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KHRG Report March 31, 1996



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INSIDE THE DKBA

An Independent Report by the Karen Human Rights Group
March 31, 1996     /     KHRG #96-14


    ** PART 1 OF 3 - SEE SUBSEQUENT POSTINGS FOR PARTS 2 AND 3 **

 SOME DETAILS IN THIS REPORT HAVE BEEN OMITTED OR REPLACED BY 'XXXX'
    FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.

This report is intended to provide some insight into the current workings 
of the DKBA (Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army) through interviews with 
people who are or have been part of the DKBA, people who have been 
prisoners of the DKBA, and other general information sources such as the 
1996 DKBA Calendar.  The report consists of 2 parts: a summary of 
information about the DKBA, followed by related interviews.  For more 
background on the formation and operations of the DKBA, the reader 
should see other KHRG reports such as "SLORC's Northern Karen Offensive" 
(KHRG #95-10, 29/3/95), "New Attacks on Karen Refugee Camps" (KHRG #95-16, 
5/5/95), "SLORC/DKBA Activities in Kawkareik Township" (KHRG #95-23,
10/7/95), 
"SLORC/DKBA Activities: Northern Karen Districts" (KHRG #95-24, 18/7/95), 
"SLORC/DKBA Activities: Pa'an District" (KHRG #96-05, 14/1/96), 
"Forced Relocations in Papun District" (KHRG #96-11, 4/3/96), etc.

In the Interviews section of this report, all names of interviewees have 
been changed and some details have been omitted to protect those involved.  
False names are enclosed in quotes.

        Abbreviations

 DKBA         Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army
 DKBO         Democratic Kayin Buddhist Organization, 
                    political wing of the DKBA
 SLORC       State Law & Order Restoration Council
 KNU           Karen National Union
 KNLA         Karen National Liberation Army, military wing of the KNU
 KNDO         Karen National Defence Organization, 
                   village militia wing of the KNU
 Ko Per Baw   'Yellow Headbands', name used by most villagers to refer to
DKBA
 Ta Bee Met   'Closed Eyes', name used by DKBA to refer to KNU and KNLA.


                              TOPIC SUMMARY

DKBA structure (p.2-3,10,12,15,16,17), U Thuzana (p.2,3,5,7,8-9,12,16-17), 
Myaing Gyi Ngu (p.4-5,12-15,17,20), Tha Menya (p.5,8,12,14,21), 
groups related to DKBA (p.6,19-22), the DKBA calendar (p.7).

Cross-border attacks (p.7,8,11,17), recruiting (p.4,15,16,17), health 
(p.4,13,14), education (p.4,6,13,15), Thala Nya script (p.6), eating meat 
(p.6,10,13,16,19), drugs (p.3,17,20-21), magic medicine (p.19,21-22), 
logging (p.9).

Forced labour (p.4,13,18), killings (p.2,10,14,18,20), arrest / torture 
(p.2,11,12,14,16,18), rape (p.20), looting (p.2,10),  landmines (p.11).

DKBA and villagers (p.2-6,10-11,16-18,20), 
DKBA / SLORC relations (p.2,3,4,8-13,15-18,20), 
DKBA / Thai relations (p.3,7,8,9), DKBA and Christians (p.4,13,16,18).
_____________________________________________________________________________

                                 General Notes

The DKBA was formed in December 1994, led by monk U Thuzana and 
with the help and support of SLORC.  It has a political wing, the DKBO, 
but this has little substance and even U Thuzana is referred to as 'Chairman
of DKBA' in the 1996 DKBA calendar.  DKBA presented itself as an alternative
to the Karen National Union, and it initially attracted a significant 
number of rank-and-file Karen soldiers who were fed up with being ill-fed 
and ill-supplied at the frontlines while KNU leaders in Manerplaw lived 
relatively well, and who were fed up with the lack of opportunity for 
Buddhists in the Christian-led hierarchy of the KNU.  Many villagers 
initially supported the DKBA, listening to its promises of finally breaking 
the cycle of civil war and SLORC retribution against their villages.  SLORC 
promised the DKBA that if they helped destroy the KNU, Karen State 
would be theirs.  

