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Bangkok Post January 18, 1998: FATE



Bangkok Post January 18, 1998 
FATE OF REFUGEES

              Concern over
              Karen refugee
              repatriation

              Leaders of the Karen National Union
              (KNU) have called for an international
              monitoring when refugee repatriation
              takes place. But the KNU does not want
              the refugees returned to Burma, at
              least for the moment.

              RALPH BACHOE 
              Mae Sot, Tak

              Despite recent battlefield setbacks, the immediate concern of
              the Karen National Union is refugees from Burma whose number
              has swelled to 1.5 million since 1988. Of those, more than
              100,000 are Karens.

              Once the Burmese regime was accepted into the Association of
              Southeast Asian Nations in July last year, it said it was prepared
              to take them back.

              Gen Saw Bo Mya, president of the KNU, and Maj-Gen Saw
              Shwe Saing, former commander of the 6th Brigade, also
              vice-president of the KNU, president of the National
              Democratic Front, and a presidium member of the National
              Council of the Union of Burma, are, however, worried.

              They said they were deeply concerned about the Karen refugees
              and fully understands where Thailand stands on the issue and that
              the Thai economic crisis has created a major unemployment
              problem.

              But sending back the refugees will not solve the problem
              because the matter must be settled by holding a political dialogue
              between the Rangoon government and the KNU, they say. "This
              is a political problem. Sending them back is like condemning
              them to the gas chambers of Nazi Germany. Also they will
              become a ready-made work-force for the military regime."

              What is needed, the KNU says, is international monitoring when
              repatriation takes place. "The Thai government should keep any
              eye on them and make systematic arrangements with the United
              Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.".

              They should realise this is a "genocide and ethnic cleansing"
              campaign. The question is who will be responsible should
              anything happen to them.

              "We trust the Thai government," the KNU leaders said. "If they
              [the Thai government and the UNHCR] make a mistake on this
              issue, civil war will be prolonged in Burma." They have also
              urged that Asean and the European Union be involved.

              The bottom line is the KNU does not want the refugees returned
              to Burma, at least for the moment. "We don't want the Karens to
              be repatriated because they would become minesweepers and
              forced to work in fields or construction sites. They won't have
              the opportunity to return to their choice of occupation but will
              have to do whatever the Slorc tells them," said Gen Bo Mya.

              Intelligence sources of the All Burma Students' Democratic Front
              report that huge shelters are being built in preparation for the
              returning refugees. They say Slorc plans to screen these people,
              take their photographs and finger prints.

              They will also call in the Democratic Karen Buddhist
              Organisation to identify those associated with the KNU and the
              democratic forces. These will then be divided into three groups:
              to work as porters, to build roads or sent to detention centres.

              U Tin Maung Win, vice-president of the Democratic Alliance of
              Burma, had this to say: "There are more than 9,000 Burmese
              refugees in Maneeloy camp today compared to 1,200 just three
              weeks ago. And because of the huge number they are now being
              fed broken rice."

              He attributes the sudden boost in numbers at the Ratchaburi
              holding centre to bribery and corruption. Refugees pay
              500-1,000 baht to certain Thai authorities to be registered at the
              camp where they linger before acceptance into third countries
              such as the United States, Canada and Australia.

              "Doesn't the UNHCR know what's going on? What kind of
              monitoring procedure is being conducted by the UN and Thai
              authorities," Tin Maung Win asked. He also urged the Chuan
              Leekpai government to look into the matter.

              Commenting on the frequent closure of schools and universities
              in his country, the 1962 student leader expressed dismay: "I have
              a heavy heart about our young people in Burma. If we just take
              into account the past 10 years, not to mention the 26-year BSPP
              rule, there were only 854 days of schooling out of 3,650."

              He called it a great setback for the nation. Thousands of
              educated Burmese have left the country in the past four decades.
              He described the brain-drain as a "crime against humanity".
              However, he said, the shutdown of schools and universities does
              not affect the children of the military brass. They are sent abroad
              for further studies. The higher institutes of learning in Burma have
              been closed for more than one year.

              Meanwhile, the KNU remains determined in its struggle for
              democracy and self-determination against the Rangoon junta in
              face of a 350,000-strong standing army with modern weapons
              from China and some European nations.

              "We cannot deny we are confronting a large army like Slorc but
              we are well prepared to face them," says Maj-Gen Saw Mootu,
              commander of the 6th Brigade, based opposite Tak province.

              Gen Mootu says the KNU is ready for the next dry season
              offensive. "Unlike in the past, when they knew where our forces
              were concentrated, we are now scattered all over the place. We
              cannot say specifically which area we control, and neither can
              the Slorc. Since the KNU is waging a guerrilla warfare we are
              constantly on the move.

              "At times they may be at one place during the day and we could
              be at the very same location during the night. So where are they
              going to hit us? This is part of our preparations."

              The Karen bases of Manerplaw and Kawmoora fell in Slorc
              offensives in 1995 after the Karen Buddhist faction broke away
              from the mainstream KNU and formed the DKBO and the
              DKBA (Democratic Karen Buddhist Army). The breakaway
              Karens were instrumental in helping the Burmese military overrun
              the bases.

              After the fall of their bases which served as border trade points
              where taxes were levied, KNU income was severely affected. In
              addition, the flow of arms from Cambodia dried up after the Thai
              military began a major crackdown. They also have lost huge
              caches of arms and ammunition buried on the Thai-Burmese
              border after their escape into Thailand.

              These setbacks, however, have not deterred the KNU from
              attaining their goal of seeking greater autonomy and formation of
              a federal union.

              "We have full confidence even though we may be inferior in
              strength and are not financially well off, because what we have,
              to our advantage, is the support of the entire Karen State at
              grassroot level. This has given us the strength and the will to
              resist the Slorc," said Gen Mootu.

              Gen Mootu denied a split in the KNU rank and file but admitted
              that like in any democratic organisation differences of opinion
              exists, but the decision of the majority is final.

              "At KNU's 11 Congress in August 1995, the consensus of the
              majority was that political issues must be solved politically."

              Some in the KNU are tired of waging a war of attrition since
              1948. There have been defections not only among the student
              groups but also the KNU.

              Recently more than 100 KNU guerrillas with their families
              surrendered to Burmese troops in Thandaung District, 225km
              northeast of Rangoon.

              Gen Bo Mya blamed the defections to poor health, lack of true
              political conviction and deception by Slorc. "Actually those really
              dedicated to the cause will never surrender. They are the
              veterans who have been fighting the Rangoon government for
              decades."

              Guerrilla warfare has proved a success. "We now kill more Slorc
              troops a month compared to in the past." However, the group
              has suffered major setbacks since their mobile camps along the
              eastern Thai-Burmese border were overrun by Slorc soldiers
              late last year.

              Said Gen Bo Mya: "Although they [Slorc army] may be great in
              number I don't think they can carry on for long because of the
              low morale and lack of discipline among the ordinary soldiers".
              Economic hardships have hit the soldiers hard. Like ordinary
              people, they too have families to support. "So they don't want to
              fight for the government anymore."

              In addition, he said Slorc can no longer afford to provide
              frontline troops with sufficient arms and ammunition and food
              rations. "Their logistics of supplying food to the troops is so poor
              that they have to plunder the villagers to survive," Gen Bo Mya
              said.

              The 71-year-old general said the Karens are not alone in the war
              of revolution. "We are now working together with other
              democratic forces and the students, and are optimistic we will
              win and establish democracy in Burma."




                                    




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Last Modified: Sun, Jan 18, 1998