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Press Release : Up-date on refugee



PRESS RELEASE : National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma

								March 25, 1998.

			Up-date On Refugee Camp Attacks


The attack on Mawker refugee camp in Popra district, by about 60 troops
from the so-called Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA), came at about
1:30 a.m. and lasted for an hour, on the morning of March 23, 1998. The
DKBA troops managed to burn down 45 houses in Ward No. 6, and 5 houses in
Ward No. 7. One of the two Buddhist monasteries in the camp was said to be
burnt down, as well. Some witnesses said that because of resistance by the
Thai troops guarding the camp, the attackers had to retreat before they
could have destroyed the entire camp. 
Mawker had about 1,588 houses and a population of 8,898 refugees. Starting
from the day of the burning down of Huay Kaloke refugee camp, on the
morning of March 11, Mawker camp had been under threat. The camp had
received frequent letters of threat from the DKBA.  Shooting by the DKBA
caused 15 wounded, 5 seriously. One of the seriously wounded, a woman, was
said to die at the hospital. Two of the 4 Thai policemen from the Border
Patrol Police Force, stationed inside the camp on guard duties, were said
to be seized and taken away by the attackers. The two policemen had not
been released at the time this Press Release was issued.
	Some sources said that the Thai troops guarding the camp received
information of the imminent attack, well in advance, but they did very
little to beef up arrangement for resistance. 
	The Huay Kaloke refugees, 90% of whose camp has been reduced to ashes, are
still waiting at the old camp site for the arrangement of Thai authorities
to move to a safer location. They are said to be receiving fairly enough
emergency assistance from the international NGOs and Thai authorities.
They, however, are still living in fear of another attack as their location
is within easy range of mortars of the SPDC army and DKBA camps situated
right on the other side of Moei river, which forms as the border line
between Thailand and Burma.

Attacks On Refugee Camps
Attack on the Karen refugee camp at Maw Ker, on the morning of the 23rd of
March, by lackeys of the SPDC, in spite of repeated protests by the
International Community, the concerned NGOs and the host country showed
that the junta has no respect for international norms, laws and practices.
The attack on this particular camp came after the attack on Huay Kaloke
camp on the morning of March 11, and on Maela camp, earlier this month. 
One thing noticeable about these attacks is that they followed a pattern
consisting of allegations by the SPDC that these Karen refugee camps served
as bases of the KNU.  Then the SPDC would make a concerted effort to
pressure the host country, Thailand, through the businesses engaged in
cross-border trade or having investments in Burma. Then a month or so
before the attack, the DKBA would increase the frequency of their threats.
The denial by SPDC intelligence, or secret police chief, Gen. Khin Nyunt,
saying that the SPDC had no control over the DKBA, was nothing but a
blatant untruth. It was the secret police under him who created and armed
the DKBA, after systematically stirring up anti-Christian and anti-Muslim
feelings among the simple and ignorant Karens, in Pa-an and Kawkareik
districts in Karen State. There the majority of the Karen population are
Buddhist, some of whom believe that their problems would go away by allying
themselves with the military junta. They do not know that they are just
little pawns in the strategy of the SPDC to keep the country under its
oppressive rule. The DKBA has no means to exist without the support,
protection and guidance by the SPDC.


Status of Karen Refugees
	Since early '80s, the Karen civilians in rural areas, mostly from the
Karen State, had to flee from massive violations of human rights by the
Burmese army. For them, forced portage, forced labor and forced relocations
are only mild inconveniences compared to what they mostly have to face.
They have been subjected to arrest under false accusations, extortion of
money, brutal torture, extra-judicial executions and rape of women. The
troops burn down their villages or places of worship, loot or destroy their
property such as personal jewelry, live-stock, farms, harvests, food-stock,
orchards and even old clothes, spoons, pots and pans. These massive human
rights violations and atrocities against the Karen civilians are on the
increase, with the expansion of the SPDC army, reportedly to nearly 400,000
men at the present from 150,000 in 1988. 
Only when it has become extremely difficult to hide that these people have
crossed into the border area of Thailand for refuge. In Thailand, they are
officially regarded only as temporarily displaced persons, without a
refugee status. That means, they can be forcibly repatriated when the guns
are silent on the other side of the border, and involvement by the UNHCR is
limited.

Motive behind the attacks
	The intention of the DKBA is to drive the refugees back by force and
intimidation. However, the motive of the mentor and godfather of the DKBA,
the SPDC, which has given the approval and assistance for the attacks may
not be apparent to the uninitiated.  
The NCGUB sources believe that the SPDC has been facing a serious problem
in the economy, as a result of the year-old trade sanctions by the US,
withdrawal of GSP by the EU countries and the spilling of economic crisis
engulfing ASEAN countries into Burma.  It is said that there is not enough
pie to go round even among the top members of the SPDC.
 The building of concrete embankment in Moei river which forms the
international boundary between the two countries, the dredging of a channel
to divert the natural flow of water, the armed occupation of an islet in it
and now the cross border attacks by the SPDC and its henchmen, in
contravention of international laws and conventions, are seen by those who
are familiar with the attitude and behavior of the military junta as
deliberate and desperate acts by the SPDC to divert the attention of its
own ranks and files, who are becoming more restive and difficult to
control, as a result of the growing economic malaise. 
	In spite of kid-glove treatment of the military junta in accordance with
the constructive engagement policy, it has become more daring and
aggressive. Some are of the opinion that a shock therapy would have been
more appropriate, for such a fringe case. The call by Thailand to review
the membership of it in ASEAN is most appropriate and advisable. It is time
that some one in ASEAN told the SPDC frankly that its attitude and
behaviors are most repulsive and entirely out of tune with time, and that
its policy of oppression and aggression would eventually bring only
disaster upon itself. 
	  
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National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) is comprised of
the elected Members of Parliament from the 1990 national elections but
denied from taking office by the military regime.