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BKK Post, March 1, 1998 SALWEEN SCA



March 1, 1998
SALWEEN SCANDAL / FIFTH IN A SERIES

Karen refugees in national park refuse to go to camp
They are uncertain about their safety
Onnucha Hutasingh

Many Karen refugees living in the Salween National Park in Mae Sariang 
district of Mae Hong Son have refused to move to a refugee camp in Sop 
Moei district, claiming they are uncertain about their safety at the 
camp.

But some border officials know that the refugees resisted the transfer 
operation because they do not want to lose a lot of money from illegal 
logging in the national park and they want to further support the 
anti-Rangoon Karen National Union organisation whose stronghold is 
located in Burma opposite the forest.

According to a military source, many Karen refugees have long been hired 
by illegal loggers to cut down trees in the Salween forest and have 
illegal logs delivered to the Salween River bank using 50 elephants.

"Although we know this, we are unable to use the force to press them to 
move because authorities have a policy to use soft measures for 
humanitarian reasons and to preserve Thailand's image," the source said.

According to another source, many elephants used for illegal logging in 
the national park were found to have died from overwork. 

About 50 elephants owned by many Karen refugees must work for the 
illegal logging business from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. and deliver about 300 
logs from deep forests to the Salween River bank each day.

"Each elephant must work for three consecutive days without a break. 
They have only one day a week to rest. They are fed with amphetamine so 
that they can drag heavy logs and work hard. Many elephants died of 
overwork," the source said.

However, Nae Moo, representative of Karen refugees at Ban Mae Yeh Tha, 
denied the allegations, saying the refugees had never been involved in 
illegal logging in the national park. 

"The new shelter is located in an unsafe area. We have lived in the 
national park for more than three years. We feel safe and happy here," 
he added.

An operation to transfer more than 12,000 Karen refugees living in the 
Salween National Park to Mae La Ma Luang Camp in Sop Moei District which 
started early this month is aimed to ensure security along the border 
and combat illegal logging in the national park.

The operation at Ban Mae Ye Tha, the shelter of more than 1,800 
refugees, ended in failure because all refugees refused to move to the 
camp and staged a protest.

Following day-long negotiations with concerned officials, many of these 
refugees agreed to return to Burma by the end of this month.

On February 23, the refugee transfer operation which took place at Ban 
Ko Pa and Ban U Da Tha also ended in failure after only 137 of all 2,207 
refugees there cooperated.

However, the officials have not given up yet. They are negotiating with 
refugees living in other areas of the national park.

According to an official, refugees who fail to return to Burma or move 
to the camp within the deadline will face action on illegal entry 
charges.

"In the latest development, they (the refugees) claimed that it was not 
safe in Burma so they could not move back home. They used the same 
method to play for time until the rainy season, a difficult time to 
move," the source said.

Meanwhile, some officials voiced their concern that the KNU forces may 
rob Thai villagers in border areas if the Karen refugees move and cannot 
give support to them any longer.

The refugees fled from Burma into Thailand in 1995 after the KNU forces 
were defeated by the Burmese troops. More than 1,800 of them sought 
refuge in Ban Mae Yeh Tha, 2,207 others in Ban Ko Pa and Ban U Da Tha, 
2,350 in Ban Mae Sa Kerb.

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