BURMA REFUGEES ...REPORT 2

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

DATE=11/21/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-223041

TITLE=THAI / BURMA REFUGEES (L ONLY)

BYLINE=GARY THOMAS

DATELINE=BANGKOK

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:   


INTRO:  HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTIGATORS PROBING THE FORCED RELOCATION 

OF ETHNIC REFUGEES BACK TO BURMA SAY THEY HAVE NOT YET UNCOVERED 

HARD EVIDENCE THAT PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE OPERATION.  INITIAL 

REPORTS ON THE INCIDENT ALLEGED SIX PEOPLE DIED WHEN THAI ARMY 

TROOPS TRIED TO MOVE THE REFUGEES.  VOA CORRESPONDENT GARY THOMAS

REPORTS FROM BANGKOK.


TEXT:  WITNESSES TO THE FORCED RELOCATION OF SOME 11-HUNDRED 

ETHNIC KAREN HAVE TOLD UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTIGATORS 

OF BEATINGS BY THAI TROOPS, BUT ARE NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT ANY 

FATALITIES OCCURRED.  OTHER DETAILS  ABOUT THE EVENTS OF NOVEMBER 

15TH ARE STILL HAZY.


ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES, ARMED MEN, DRESSED IN BLACK SCARVES 

WITH THEIR FACES COVERED, CAME EARLY TO THE MAKESHIFT KAREN 

SETTLEMENT OF THAY PU LAW SU IN TAK PROVINCE THAT SATURDAY 

MORNING AND ORDERED THEM TO MOVE.  WHEN THEY REFUSED TO DO SO, 

THE MEN, BELIEVED TO BE THAI TROOPS, STARTING BEATING THE 

REFUGEES AND BURNING THEIR SHELTERS.


THE KAREN WERE ROUNDED UP AND PUSHED BACK TO A SITE ACROSS THE 

RIVER ON BURMESE SOIL.  BURMESE TROOPS ARE REPORTED TO BE IN THE 

AREA.


HOWEVER, INITIAL ALLEGATIONS OF FATALITIES HAVE NOT BEEN 

CORROBORATED.   THE WITNESSES SAY TWO PEOPLE WERE INJURED BY 

SHRAPNEL DURING SOME SHELLING.  BUT WHO FIRED THE SHELLS COULD 

NOT BE DETERMINED.


REPORTS SPOKE OF A BABY BEING KILLED IN THE PANIC.  MANY PEOPLE 

DID SEE AN INFANT FALLING, BUT IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER THE BABY 

DIED.


THE MOST DAMAGING ALLEGATION OF SUMMARY EXECUTIONS BY THAI TROOPS

ALSO CAN NOT BE VERIFIED.  KAREN SOURCES SAID FOUR MEN WERE 

BEATEN UP, THEN SHOT.  WITNESSES SAY THEY SAW THREE OF THEIR 

LEADERS TIED UP AND BEATEN.  BUT SOME WITNESSES SAY THEY SAW THE 

SAME MEN ALIVE LATER.  U-N INVESTIGATORS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO 

CLEAR UP THE DISCREPANCY.


DESPITE THE HAZY NATURE OF THE ALLEGATIONS, THE FACT THAT 

REFUGEES WERE  FORCIBLY REPATRIATED HAS PROVED TO BE AN 

EMBARRASSMENT FOR THE THAI GOVERNMENT.  WESTERN DIPLOMATS HAVE 

RAISED THE MATTER WITH THAI OFFICIALS. THE UNITED STATES PUT OUT 

A STATEMENT  EXPRESSING ITS DEEP CONCERN OVER THE INCIDENT.


THAILAND HAS LONG HAD A HISTORY OF TAKING IN REFUGEES, INCLUDING 

KAREN FROM BURMA, AND REFUGEES SAY THEY HAVE BEEN WELL TREATED.  

HOWEVER, THAILAND ONLY CONSIDERS THEM REFUGEES IF THEY ARE 

FLEEING ACTUAL ARMED CONFLICT.  THE KAREN AT THAY PU LAW SU WERE 

FLEEING FORCED RELOCATION, SO THEY ARE TECHNICALLY NOT REFUGEES 

IN THAILAND'S EYES.  (SIGNED)


NEB/GPT/FC/KL 


21-Nov-97 6:14 AM EST (1114 UTC)