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     International organizations condemn SLORC
                offensive against Karen Refugees 
     
          The undersigned organizations are gravely concerned over the 
     attacks on Karen refugees
          by the Burmese military regime, the State Law and Order 
     Restoration Council (SLORC),
          and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). On January 29, 
     refugee camps along
          the Thai-Burma border housing a population that included women, 
     children and elderly,
          were burnt to the ground forcing more than 10,000 people to flee 
     further into Thailand.
          Nearly a month later, these refugees remain unprotected and 
     without adequate shelter. 
     
          A major offensive against the headquarters of the Karen National 
     Union (KNU) beginning
          in early February has resulted in the exodus of an additional 
     15,000 refugees in the
          Umphang area. As SLORC has continued to mobilize against all 
     remaining KNU
          positions, over 3,000 refugees have attempted to enter Thailand 
     over the past three days
          near Kanchanaburi. Eyewitnesses have reported that since February 
     24, the Thai army
          Ninth Division has refused entry to all males among the refugees, 
     sending them back into
          a war zone. Since then, nearly 2,000 women and children have been 
     taken by truck further
          south. It is feared that they will be forcibly returned to Burma. 
     
          As organizations committed to protecting and assisting refugees 
     and the displaced: 
     
               We condemn the actions of the SLORC and call on them to 
     immediately
               cease violations of international humanitarian law, 
     especially attacks on
               defenseless civilians. 
               We welcome the decision of the Royal Thai Government to 
     grant temporary
               asylum to most of those fleeing the military offensive and 
     urge that this be
               extended ALL refugees, including those in the Kanchanaburi 
     area. The
               refoulement of any non- combatants, be they men, women or 
     children, is a
               violation of customary international law and must cease 
     immediately. 
               We ask that priority be given to ensuring the security of 
     the refugees
               displaced by the January attacks on Wangka, Don Pa Kiang and 
     Maela
               camps. This population should immediately be moved to an 
     area where they
               can be housed and protected. 
               We commend the fact that the Royal Thai Government has 
     identified a
               possible relocation site for the 15,000 refugees In the 
     Umphang area and
               will allow International aid agencies to provide sanitation 
     and shelter at the
               site. We urge that all refugees in the area be moved to the 
     site as soon as
               possible. 
               We call for an on-going presence by the United Nations High 
     Commissioner
               for Refugees in the camps along the Thai-Burma border. 
     
                                              Signed,
                                     Amnesty International/USA
                               Asia-Pacific Center for Justice and Peace
                    Federation Internationale des Liques des Droits de 
     I'Homme (FIDH)
                             France-Libertes-Fondation Danielle Mitterrand
                                      Human Rights Watch/Asia
                                    Institute for Asian Democracy
                                   International Rescue Committee
                                      Non-Violence International
                                        Open Society Institute
                                       Refugees International
                               Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
                                    U.S. Committee for Refugees
     
                                         February 26, 1997