ABSDF NEWS AGENCY (r)

[caroline@xxxxxxxxxx]

Press Release
June 18, 1996

New Karenni Refugees Flee Forced Relocation 
 
	About 600 new Karenni refugees, who have fled Burma due to forced
relocation orders issued by the Slorc, recently arrived at the border area
of Mae Hong Son province. 
	These newly arrived refugees, including infant children and
pregnant women, are currently staying in make - shift shelters giving them
little protection from the monsoon rains. 
	More than 2,000 Karenni villagers from 98 villages in Shar Taw
township, Karenni State were ordered to relocate from their native
villages to Shar Taw town itself. These villages, including Daw Saw Kho,
Daw Par, Htee Saw Ku, Daw Hle Khu, Thaw Soe Le, and Daw Hel Da villages
are situated between the Salween River and Pun Creek in Karenni State. 
	The order dated May 31, issued by Slorc IB (54), LIB (337) and
(530), all based in Karenni State, commanded the local villagers to move
to Shar Taw town by June 7 or face arrest if they failed to comply.  This
order was intended to cut all ties between the local people and Karenni
forces.  Slorc resumed their offensive against the Karenni National
Progressive Party (KNPP) last March after the cease - fire was broken. 
Slorc has commonly used the "four cuts" strategy in order to prevent the
local people from supporting the ethnic forces. 
	"Villagers from Htee Saw Ku were arrested while they stopped to
help one woman in the group give birth on the way to the border," said U
Ngar Yel, 38, villager from Daw Hle Khu. All the people arrested were
taken to Shar Taw town.  Later they were a small piece of land in the
muddy paddy fields, according to him.  He himself had abandoned three
acres of land, two bullocks and paddy back in his village. 
	Slorc troops burnt down the abandoned villages of Daw Mu Hta, Daw
Hle Khu and Daw Mu Ma last week.  Many Slorc columns have been sent to the
area in order to prevent the people from escaping into Thailand. 


ABSDF News Agency
ABSDF ( DAWN GWIN)