@@@Hardly had the dust caused by DKBA and SLORC fire attacks on Wangkha,
Donpakiang and Maela camps settled than the flight of refugees in or close
to the border line in Umphang and Kanchanaburi provinces started without
much order because of the SLORC's major offensives, which came earlier
than than expected, against the KNU 6th and 4th brigades.
@@@Finally, nearly after a month, orders from above to consolidate
Donpakiang and Shoklo, which were very close to the border line, with
Wangkha and Maela, respectively. The request by the KRC as well as the aid
agencies and UNHCR representatives to relocate Wangkha to a safer and more
appropriate place apparently fell on deaf ears as the decision was that
those from Wangkha and Donpakiang would be resettled on the old site of
Wangkha camp which is considered by the refugees, the NGOs, the UNHCR and
the KRC as unsafe from further attacks and harassment. As result, more than
10,000 refugees, the five victims, have to continue to sleep and eat in
temporary shelters in bushes and under trees.
@@@In spite of difficulties, the aid agencies, NGOs and friends, far and
near, have been striving to meet the emergency needs of the refugees, and
give valuable advice and support to the KRC to enhance its effort for
relief, coodination and restoration of order among the refugees, in the
emergency situation.
@@@On February 26 and 27, disturbing reports of the Karen refugees,
fleeing from the onslaught of the SLORC against the 4th Brigade areas of
the KNU, being forcibly repatriated were received. We are certain that
there is no change in the humanitarian and refugee policy of the Kingdom.
Its most likely a case of local authorities being swayed by business
interests which are rather unusual in the area. To our much relief, on
February 28th, a message arrived saying that the authorities started to
allow the refugees to remain in Thai territory for refuge and organize into
groups. However, one unsettling rumour that the authorities would allow
the displaced persons to stay only for a few days still persists.
@@@SPECIAL ISSUED ON 2nd MARCH.PXXV
***STATEMENT ON DECISION TO RELOCATE DISPLACED PERSONS ON OLD CAMP SITE***
@@@The KRC was very heartened by the Thai authorities at a meeting with
the Task Force 34, UNHCR, NGOs and KRC in Mae Sot on the 3rd of February.
At this meeting, all parties concerned agreed that a safer location should
be found deeper inside Thailand for the Wangkha and Donpakiang camps that
had been attacked and burned down in January of this year.
@@@It is therefore with grave concern that the KRC learned of the
decision of Thai authorities (Deputy Governor of Tak Province, local
district officials, Task Force 34, the MOI, and Border Patrol Police), at a
meeting with NGOs on February 26, that the displaced persons of Wangkha and
Donpakiang would not be relocated to a new location, but instead,
consolidated into one camp and resettled on the site of Wangkha camp, which
was razed to the ground in the fire attack on the night of January 28, this
year. As all concerned know, Wangkha had come under repeated threats and
incursions before the attack. It is within an easy range of the mortar
from the other side of the border. Being located on a flat land, the site
can be accessed from every direction of the compass and, thus, it would be
impossible to provide reasonable security to a camp on it by any measures.
@@@The people from both camps numbering more than ten thousand are
currently living in make-shift shelters with continued threats of further
attacks. The KRC has been in the process of considering a safer site for
them.
@@@Accordingly, the KRC would like to respectfully appeal to the Thai
authorities to reconsider their decision and request the UNHCR, the
International community and the NGOs to appeal to the Royal Thai Government
to relocate the Karen displaced persons to a safer location, in accordance
with international norms and practices.
@@@i`mt`qxDPXXV
@@@Burmese intruders carried out its threat to attack the refugees
camps by shelling Shoklo camp on January 4, torching Wangkha and Donpakiang
camps on the night of January 28, and Maela camp on the morning of January
29.
@@@The refugee elders had tried their best, by means of diplomacy, to
dissuade the intruders from attacking but to no avail.
@@@The refugees had to make the most excruciating choice: "To go back to
a land of wide-spead human rights abuse and severe repression or to stay
on in a land of refuge but under a constant threat of violent attacks?.
@@@The refugees whose camps came under attack lost most of what little
they had. They have been subjected to moments of panic. More than 35,000
refugees are affected by the present crisis. However, they are not
persuaded to return to their own land where there is no respect for human
rights and human dignity.
jqb|mdvr(JAN,FEB/1997)D
@