Of course, none of the promises have been kept.  The DKBA now operates 
in most areas as a SLORC militia; its troops can go nowhere without 
SLORC permission, and usually just a few of them are taken along on 
operations with moving SLORC columns.  A SLORC column of 50 or 100 
soldiers will take about 5 DKBA soldiers along with them.  When they 
arrive in villages, SLORC orders the DKBA soldiers to steal livestock and 
other things for them and point out any villagers who have formerly had 
contact with KNU.  SLORC then gets the loot and often executes the 
DKBA's prisoners, while the villagers blame it on the DKBA.  The DKBA 
soldiers have little choice but to comply, because SLORC provides all their 
food, ammunition, uniforms, and cash salaries.  None of these are provided 
in sufficient quantity, so most DKBA units have fallen into a pattern of 
looting villages, extorting money and taking forced labour from villages for
their own sake as well as SLORC's.  In most areas, even Buddhist villagers 
now fear them and look on them as part of SLORC.  Most of the former 
KNLA soldiers have now left DKBA, and it is now made up almost entirely 
of former villagers.  Most of these have joined either because they believe 
the DKBA's stories that KNU regularly massacres monks and destroys 
temples, or because they see joining as a way to protect their families or as

an opportunity for material gain.  A large number have also been 
conscripted.

The current strength of the DKBA is hard to estimate, but it is most likely 
somewhere around 1,000-2,000 soldiers, most of whom are in Pa'an, Papun 
and Thaton Districts.  However, some of these soldiers have no weapons or 
only a few bullets, and they are very thinly spread over large areas. As yet,

DKBA has no notable presence in Taungoo District in the north or in 
Tenasserim Division in the south.  They are currently trying to make 
inroads into the KNU's 6th Brigade area south of Kawkareik, but as yet 
their presence there is limited to only a few places.  The DKBA Army 
consists of 4 Brigades: #333, 555, 777, and 999.  They are very short of 
people with military experience, so it is common to hear of DKBA Colonels 
and Generals who used to be Corporals or Sergeants in the KNU's village 
militia.  The commander in chief of the Army, Major General Kyaw Than, 
used to be a Warrant Officer in the KNDO village militia.  The DKBA also 
has an absurdly high ratio of officers to soldiers. An average group of 10 or

20 DKBA soldiers will include several officers and probably be 
commanded by at least a Captain (in other armies, a group that size would 
be commanded by a Sergeant, or perhaps a 2nd Lieutenant).  Some DKBA 
Captains and Operations Commanders only have 2 or 3 soldiers under them.

The command structure within the DKBA is very weak, so local DKBA 
groups tend to act largely on their own initiative and/or simply follow the 
orders of the local SLORC battalion.  The character of each DKBA unit 
depends largely on the character of its leaders:  some groups, such as that 
led by Kyaw Tha Da and Kyaw Nuh Po in Bee T'Ka village north of 
Kawkareik, have become notorious for their viciousness in looting and 
torturing villagers, while other groups are led by men with a sincere desire
to improve the lot of the Karen people, and these groups sometimes try to 
protect villagers from SLORC abuses and minimize the negative effect of 
orders from DKBA headquarters in Myaing Gyi Ngu.  There is evidence 
that many DKBA soldiers and officers who joined out of hope for the 
Karen people have become increasingly disgruntled with the current state of 
affairs.  Some of them are now openly criticizing U Thuzana, the monk 
who founded DKBA, as being too conciliatory toward SLORC - one year 
ago, they would not have dared criticize him.  Many soldiers continue to 
desert from DKBA, though this is difficult and dangerous because the 
DKBA knows who is who in most villages and it is very hard to hide.  Most 
of the deserters have no desire to support KNU, they are simply fed up with 
DKBA.

