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by Karen National Union Information Center

　　　　- JANUARY,1997 -

　　　The Karenni Foreign Ministry reported, 4/JAN -Mae Hong Son,Thailand. after 2:00 Am, in early morning of 3rd January,1997, A group of Burmese soldiers raided two refugee camps No. 1 & 2,in Thailand.
　　　40-or 50 soldiers brazenly walked right into unarmed refugee camp, and killing 11 Karenni refugees, include the girl who was 19 years old. The shelling lasted about 20 minutes, and more over 50 number of refuggees were wounded. The troops used 60mm motar, 40mm granade and RPG anti-tank launchers.
　　　About 20,000 Kareni refugees, all fled to the near Nan Soi village area, where is border town about 80 km from Mae Hong Son District in northern Thailand.
　　　The SLORC troops left uniforms and literature published by the breakaway KNPP faction, known as the KNDP (Karenni National Democratic Party), in an attempt to blame the faction for the attack. According to sources from the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), the breakaway faction is based at Daw Nyi Khu along with Infantry Regiment 430, in Dee Mawso township.
　　　Citing the long distance between Daw Nyi Khu and the Thai-Burma border, sources on the border near Mae Hong Song believe that the attack was not carried out by only the renegade group without co-operation of the SLORC troos-Light Infantry Battalion-302, which is based near the border.
　　　In an similar incident in 1995 at Maetawow, which was major Karen refugee camp. Also in 1994, the SLORC troops launched an offensive against a large Mon refugee camp known as Halokkhani near Kanchanaburi.
　　　The Karenni Social Welfare Committee told, "Constructive Engagement", as this policy called, has had the opposite effect on the dictatorship of what was intended, buoyed by the profits of squandered natural resources the military has bought billions of dollars in weapons and turned them against their own people. Lobbying by unscrupulous foreign business interests has created a policy that has encouraged spent despotism to cling to power through terror.

　　　Motar Attack To Refugee Camp,5/JAN. On January 4,1997, three 81mm motar shells were fired from the Burmese side into Shoklo Refugee Camp on the Thai side. Two of the shells exploded but one did not. Three refugees were wounded and two of them very seriously. These two were taken to Measot Hospital. Neither the SLORC or the DKBA has yet claimed responsibility but the unexploded shell had markings of SLORC stock.

　　　Situation Report,from Paan District, Karen State.17/JAN. Due to the failure of talks between the Karen National Union (KNU) and the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), the situation at the front line resistance area has deteriorated. Skirmishes have increased in number between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Slorc troops.
　　　In early January, Slorc troops of Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 549 and the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA) fined Thee Wah Pu villagers, Paan district, 250,000 kyats because a small battle broke out in the village resulting in one killed and one wounded on the Slorc side. Every day about thirty ox carts were ordered to clear mines along the Ta Nay Cha-Kaw Kareik road. All the villages in the Ta Nay Cha township have to volunteer to work for the Slorc troops five days a week. A statement issued by the LIB 549 was as followed:
1.Any body who has any contact with resistance forces will be severely dealt with.
2.If there is any explosion or shots fired in the vicinity of any village, that village will be relocated immediately and a heavy fine paid.

　　　Massive Raid On Karen Refugee Camps, 29/JAN. On 28 January 1997, three refugee camps with 36,000-people were set on the fire and largely destroyed by an unknown Burmese speaking armed group. These 3 destroyed camps are HwayKaloke,DonpaKiang and MaeLa camps located on the Thai-Burma border north of Maesot.
　　　HwayKaloke Camp,-A preliminary report from the HwayKaloke is as follows. At about 10:30PM(Thai-standard),28 January 1997, an unknown armed group of over 120 men speaking Burmese entered unarmed refugee camp and set it on fire. This camp is 5-kilometers inside Thailand, about 11-kilometers north of Maesot and only 100 meters from a Thai military check-point. How this group evaded Thai security and got into the camp is yet unknown however the exit was right through the check-point. The following is a personal account of eye-witness who escaped.
　　　The camp leaders were informed of the attack about 15 minutes before the whole camp was set on fire begining in the market place. According to the inhabitants, the intruders entered the shops in the market which was a little distance away from the main camp. Then they looted everything from the shops,then gave the signal to start burning the camp by the shots. The only clinic in the area which was set up by the Medicines Sans Frontiere(MSF)was ransacked and all supplies and equipment were looted then the clinic was set on fire. One section after another was then set on fire. Finally only the monastary, section 7 and half of section 2 were left untouched. The 6 other sections were razed. a total about 5000 of 6729 peoples are homeless and destitute. The intruder were combined troop from 30 of DKBA and 100 of SLORC's LIR-259 of Division-101.
　　　The refugees from this camp have been without food or water since the invasion and only at 2:00pm was some food able to be sent in by the Karens not affected by the incident. NGOs and relief agencies are now doing their best to organize food and shelter for the victims. There is still fear that the invaders will return after dark and drive the refugees back into Burma. The Thai military now has a small detachment deployed but the question is whether they will attempt to repulse the invaders. The feeling of insecurity is great and uncertainty about future residence is rife.
　　　DonpaKiang Camp,-Report from the DonpaKiang camp. Half an hour before the intruder's attack on HuaykaLoke, another armed group came to DonpaKiang camp. The intruder which has supported by SLORC's LIR-251, burnt everything and shot death a thai villager. 3827 people indicate that the camp has been totally burned to the ground.
　　　MaeLa Camp,-Report from the Maela camp which has 25322 residents are that there was skirmish battle between the invaders and the Thai forces on 29/JAN. The 70 invaders initiated the attack at about 6:15AM and were repelled by the residents before they could enter the camp. The invaders were then surrounded and were unable to retreat back across the border. They then called for artillery support and shells were fired from the Burmese side into the camp concentrating on areas around the hospital. 15 houses were burned. A old woman was killed and two other persons were wounded. The invaders also suffered an unknown number of casualties. One corpse and some weapons and a walky-talky radio were left behind. The weapons included 1 RPG 7 launcher and 2 M16 assault rifles. Fighting died down at about 9:00 am, and the invaders were wait for nightfal to retreat back across the border.
　　　And more infomation from Manerplaw, 20 truckloads of SLORC troops were reported to have been sent up and at 9:00AM, troops were seen to be deployed along the Moei River bank.
　　　Also more refugees have been reported crossing the border into the northern refugee camps. SLORC troops and the DKBA are destroying food supplies and rice fields, forcing villagers to be porters and forcibly relocating villagers. On 29 January 1997, 574 new arrivals have entered the Salween camps.


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