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Subject: The Nation - KNU ready to welcome returnees

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The Nation Nov - 16, 1999.
Headlines=20
KNU ready to welcome returnees

TAK -- Burma's largest armed ethnic rebel group, the Karen National =
Union, said yesterday it was willing to offer accommodation for all =
Burmese nationals being deported by Thai officials in a crackdown on =
illegal foreign workers.=20

Gen Bo Mya, leader of the KNU, said that all Burmese nationals, =
regardless of ethnicity, will be welcome in the the rebel's territory.=20

Bo Mya was leading a group of journalists to an area opposite Tak =
province in Burma's Karen State to show off areas the group has set up =
to facilitate all the returnees.=20

The general said he was concerned that government troops would punish =
the returnees because many of them are ethnic Karens and have relatives =
fighting in the KNU army.=20

He also voiced concern that some of the returnees could be Burmese =
government agents.=20

Bo Mya insisted that the area where the returnees will be residing, =
opposite Tak province, is safe as KNU troops and landmines have been =
positioned to secure the area.=20

However, he did not rule out the possibility of attacks by government =
troops.=20

Meanwhile, a KNU field commander Maj Ner Dah has condemned the rival =
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, a pro-Rangoon splinter group, for =
exploiting their own people by demanding payments from Burmese workers =
upon their landing on Burmese shores off the Moei River, which serves as =
the natural boundary between the two countries.=20

KNU is the largest Burmese ethnic army fighting for independence from =
the military government of Rangoon.=20

Three years ago before the economic crisis, Thailand played hosts to =
about one million foreign workers, most of whom took up back-breaking =
jobs for wages much below what their Thai counterparts received.=20

Since the economic downturn, about 300,000 have been pushed out of the =
country as the government tries to make jobs available for unemployed =
Thai nationals.=20

On Nov 4, the government relaunched a second massive crackdown on them.=20

About 70,000 Burmese are believed to be working in Tak province alone.=20

The Nation


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><FONT face=3Darial,Times size=3D2>The Nation Nov =
- 16,=20
1999.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT=20
size=3D3><STRONG>Headlines</STRONG> </FONT><FONT =
face=3Darial,Times><FONT=20
size=3D+2><FONT color=3D#000000 =
size=3D4></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT =
face=3Darial,Times><FONT=20
size=3D+2><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D4>KNU ready to welcome=20
returnees</FONT></DIV></FONT><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT size=3D+.5>
<P>
<P>TAK -- Burma's largest armed ethnic rebel group, the Karen National =
Union,=20
said yesterday it was willing to offer accommodation for all Burmese =
nationals=20
being deported by Thai officials in a crackdown on illegal foreign =
workers.=20
<P>Gen Bo Mya, leader of the KNU, said that all Burmese nationals, =
regardless of=20
ethnicity, will be welcome in the the rebel's territory.=20
<P>Bo Mya was leading a group of journalists to an area opposite Tak =
province in=20
Burma's Karen State to show off areas the group has set up to facilitate =
all the=20
returnees.=20
<P>The general said he was concerned that government troops would punish =
the=20
returnees because many of them are ethnic Karens and have relatives =
fighting in=20
the KNU army.=20
<P>He also voiced concern that some of the returnees could be Burmese =
government=20
agents.=20
<P>Bo Mya insisted that the area where the returnees will be residing, =
opposite=20
Tak province, is safe as KNU troops and landmines have been positioned =
to secure=20
the area.=20
<P>However, he did not rule out the possibility of attacks by government =
troops.=20

<P>Meanwhile, a KNU field commander Maj Ner Dah has condemned the rival=20
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, a pro-Rangoon splinter group, for =
exploiting=20
their own people by demanding payments from Burmese workers upon their =
landing=20
on Burmese shores off the Moei River, which serves as the natural =
boundary=20
between the two countries.=20
<P>KNU is the largest Burmese ethnic army fighting for independence from =
the=20
military government of Rangoon.=20
<P>Three years ago before the economic crisis, Thailand played hosts to =
about=20
one million foreign workers, most of whom took up back-breaking jobs for =
wages=20
much below what their Thai counterparts received.=20
<P>Since the economic downturn, about 300,000 have been pushed out of =
the=20
country as the government tries to make jobs available for unemployed =
Thai=20
nationals.=20
<P>On Nov 4, the government relaunched a second massive crackdown on =
them.=20
<P>About 70,000 Burmese are believed to be working in Tak province =
alone.=20
<P>The Nation</P></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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