Although the DKBA usually operates only as part of a SLORC column, 
they stay in their own camps separate from SLORC.  When they come 
under attack by KNLA units, they routinely call by radio for SLORC 
artillery support.  SLORC usually refuses, saying "This is between Karen 
and Karen, it is not our affair", and this makes DKBA furious.  One 
clearcut example occurred on February 27 in the village of Ker Ghaw, 
north of Kawkareik.  At 1-2 a.m. a KNLA unit attacked DKBA based near 
the village, killing 8 DKBA and capturing their weapons.  DKBA called in 
SLORC artillery support, but SLORC didn't respond - until after the KNLA 
had left, when they shelled Ker Ghaw village from 3-4 a.m. from 
Kawmoora and Thingan Nyi Naung.  An unconfirmed number of villagers 
were wounded.  As a result of incidents like these, there are occasional 
gunfights between SLORC and DKBA soldiers, and many DKBA have a 
naive idea that once they are finished fighting KNU they will attack SLORC 
and gain independence.

When SLORC captured the KNU stronghold of Kawmoora in February 
1995, they claimed the entire assault (which used heavy artillery, siege 
mortars, human wave attacks and finally chemical gas shells) was conducted 
by DKBA; after occupying Kawmoora, they kept some DKBA soldiers 
around and planted many DKBA flags alongside their SLORC flag.  
Recently, all the DKBA troops were pulled out of Kawmoora by SLORC.  
The reason for this is not clear, though it was probably because SLORC 
needed them elsewhere.  There were also rumours that SLORC had pulled 
DKBA units back from the entire Thai border in response to Thai pressure 
over the DKBA's cross-border attacks on refugee camps and Thai targets; 
however, these rumours appear to be untrue, as the DKBA is still present 
along most parts of the border.  


                                   Drugs

DKBA soldiers all talk about "drinking the monk's medicine" when they go 
to Myaing Gyi Ngu.  Every soldier has to drink a vow to be loyal and fight 
the DKBA's enemies to the death, and on some other occasions they also 
"drink the medicine".  There are various forms of "medicine" - sometimes it 
is simply water blessed by the monk to seal the vow.  Sometimes it contains 
a bullet or knife-tip, with the idea that should the vow be broken that 
weapon will return to kill you.  Often, though, the soldiers are made to 
drink a bitter liquid which they say makes them feel "stupid" or aggressive 
for the next couple of days.  While most soldiers only have to drink this 
once or twice, many DKBA officers apparently drink it all the time.  
Soldiers also report that some officers often use myin say ("horse 
medicine"), a common very strong amphetamine which comes in tablet 
form and is usually broken up and smoked (unmixed with tobacco or 
anything else).  The result is loss of sleep and aggressive behaviour lasting

about a day.  This drug is common in Thailand, where it is also called 
"horse medicine" (yah ma) and its possession is punishable by a prison 
term.  It costs about US$3-5 per tablet, depending on quality.  This drug is
most likely being supplied by SLORC; "horse medicine" is not commonly 
used by Karens in Burma, and it is too expensive for most DKBA 
members, who would just use alcohol if left to their own devices.  SLORC 
has a history of drugging its own soldiers with various forms of 
amphetamines just before using them in human wave assaults.


