@@@With the arrival of June, the rainy season seems to have begun in
earnest in this region giving relief from the hot weather and fear of fire
hazards.
@@@The number of refugee population in the camp would not be much
different from that of May 1997, through some 319 families at Maw-Ker camp
are being relocated to a site on the eastern side of the motor road. The
relocation process in being aided by the B.B.C. and the K.R.C.
@@@With the passage of time, there has been increase in the number of
camp population. So does the number of children of school age.
@@@It looks as if the situation along the border will be quiet through
the rainy season, through sporadic fighting is reportedly going on in some
places inside the Burma border. But what is most worrying is the plight of
internally displaced persons inside the border, as a result of whole Karen
area was most savage resulting in widespread distructions of villages,
homes and properties.
@@@According to incomplete reports, there are about 10000. Displaced
people's in Toungoo, 8000 in Nyaung-Lay-Bin, 5000 in Thaton, 15000 in Pupun
+4000 in Tavoy-Mergue Districts. With SLORC troops blocking escape routes,
these people had to take refuge in deep jungles and inaccessible mountains,
surviving on leaves, fruits stems, barks, roots, shoots and tubers. Without
benefit of proper shelter, food and medicine, each with a back-pack or
pannier always at the ready for instant flight, these displaced people's
including the old, the young, the infirm, the pregnant had to flee from
place to place. Some reportedly made it to Mae-Hong-Song district in the
north.
@@@Compared to them, the refugees in the camps are faring quite well, as
they are being well protected by the Thai security personnel while receiving
material support from various aid organizations and agencies.
@@@l`xDPXXV
@@@By the end of May, the rainy season seemed to have begun in Tak section
of the border area, since there were two or three heavy down-pours in the
last week of the month. We can breathe a sigh of relief with regard to aspect
of worry, the fire hazard, which is at the top of the list of hazards in the
dry season. Fortunately, the victims of fire attacks on Wangkha and
Donpakiang, who had been moved either to Wangkha or Meala, and Maela have
nanaged to rebuild their houses(huts)in time.
@@@TaPerPoo refugee camp, which came under fire attack in April. was
dismantled and the people were moved on May 26th on NohPo camp with the help
of local Thai authorities. About half of the refugee population from this
camp chose to return to the other side, at the time of relocation, since it
is the beginning of farming season and they would rather face the
persecution or test the promise to treat them well by the SLORC, rather than
to become separated from their lands.
@@@For the refugees in the south, in the border areas of Kanchanaburi
and Ratchaburi provinces, where the monsoon begins in early May, however,
the rain is rather a curse, because they still have to live in make-shift
shelters, on wet ground, as the location for setting up the camp has not
been decided by the local Thai authorities yet. Suggeestion or outright
threats of forced repatriation and barriers in the way of NGOs providing
relief have apparently subsided thanks to the concern raised by the
International Community and some Thai organizations that are more conscious
of Thailand's status in the civilized community of the world. Is it the final
triumph of sense or rather the long standing humanitarian and noble tradition
of Thailand over the chase for easy profit? We would like to think that it
is, but all concerned should not let the guard down yet, as the drive for
easy profit may not be lulled for long.
@@@Of the more than 2,000 persons in Nyang-Laybin district totally
uprooted by the SLORC offensive with attendant atrocities, which began in
early February, a few have arrived at the border. According to still
unconfirmed reports, some of their own areas moving from one hiding place
to another, as they prefer not to take the risks of going through areas
crawling with SLORC troops.
jqb|mdvr(MAY,JUN/1997)D
@
