KNU Report March 3,1997

[So_Nou@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Border Situation Update March 3,1997



Because there were no organized refugee camps set up in the Umphang area for
the recent influx of an estimated 14,000 refugees fleeing from SLORC troops, 
the refugess are living in make shift shelters of plastic sheets, bamboo or
any scrap material they can find.  They are scattered all over this area with
no sanitation facilities or organization.

Due to the uncertainty of their situation and lack of help from the Thai
Government to protect them, it was easy for SLORC to convince 600 of the
villagers to return to Burma.  Some of these villagers had farms and rice
paddies and were under the impression they would be allowed to return home
and work their farms.  They were  promised a school would be built for their
village and that they would not be harassed upon returning to their homes. 
After returning, they were not only denied the right to work on their farms,
they were forced to build bunkers  and roads for SLORC instead of the
promised school.   One particular village was fenced by SLORC troops to deny
free movement in and out of the village. Each family was  given only 3 small
tins of rice  (approximately 6-8 oz. can).  Some villagers were tied up at
night for no reason, and  some villagers  have simply "disappeared".  It has
been reported that some villagers have tried to escape but it is not known
how many actually escaped and how many just "disappeared".
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