                           Khaw Taw (Myaing Gyi Ngu)

DKBA's headquarters is at Khaw Taw, which is known in Burmese as 
Myaing Gyi Ngu.  This is on the Salween River near Ka Ma Maung, 
several hours upriver from Pa'an, the capital of Karen State.  U Thuzana 
began calling people to stop helping the KNU and come to Khaw Taw in 
1994, telling them that Khaw Taw was a vegetarian Buddhist refuge on the 
model of Tha Menya (see below).  In Tha Menya, villagers do not have to 
go as porters or pay taxes for either SLORC or KNU.  At first some 
villagers went to Khaw Taw willingly, but the DKBA wanted a larger civilian 
support base so it started forcing villagers to go and continues to do 
so.  This includes the DKBA's systematic campaign (with SLORC support) 
of terrorizing refugee camps in Thailand, destroying refugee camps and 
attacking Thai targets, all with the objective of forcing the refugees back 
to Burma and particularly to Khaw Taw.  The DKBA is also trying to force 
many villages in Papun District to move to Khaw Taw with the help of 
SLORC.  Along with Buddhists, quite a few Christian families have been 
forced to move to Khaw Taw.  Some of them convert to Buddhism due to 
fear of persecution, but those who remain Christian are reportedly not 
persecuted nor are they pressured to convert.

People who have lived in Khaw Taw have found out that it is not like Tha 
Menya - that the food and medical care (all provided by SLORC) are 
inadequate, that people are dying, and that they are not allowed to farm nor
are they allowed to leave.  Families of DKBA soldiers receive various 
foods, but other families receive only rice and salt.  They are not allowed 
to farm other than having a small garden around their house.  They cannot 
even raise small livestock, because meat is not allowed (though people who 
can get meat eat it in secret). SLORC even tried to cut off the rice and salt

rations, but U Thuzana stopped them.  Most new arrivals cannot even build 
a proper house, because they have to buy the building materials - due to 
high demand, one piece of bamboo costs 30 to 50 Kyat, more than most 
people can pay.  Some of the living conditions in Khaw Taw have improved 
slightly due to the building of schools and a clinic and the digging of
wells.  
However, the clean water supply in Khaw Taw is inadequate for the 
thousands of people there, sanitation is bad and the clinic does not have 
enough medicine.  These factors combined with the bad diet are leading to 
a high death rate, and infant mortality is reportedly very high.  Many of the

medics at the clinic have been conscripted by SLORC from towns like 
Pa'an for 6-month forced rotations.  The schools (several small bamboo 
primary schools and one large 2-storey middle school) run on SLORC 
curriculum with SLORC-supplied teachers.  All teaching is in Burmese; 
Karen language, literacy and culture are not even taught, and students are 
not even allowed to speak Karen in school.  Though SLORC soldiers do 
not make their camps inside Khaw Taw, they have established camps and 
checkpoints all around it.  They have a heavy and regular presence in Khaw 
Taw itself, and there is significant tension between the SLORC and DKBA 
soldiers.

Villagers in Khaw Taw have also been used as forced labour, both to build 
pagodas and other buildings and as porters for DKBA units on rotation out 
of Khaw Taw.  Many families have been forced to give a family member as 
a soldier.  The demands for forced labour have reportedly diminished 
somewhat since 1995; however, it is clear that the vast majority of families
in Khaw Taw are there against their will, and would rather leave.  No one 
can leave without a pass from DKBA, and usually only one family member 
can leave at a time.  People are afraid of being stopped along the way if 
they try to leave.  Many of the refugees who have returned from Thailand 
reportedly would like to flee to Thailand again, but they are also afraid 
that they will not be accepted back into the refugee camps (camp leaders tell

refugees that if they go back to Burma they cannot return to the camp, 
because DKBA often sends people back to the camps as informers or 
agitators).

On 31 March 1996, messages were sent from a KNLA unit in Papun District 
that they had just received 130 families, a total of 600 people, who 
had just fled Khaw Taw.  The unit reported that 90 of these families, 496 
people, are desperately in need of food, and asked what action they should 
take.  The reasons for the flight of these people are not yet available, but
it is very unlikely that a group this size could escape without permission of

DKBA and SLORC.  It may be that SLORC has now completely cut off 
supplies to non-DKBA families, and some people have been allowed to leave.  
If this continues, it could be a serious blow to the DKBA.  As for the 
refugees, they are in a desperate situation: probably forced to move to 
Khaw Taw in the first place, they are now trapped in hiding in the forest in
a part of Papun District which SLORC and DKBA have declared a free-fire 
zone and where all existing villages have been ordered to move to SLORC 
Army labour camps.  They are close to the Thai border, but the refugee 
camps in Thailand will not accept them because they have lived in Khaw 
Taw, and people from Khaw Taw are often sent by DKBA to agitate in the 
camps and prepare for cross-border attacks.  So for the time being they are 
trapped in hiding, hoping the SLORC does not find them and desperately in 
need of help.


