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Massacre in Thai-Burma border regio



Massacre in Thai-Burma border region

According to a person who recently visited the Thanlwin(Salween) River
Region, the border of Burma and Thailand, a lot of minority people in
Burma have been massacred.  The forests where they lived in have been
cut over to be used as teak.

The reporter visited the area from October to November where many
Karen people live in.  Commanders of both Burmese and Thai armies are
reported that they accept bribe from cut-over companies in Thailand.
The Teak woods cut over from the forests are transported to Bangkok,
mainly bought by Chinese corporations, sold to others and so on, and
finally purchased by major trade companies in Japan.  After the trees
has been cut over and burnt out, mining is attempted for the purpose
of getting rare metals.

In that area, a huge dam is planned to be built as part of the general
development programme for Thanlwin river basin, supported by Asia
Development Bank, World Bank, and Official Development Aid from
Japanese Government.  The forests that amounts to Japanese territory
has been disappeared within five years from 1989 to 1995.  Part of the
programme includes the construction of gas pipeline from Andaman Sea
throughout Mon state which reaches to Kanchanaburi in Thailand, which
has been completed in the Burma side; the environment was completely
destroyed.  On the other hand, the construction on Thai side was
opposed by the people and suspended.  Though the Burmese Government
had promised to send the natural gas to Thai government in the
beginning, it is stated that this will not be realized as scheduled.

-- The UNOCAL, an international petroleum capital in USA, who mainly due
  in pipeline construction defines it as 'Energy Renaissance Project'.
  Military Government of Burma (SLORC) will get stabilized income from
  Thailand, which will make the economical basis for the stabilization
  of dictatorship.  If you want to read details on the pipeline, refer
  to a report "TOTAL DENIAL" which can be found under following URL.
  http://sunsite.unc.edu/freeburma/docs/totaldenial/td.html.

The minority race in Burmese side was forced to migrate by SLORC.  But
they cannot reach the relocation camp; many of them are killed before
they arrive at the site.  It seems the Burmese Government is not
satisfied with the forced migration but intentionally massacre them.
Though many people go to Thailand, Thai Government does not accept
them as refugees and drive them out of the border.  Some of the people
who refused to go back have been shot by the Thai soldiers.  The
number of victims killed by the both armies is uncountable.  At least,
thousands of people have been killed after torture.  It is not an
exaggeration to say the people is in threat of extermination.

There are some refugee camps, but they have to live under the plastic
sheet because they have no time nor money.  People in the camps are
mostly women and children; adult men are rarely seen.  The shortage of
daily necessaries including cloths is desperate.  Children are often
abandoned in naked.

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