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Burma-Karen : Karen refugees escape
- Subject: Burma-Karen : Karen refugees escape
- From: moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 21:22:00
Subject: Burma-Karen : Karen refugees escape Burma
Burma-Karen : Karen refugees escape Burma
BANGKOK, March 28 (AFP) - A stream of ethnic
Karen refugees
fled Burma into Thailand Friday when advancing
forces of the
junta were reported to be only one hour's march
away, witnesses
said.
The refugees escaped the Karen village of Meh
Pya Kee inside
Burma early Friday and crossed into Suan Phung
district of
Thailand's Ratchaburi province, where they were
sheltering about
eight kilometres (five miles) from the frontier.
A 76-year old man who had left his home at Amoe
in territory
formerly held by the rebel Karen National Union,
said he had been
walking for three weeks to escape the Burmese
government
offensive, a witness said.
Witnesses estimated there were 2,000 refugees,
mostly women,
children and elderly.
The Thai military said that according to latest
reports, between
2,000 and 3,000 Karen refugees had gathered at
the border but
had not yet crossed into Thailand.
Forces of the State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC)
were only one hour away when the villagers left
Meh Pya Kee at
9:00 a.m., the elderly Karen man reported.
Some of the refugees were reported to be
suffering from malaria
and diarrhoea. Many of the children were
coughing, witnesses
said.