                                   Tha Menya

One of the most disturbing reports now coming from several sources is that 
DKBA soldiers are carrying weapons at Tha Menya.  The abbot of Tha 
Menya, U Win Na Ya (most commonly referred to as Tha Menya 
Sayadaw) is a highly Venerable monk who is one of the most revered 
monks throughout all of  Burma, and his photo can be seen all over the 
country.  He is now 70 or 80 years old and is Pa'O, though he lives mostly 
among Karen people.  His monastery near Pa'an attracts many pilgrims and 
has also become a refuge where villagers can live under his protection and 
care, receiving food and free from forced labour or taxation by SLORC, 
KNU or anyone else.  In return they must only follow strict Buddhist 
discipline and keep a strictly vegetarian diet.  Thousands of families now 
stay under his protection, and some people say that Tha Menya has as many 
people as Pa'an.  Tha Menya Sayadaw is completely apolitical; soldiers and 
politicians of either side are welcome at his monastery to discuss or 
practice religion, but they must come completely unarmed.  SLORC leaders have

visited, and Aung San Suu Kyi's first trip outside Rangoon after her release
was to Tha Menya.  In the past SLORC has tried to woo the Sayadaw by 
asking him to come to Rangoon to accept secular honours together with 
large offerings of money, food, and goods; the Sayadaw turned them down.  
It may be that SLORC first envisaged Tha Menya Sayadaw as possible 
leader of an anti-KNU organization, but when their efforts failed they 
sought out U Thuzana and set him up with his own 'refuge' at Myaing Gyi 
Ngu.  Now it appears that SLORC and the DKBA are trying to make it 
appear as though the Sayadaw supports DKBA.  Several sources report that 
SLORC has pressured the DKBA to carry weapons in the Tha Menya 
compound and that DKBA has accepted, seeing this as a wonderful 
propaganda opportunity.  Even SLORC soldiers do not dare carry weapons 
in the compound.  We do not yet have any information on whether the 
Sayadaw is aware of this or whether he has responded.  While there are 
reports that Tha Menya Sayadaw has had correspondence with U Thuzana, 
no details are available and most people believe that the Sayadaw is 
opposed to the DKBA's doctrine and methods.  Regardless of his opinion 
of the DKBA, it would go against the Sayadaw's usual principles to give his 
support to such a political organization, and he would certainly not allow 
them to carry weapons near his monastery.  This situation has the potential 
to be a serious blow to the morale of Buddhists throughout Burma if they 
can be convinced that Tha Menya Sayadaw has lost control over his own 
refuge or that he supports DKBA - and such a blow would be a significant 
victory for SLORC.


                             Groups Related to DKBA

Throughout 1995 several small groups formed with various religious or 
political ideologies, such as Ko Per Kit ('Dark Brown Headbands', or the 
'Striped Ones' - see "SLORC/DKBA Activities in Kawkareik Township", 
KHRG #95-23, 10/7/95), Ko Per Thu ('Black Headbands', or the 
'Vegetarian Soldiers' - see interviews in this report), and Ko Per Wah 
('White Headbands').  In one way or another, they have all now been 
assimilated by DKBA, and it is uncommon to hear much of them anymore.

