Refugees Trapped By Fighting In Burma Government Attack Stuns Karen Rebels
Thousands of ethnic Karen refugees were trapped inside Burma on Sunday, unable to flee to Thailand because of sporadic fighting between Burmese troops and Karen rebels.
Aid workers reported that up to 20,000 refugees had either crossed into Thailand or were desperately trying to after Burma’s military government launched a major offensive against the rebels last week.
An estimated 5,000 government troops captured Teakaplaw, the headquarters of the rebel Karen National Union, on Thursday, just two days after launching the offensive.
Unable to defend the camp in the face of a much larger force, the guerrillas abandoned the base after setting it afire. The loss of Teakaplaw was the biggest military defeat for the guerrillas since the Burmese army overran their previous headquarters in December 1994.
Karen officials reported sporadic fighting between government soldiers armed with mortars and Karen National Union guerrillas Sunday around Teakaplaw and other points inside Burma.
One refugee, who gave her name as Pawa, said she and 150 other people living in Teakaplaw had fled into Thailand on Wednesday. They were astonished at the swiftness of the Burmese advance.
“I had to leave when mortar rounds started falling near the village,” said Pawa, 45. “We couldn’t take much. We lost all the chickens and pigs we have.”
Pawa and the other refugees have joined nearly 90,000 Karen and other ethnic refugees who have lived in camps along the Thai border for years. Thailand allows refugees entry if they are not armed.
Aid workers, speaking on condition of anonymity Sunday, said that refugees continued to cross into Thailand as permitted by breaks in the fighting.
Many were stuck in Thai villages just along the border, in danger of attack by Burmese troops and renegade Karen allies who have attacked refugee camps inside Thailand since late January.
The Karens have battled the central government in Rangoon for more autonomy for half a century.
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