************************** BurmaNet **************************
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
**************************************************************
The BurmaNet News: February 1, 1995
Issue #103
Special Issue: Karen Refugee Crisis

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
QUOTE OF THE DAY:

[They] "will be pushed back without having to wait for
fighting to cease...My understanding is that it is a
military, not a political, matter. If it was a political
matter we would give them protection...but I want to stress
that we will certainly push them back, we cannot let them
stay here for years."

Sanan Kachornprasart, Thailand's Interior Minister


Contents:

*****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI***********************
1 BURMANET: FEW CASUALTIES IN MANERPLAW FIGHT, KNU REGROUPING FOR
GUERRILLA WARFARE
2 KNLA: THE BATTLE SITUATION
3 NATION: FLEEING KAREN REFUGEES TO BE SENT BACK WITHOUT WAITING
FOR A LULL IN FIGHTING
4 BURMANET: SITUATION NOTES ON THE THAI-BURMA BORDER
5 KNU: FORCED RELOCATION OF ZAW HE VILLAGE, MURDER OF HEADMAN
6 VOA: SITUATION IN BURMA
7 AP: BURMESE EXPAND OFFENSIVE
8 BURMANET: THAI POLICE HAND REFUGEES TO SLORC AT MYAWADDY, USE AS
PORTERS FEARED
9 REG.BURMA: KAREN REFUGEES
10 KHRG: SLORC SHOOTINGS & ARRESTS OF REFUGEES
11 VOA: U.S. CALLS ON BURMA TO END ATTACKS ON KAREN

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*****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI***********************
BURMANET: FEW CASUALTIES IN MANERPLAW FIGHT, KNU REGROUPING FOR
GUERRILLA WARFARE
February 1, 1995

Kawthoolei

Casualties in the fighting around Manarplaw were extremely light
considering the number of people with guns around. The KNU withdrew
rather than fight a pitched battle. According to a KNU colonel, the
Karen forces withdrew once the SLORC, with their DKBA guides, were
across the Salween in force. Even though the KNU still held the high
ground, they would have been forced to defend along two ridgelines
stretching some 20 kilometres. With DKBA defectors to guide them, the
SLORC troops would have been able to penetrate the thin defence lines.
Rather than fight under these conditions, the KNU ordered a general
evacuation and consequently, casualties were extremely light (between 20
and 60 killed, probably closer to the lower number).

Manarplaw was the best known of KNU bases, but dozens of smaller bases
remain in KNU hands further inside Burma. The corrent SLORC offensive seems
to be aimed at the bases right on the Thai border; Manarplaw and Kawmoora.
Inside Karen State (Kawthoolei), some 1 million people live in territory
firmly controlled by the KNU and approximately another 2 million live
in contested areas.

After the fall of Manarplaw, rumors circulated briefly that Gen. Bo Mya was
wounded, but the reports turned out to be groundless. BurmaNet has received
several enquiries have been received about the Karen Human Rights Group
staff. The KHRG staff was safely evacuated to the Thai side and are with
the refugees at Pwe Ba Lu, where they have resumed work. in this issue>

Although a large number of refugees and troops are demoralized over the
evacuation, there is a sizable group within the Karen National Liberation
Army that is not disappointed with their departure from Manarplaw. Among
the second and third tier officers (colonels and majors), there is a group
that has been pressing Gen. Bo Mya to end the strategy of defending fixed
positions and move to aggressive guerilla warfare. One young officer
claimed that over the last two months, they have finally been getting
the attention of Bo Mya and this particular officer discussed the end
of Manarplaw with barely disguised glee. If views of these two
officers are representative of the rest of the KNU leadership,
we can expect to see a more mobile, bloodier campaign of hit and run
tactics, targetting SLORC government personnel, infrastructure and
foreign investment projects which cause harm to the Karen people.