The DKBA itself was originally formed as a strictly vegetarian group, but it
has largely dropped that now.  In Myaing Gyi Ngu the rule against eating 
meat is still enforced, which only makes it harder on villagers there to 
augment their inadequate diet.  Some DKBA officers still remain strict 
vegetarians or only eat meat in secret.  However, most DKBA soldiers now 
eat meat quite openly.  Many of them quote the rule, "2 legs good, 4 legs 
bad", meaning they will eat chicken and fish, but not pork or beef.  
Villagers in some areas joke about this, noting that people have 2 legs so 
that's why the DKBA doesn't mind killing them.


                                 Thala Nya Script

Karen language has 2 major dialects, Sgaw and Pwo.  Before the colonial 
period, Karen was written with a script commonly known as li saw weh 
("chicken-scratch") with somewhat Chinese-looking characters.  In later 
times, Buddhist monks developed a script based on the Burmese script and 
called Thala Nya, while Christian missionaries worked with Karen to 
develop another script, also based on Burmese, which was used to write the 
first Bibles in Sgaw Karen.  Because of the colonial influence and the fact 
that Christians had better access to education, the Christian-developed 
script has become the standard for writing Sgaw Karen among most Karens, 
including Buddhists.  Pwo Karens, almost all of whom are Buddhist, have a 
separate script which is also developed from Burmese.

The DKBA now wants Sgaw Karen to be written only in Thala Nya script, 
condemning the standard script as a Christian creation.  There are even 
reports that some local DKBA groups, for example in Toe Ko Koh village 
of Pa'an District, have declared that the Christian script will no longer be
allowed.  Should the DKBA simply promote the use of Thala Nya script, 
this could be a positive thing for Karen culture; however, if people are 
persecuted for using the Christian script this may have grave consequences 
for the literacy of Karen people.  There is a chance that some over-zealous 
DKBA commanders may begin accusing people of being "KNU 
supporters" and punish them simply on the grounds that they write in the 
"Christian" script.  If this happens, people will be too afraid to write or 
read the "Christian" script for fear of being caught.  Most literate Karen 
people do not know Thala Nya script, so they would effectively become 
illiterate (on a rough estimate, literacy in Thala Nya script is probably 
less than 10% of Sgaw Karen people in areas affected by DKBA, whereas 
literacy in "Christian" script is probably 50%).  The DKBA has no program to
educate people in Thala Nya script.  The schools being set up by DKBA, even 
in their headquarters at Myaing Gyi Ngu, are SLORC schools with teachers 
sent by SLORC teaching SLORC curriculum; in other words, all teaching is 
in Burmese.  Karen language, culture, and history are not taught, and 
students are not even allowed to speak in Karen.  Buddhist children may be 
able to learn Thala Nya script as novices at monasteries, but Christian, 
Animist, and Muslim children have no such opportunity, so if the DKBA 
enforces use of Thala Nya script these populations will become illiterate in
their own language.


                               The 1996 DKBA Calendar

Much of the 1996 DKBA calendar is titled and written in Thala Nya script, 
with the remainder being in Burmese.  It features a large portrait of U 
Thuzana on the cover and many photos of him throughout, many of which 
come from a trip he made to Karenni State when he joined in a pagoda-
building ceremony.  In fact, less than half the photos were taken in Karen 
State, and of those that were, none of them show a DKBA soldier and 
villagers are also notably missing from most of them.  The only other 
DKBA leader shown is General Secretary Tha Htoo Kyaw.  Photos of the 
middle school, clinic (this photo is dated 1993), and some pagodas in 
Myaing Gyi Ngu appear alongside photos of an army truck and some army-
green jeeps on a ferry in the Salween River (captioned "Motor vehicles 
donated to Myaing Gyi Ngu by the State arriving") and a photo of U 
Thuzana leading a delegation of high-ranking SLORC military officers 
through Myaing Gyi Ngu (ironically captioned, "The now peaceful Karen 
State at Myaing Gyi Ngu:  one of the Sayadaw's religious ceremonies").  
None of the traditional Karen holidays are marked, such as Revolution Day 
(31 January), Martyr's Day (11 August, not to be confused with Burmese 
Martyr's Day in July), or Karen National Day (11 February).  However, all 
major SLORC holidays are clearly marked, such as Tatmadaw Day (27 
March), Burman Independence Day (4 January), and Union Day (12 
February).  The DKBA have added one holiday of their own, 'DKBA Day' 
on 21 December - anniversary of the official formation of the DKBA in 
December 1994.  Ironically, Christmas Day is marked.

