducting in-depth interviews with more than 80 refugees and documenting the risks faced by the villagers prior to their flight, including landmine-related injury and death, forced conscription, forced labour, theft of food, and other associated human rights abuses by the Burmese military regime and its ally, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).

In the months since they fled, at least five refugees have been maimed or killed by landmines when attempting to visit their former homes, including a 13-year-old boy who lost a leg and a pregnant woman, who lost a foot on January 18.

Interviews with numerous refugees last week confirmed suspicions that the repatriation is not voluntary, that in fact the refugees greatly fear that fate that awaits them if they return.

Excerpts of interviews conducted by the Karen Human Rights Group (www.khrg.org) on February 2nd:

"Yesterday and today Thai authorities told us that we can't stay here anymore."

"If I go back again, it is like I will go back and be a slave for the SPDC and DKBA again."

"[The] Thais force us to leave --- [resettlement site] camp and I have to go back to my village but I dare not go back. My relatives contacted me and said, "Now the surrounding area close to your village is full of landmines and we do not know who and which groups planted the landmines. No one witnessed who planted the landmines. For this reason, do not come back at this time."

"Now the Thai authorities came and forced us to go back and I am afraid of them very much."

"I don't want to go back. If I go back, I won't have food, shelter and there is no security for me in my village."

"If I go back to my village, I will have to do forced labour for the SPDC and DKBA: clear rubber plantation areas, clear the [military] camp compounds, be their messengers if they need people to put things on the trucks or bring rice sacks down off the trucks or other equipments."


The repatriation was supposed to begin February 5th and be complete by the 15th, but the Thai Authorities were not keen to press forward in the face of unexpected press and human rights documenters who arrived to report on the situation early on the 5th. For the moment, a reprieve was won, and supporters are taking the opportunity to meet with Thai government and military officials to present the case against return at this time.



A momentary breath of relief, but just a few days later, worse news arrived.

First, we had world of an SPDC attack (which is itself is surprising, as lately they have been more often operating through their ally the DKBA in the border areas) on a health clinic in Tee Mu Ta village, burning it and nearby houses to the ground. Fortunately, no one was hurt - the medics, patients, and residents of nearby houses were able to evacuate in time. We are still waiting for information on whether they were also able to carry out the medicines.

The following day nearby K'Dee Mu Der was attacked, and the entire village burned, shortly followed by a middle school and nursery school in the area.

Currently there are 50 families from Tee Mu Ta and 30 families from K'Dee Mu Der who have fled and are now hiding in jungle. In addition approx 1,500 individuals from other nearby villages are also displaced. This area is about 100km from the Thai border, or about 4-5 days walk through mountainous terrain.

The situation continues to unfold, as SPDC are still in the area, with more attacks expected. These attacks follow a series of attacks last month in the same area. SPDC continue to strengthen its offensive against remaining resistance groups, in preparation for elections tentatively scheduled for later this year (expected by most to be a total joke).

Free Burma Rangers has been able to reach the area to provide some emergency assistance, but with SPDC still in the area, real relief is impossible.

The beginning of what is expected to be a very long and difficult year for the border.