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AP: KAREN REFUGEES



Received: (from strider) by igc2.igc.apc.org (8.6.9/Revision: 1.7 ) id JAA03884; Wed, 1 Feb 1995 09:19:56 -0800
Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 09:19:56 -0800


AP 31 Jan 95 12:38 EST V0216

Copyright 1995. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

   BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Refugees crossed into Thailand en masse for a
sixth day Tuesday while Burmese government troops kept pressure on the last
insurgent strongholds along the Thai border.
   About 1,200 members of the Karen ethnic minority crossed into Thailand's
Kanchanaburi province at Bong Pi Pass, a relief agency worker said. They join
up to 15,000 who have crossed since Thursday.
   The exodus came after the Karen National Union lost its headquarters at
Manerplaw, 150 miles east of the Burmese capital of Rangoon. They evacuated
the camp Thursday night as Burmese government forces closed in after a six-day
offensive.
   Another 5,000 Karen civilians from the Manerplaw area crossed the nearby
border into Thailand, and several thousand Karen guerrillas also escaped
before Burmese troops overran the camp, the Karen headquarters for 21 years.
   "People are not in bad shape because they were able to carry out food when
they were evacuated," said the relief worker, speaking on condition of
anonymity.

   He and other aid workers report no major problems so far among the
refugees, and no major hindrances by the Thai military, which controls the
frontier area.
   With about 4,000 guerrillas, the Karen were the strongest of what were once
more than a dozen ethnic insurgencies fighting for greater autonomy from the
military-run central government. Their rebellion first erupted 46 years ago,
making it one of the world's longest-running insurgencies.
   Longstanding internal religious tensions between Karens flared into open
conflict in December, and fractious Buddhists were reported to have aided the
Burmese army in its assault on Manerplaw.
   About 270 miles south of Manerplaw, Burmese forces continued heavy shelling
of Kawmoora, the last major Karen base, border sources said. A Karen
intelligence officer claimed the Burmese moved six tanks to positions 25 miles
from Kawmoora.
   About 500 people entered Thailand from Kawmoora during the weekend, an aid
agency worker said. He cited one case where Karen refugees returned to Burma
and were welcomed by government forces.
   About 100 families crossed over south of the Thai camp at Mae Split over
the weekend and boarded Burmese government trucks. The reason for their return
was not known.

 However, the Burmese government claims that many Buddhist Karens have been
returning from Thai refugee camps because of disenchantment with the Christian
leadership of the Karen National Union.