*****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI***********************
KNLA: THE BATTLE SITUATION
February 1, 1995

Karen National Liberation Army
Kaw Thoo Lei

Due to the massive SLORC force consisting of Divisions 22,33,44 and 66 brought
up against our troops, we were forced to give up Manerplaw. Now battalions
from the Light Infantry Regiments 201, 203, 204, 209 and 210 are
reinforcing the Nawta area. Battalions of the Burma Regiments 338 and
339 have moved up to Hlaing Bwe. On the Wanka front, the 441 Tactical Command
and battalions of LIR 1, 118, 335, 9, 356, 357, 102 and BR 2 are poised
for a major attack with armor reinforcing them

*****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI***********************
NATION: FLEEING KAREN REFUGEES TO BE SENT BACK WITHOUT WAITING
FOR A LULL IN FIGHTING
February 1, 1995

About 10,000 Karen refugees forced into Thailand by recent Burmese army attacks
"will be pushed back" into Burma "without having to wait for fighting to cease,"
Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart said yesterday.

Sanan's statement confirmed fears of private aid agencies who have expressed
strong opposition to any forced repatriation of refugees before the Burmese
offensive against armed ehtnic groups dies down.

He said he considered the latest Burmese operation against the Karen guerrillas
an internal affiar of Burma and "not a political matter", se "we [Thailand] can
push the refugees out at any time."

Thailand, he added, "will assist only those who are wounded or sick, and send
them back immediately when they are well enough to travel, without waiting until
the fighting stops."

"My understanding is that it is a military, not a political matter. If it was a
political matter we would give them protection...but I want to stress that we
will certainly push them back, we cannot let them stay here for years" he said.

The Interior Minister said Thailand would arrest Karen leader Gen Bo Mya if he
was found to be taking refuge in the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Karen guerrillas are preparing for a possible major Burmese offensive
against he area under the Karen National Union 4th Bridgade in the southern
Tenasserim division, after their outpost in the area was attacked last Saturday.

Preparations are being made in response to Burmese army movements and
reinforcements in the Mergui and Tavoy districts, where KNU forces are active.

A senior KNU leder from the area, while acknowledging that the situation has
been calm since cthe clashes last Saturday, predicted that an imminent major
offensive against hte KNU's 4th Brigade would take place "soon."

Saturday's attack on a KNU frotnline outmost at Kawmawhaw, which is under the
control of the KNU's 10th Battalion, forced about 1,200 refugees to take refuge
in Thailand's Bong Ti Pass in Say Yok district of Kanchanaburi province. The
assault was conducted by about 100 Burmese troops from the 25th Battalion.

Kwee Htoo Win, KNU governor of Mergui and Tavoy distric, said in an interview
yesterday that he believed the offensive is aimed at smashing the KNU's southern
strongholds and facilitating the passage of a gas pipeline which will run
through the 4th Brigade's area.

He said the Kraen had benve been consulted by either Thailand, or US or French
oil firms--Unocal and Total--which are partners with the Burmese junta in a
multi-billion dollar project to extract natural gas from the Gulf of Martaban
and transport if for sale in Thailand.

"We have tried to contact the [US and French] companies but we have heard
nothing from them in response." Kwee Htoo Win said.

He did not state clearly whether the KNU would obstruct the projected gas line
but said "everything that benefits Slorc, we will destroy."

The Burmese and Karen troops who engaged in clashes last weekend are currently
confronting each other on opposite banks of the Tenasserim River, which runs
parallel to the Thai froniter and is between 15 and 40 kms awayu.

A senior Thai official in Bangkok said yesterday that local Thai security
officers in the region had not allowed Burmese troops to enter into Thailand to
tatack the Karen from the rear, as Thailand will not tolerate territorial
violations by either side in the conflict.

The official said after the clash, Thai border patrol police and rengers had
been sent to strengthen the border area to prevent any forces from trespassing
onto Thai soil.

The KNU governor predicted that between 7,000-10,000 people living close to the
area of confrontation and the 4th Brigate Headquarters at Minthamee could be
affected if the Burmese offensive starts. Minthamee is about 20 km south of
Kawmawhaw.

The whole population of 50,000 people who live along the river could pour into
Thailand if the Burmese army stages an all out offensive to wipe out the 4th
Brigade's controlled area.