Outside Myaing Gyi Ngu the calendars are apparently not heavily 
distributed.  Many families hang the calendars as a form of protection.  
In Huay Bone (Don Pa Kiang) refugee camp in Thailand, a camp with a 
regular presence of DKBA informers, even some Christian families hang 
DKBA calendars in the hope that it may protect them from being robbed or 
shot during DKBA raids.  In preparation for any situation, some houses 
display a DKBA calendar on one wall, a KNU calendar on another, a 
calendar picture of the King of Thailand, and a Burmese movie star 
calendar as well.


                         Cross-Border Attacks

This report does not document DKBA/SLORC cross-border raids into 
Thailand in detail; some of these may be documented in an upcoming 
KHRG report, and for background the reader should see "SLORC's 
Northern Karen Offensive" (KHRG #95-10, 29/3/95) and "New Attacks on 
Karen Refugee Camps" (KHRG #95-16, 5/5/95).  The attacks diminished 
through 1995 rainy season, then resumed in September/October 1995.  
They  became particularly intense in December and January, including a 
grenade attack on a Thai tourist van which killed and dismembered Thai 
tourists, a looting attack on a Thai Karen monastery in which a monk was 
shot dead, a raid on a Karen refugee school with the apparent aim of 
capturing a foreign teacher for ransom, and the assassination of retired 
KNLA General Taru, 70 years old, who was staying with his family in a 
refugee camp.  Some refugees have also been kidnapped, tortured or killed 
on the Thai side of the river by DKBA and Burmese soldiers.  Thai forces 
along the border have increased their presence but they are completely 
ineffective at stopping the DKBA, and for the most part are just making life
harder for the refugees by restricting their activities and demanding things.
 
The DKBA's logic of increasing attacks on Thai targets is that this will 
cause the Thais to drive all the refugees back to Burma more readily than 
attacks on the refugees themselves.  However, the Thai response has been 
largely to pressure SLORC to stop the attacks.  Since January, the attacks 
have slackened.  The Thais claim that they have convinced SLORC to pull 
the DKBA back from the border, but this has not happened except in 
Kawmoora.  Some attacks continue to happen, the DKBA has informers in 
the camps, and they continue to threaten to destroy camps if refugees do 
not return to Burma.  For their part, they hate the Thais with a passion; as
one DKBA officer says (see below), he wants to shoot Thai soldiers if he 
even sees them come down to the river on the Thai side of the border.

Most of the attacks this year are initiatives by local DKBA units with the 
aim of looting.  However, some of the attacks such as those on Thai targets 
and the assassination of Gen. Taru, as well as the threats to destroy camps,
are most likely ordered by higher levels of the DKBA and/or by SLORC.  
Everyone in northern Karen refugee camps, particularly Sho Kloh, Beh 
Kloh (Mae La), and Huay Bone (Don Pa Kiang) is living in constant fear 
every night, and there is no sign that the cross-border attacks are going to
cease.  Some DKBA units near the border would also like to kidnap a 
foreign aid worker from a refugee camp; some units hope for a large 
ransom, some believe that killing a foreigner would stop the flow of aid to 
the camps and force the refugees to return, and some actually hope to take 
a foreign medic or teacher to Myaing Gyi Ngu to teach (without realizing 
that SLORC would never allow this).

    - [END OF PART 1 - SEE SUBSEQUENT POSTINGS FOR PARTS 2 AND 3] -

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