[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

SITUATION UPDATE



Saturday Feb 8th the alert was passed to the Karen villages that SLORC troops
were on the move and getting into position for a major offensive.  The SLORC
troops   were approaching from 3 strategic routes as follows:
(1) Division 77/33/101 came from Paloo (2) Division 22/44 marched in from Kya
in Seikyi area and (3)Division 88 moved from Myawadi.  On 12/2/97 troops
arrived in Chokali and also on 12/2/97 they marched to the Sakhantheit area
which is  General Headquarters  for the Karen National Union.  They had not
yet entered the area.  On 13/2/97 at 11:00 AM SLORC troops started attacking
Hteekable (KNU Headquarters).


As of this writing, the battle continues.  Word has been received from an eye
witness that Karen villagers from Sakhantheit and surrounding area were
REFUSED SANTUARY IN THAILAND BY THE THAI ARMY  and forced back into Burma
without adequate protection from the advancing SLORC forces.  A humanitarian
aide worker staying in the village of Kwee Kler for the past 5 weeks told of
the situation as she witnessed it.  Word was received that SLORC troops were
on the move and the villagers were put on alert.  One day all the shops were
open, the hospital and health administration students were doing business as
usual and children were playing in the roads.  During the night after the
alert was given there were sounds of trucks moving up and down the roads
moving out people and supplies.  Villagers were slaughtering some of their
livestock in preparation for a forced move.  At 8 AM when most of the markets
were doing a brisk business only 2 remained open and even they were packing
up all their food and supplies to move out.  Last minute items were purchased
by this writer and bags were packed in preparation for a forced evacuation. 
A dramatic change was seen on the faces of those still remaining in the
village.  Women and children who before smiled and greeted me in days past
were now grim and anxious with fear.   Women and young girls I had grown to
love cried with me as preparations were made to leave.   The scene that will
stay in my mind forever is that of dozens of ox cart, so heavily laden with
family members and personal items they could hardly negotiate the rutted
roads  heading out of the villag e.  They all hoped they were heading to
safety but few of them really believed they would find what they were looking
for.
When I was taken out of the village, all the patients were still in the
hospital.  All the Health Administration Students were still there wondering
what to do next. About 75% of the people had left by 2 PM on Monday Feb 10,
1997.  We passed
individuals with everything they could carry on their backs.  Mothers with
nursing babies at their breast standing in the swirling dust kicked up by the
oxen plodding along tugged at my heart.  As of this writing, none of us know
what will happen next.  We do know that we will not compromise what we
believe in and will continue to stand for the rights some of us from the
outside world take so much for granted.
______________________________________________________________________________
| SalaThai, Bangkok, Thailand - A FirstClass Network - Tel: (662) 679-8382   |
|      BBS: (662) 679-8380 (18 lines)   http://www.icn.net/SalaThai.html     |
|    Please address any problems and questions to postmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxx    |
______________________________________________________________________________