*****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI***********************
NCGUB/DAB/NDF/NLD: JOINT STATEMENT REGARDING SLORC OFFENSIVE AGAINST MANERPLAW
January 28, 1995

Manerplaw has been the Headquarters of our Burmese opposition organizations
struggling for democracy and antional freedom. We, NCGUB, DAB, DDF and NLD(LA)
are therefore issuingf this joint statement regarding the recent SLORC offensive
against Manerplaw.

1 SLORC has declared widely that it intends to bring about cease-fires with
various ethnic minority groups, border area developments and national
solidarity. But now the recent SLORC offensive against Manerplaw demontstates
that in practice it does not want national solidarity and contradicts its own
declaration.

2 On the other had the varios armed groups decided to depart from their earlier
decision that they should only talk jointly and such they tried talks one by
one. Some of them have obtained a cease fire with SLORC, while some are still
in processes of negotiation and some are still looking in an appropriate means
to begin negotiation. The KNU was still in the process of trying to obtain
negotiations with the SLORC, but the SLORC's recent offensive has demonstated
its insincerity.

3 Recently the SLORC declared that except for the Khon Sa group in Shan State it
intedns to negotiate with all other ethnic armed organizations and will engage
in reconstruction work of the nation. But the recent offensive against
Manerplaw shows that the SLORC is attempting to deveive the people of Burma and
the international community as well.

4 Although the SLORC has captured Manerplaw by military means, this hshoudl not
be regarded as the final victory for SLORC, but rather as just a temporary
military win. This can not solve the essential underlying political problems in
Burma. As such the consequences which arise in future will be the
responsibility of SLORC.

5 We acknowledge and honor the effors of the KNU and KNLA to denfend Manerplaw
against hte SLORC's offensives. We all stand united with KNU to resist and
over-come the SLORC offensives.

6 We will continue out struggle to finish the military dictatorship from Burma,
and try hard to find the solutions to Burma's problems by political means, and
establsih a Federal Union for Burma, where theer will be full human rights and
genuine democracy.

Signed,

U Maung Aye
Information Minister, NCGUB
Myint Zaw, Joint General Scty, DAB
Khaing Soe Naing Aung, General Scty, NDF
U Tin AUng, Vice Chairman, NLD(LA)

*****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI***********************
BURMANET: THAI POLICE HAND REFUGEES TO SLORC AT MYAWADDY, USE AS
PORTERS FEARED
February 1, 1995

Mae Sot, Thailand; Myawaddy, Burma

A three week long roundup of "illegal immigrants" by Thai police in the
border town of Mae Sot has wound down. During the crackdown, approximately
400 ethnic Burmans who did not have legal papers or the money to bribe their
way out were handed to SLORC authorities at the Moei River crossing at
Myawaddy. The handover took place on January 20, 1995. The "illegals"
are refugees from Burma who do not live in the refugee camps. They are
regarded by the Thai government and UNHCR as "economic migrants" rather
than refugees.

Reports from Karen people in Mae Sot indicate that the returnees have been used
by SLORC forces as porters in the current offensive. Reports of their use in
forced porterage have not yet been confirmed. Due to the large number of
porters used and the confusion of battle, a number of porters regularly
escape and end up in refugee camps along the Thai border. If this instance
of porterage turns out to be true, border sources expect to see some of the
400 turn up in camps in the near future.


*****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI***********************
BURMANET: SITUATION NOTES ON THE THAI-BURMA BORDER
February 1, 1995

by Wednedsay Observer for BurmaNet
Thai-Burma border

1. Overall Political Analysis

The current offensives against Karen strongholds at Manerplaw, Ka Moo Raw and
Htee Hta (4th Brigade) mark a rapid escalation of Burma army efforts to gain
control over Karen-held strategic border points. The Burma army has had the
resources to mount this campaign for some time, but chooses to do so now,
apparently with a crisp, border-wide strategy.

Burma-watchers may be surprised at SLORC's timing; why launch a huge offensive
just as international recognition is coming to fruition? Why risk increased
contact and approval with the world when the status quo-- successive