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BKK Post, March 26, 1998. BORDER



March 26, 1998. BORDER

Karen men in refugee sites to be repatriated
Premier warns of retaliation measures
Post reporters

The army will start pushing all able-bodied Karen men out of refugee 
camps along the Thai-Burmese border and repatriating them as a 
precaution against further border violations by pro-Rangoon Karen 
rebels, the army chief, Gen Chettha Thanajaro, said yesterday 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai warned yesterday Thailand would 
use force to retaliate against any further violation of its western 
border by members of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army.

In a shift of policy, he also said the United Nations High Commissioner 
for Refugees would be allowed to play a role in caring for the refugees.

The warning of retaliation with full force against DKBA guerrillas came 
after the Burmese ambassador to Thailand, who was summoned to the 
Foreign Ministry to receive an aide memoire about the recent spate of 
border incursions by the guerrillas, admitted the rebel group and its 
territory were beyond Rangoon's control.

Gen Chettha said that only women, children and old people would remain 
at the refugee camps, while male adults would be removed and 
repatriated.

While admitting the forced repatriation might provoke protests from 
human rights groups, Gen Chettha said he would try to explain to them 
the need for such action because these people were the source of all the 
conflicts.

He said there were both supporters of the DKBA and the mainstream 
anti-Rangoon Karen National Union among Karen refugees in Thailand, and 
Thai authorities could not tell them apart.

After the removal of able-bodied Karen men, he said, Thai forces would 
search the camps for arms.

The army chief also stressed the need to relocate the refugee camps, 
saying several of them were too close to the border and within range of 
rocket and mortar fire.

"If they are located some 10 kilometres from the border, then the threat 
will be over," he said.

In Tak province yesterday, border patrol policemen were hunting for 
about 30 DKBA guerrillas who slipped across the border reportedly to 
attack the Huay Kalok refugee camp.

An informed military source said the DKBA guerrillas, under instructions 
from Rangoon, had been pressurring about 80,000 Karen refugees housed in 
camps in Mae Hong Son and Tak to return home.

Mr Chuan yesterday said Thai forces had been authorised to make "full 
extent" retaliations against DKBA intruders, adding his government would 
not allow any foreign forces to use Thai territory for military 
purposes.

Army intelligence reports said the recent spate of DKBA attacks on 
refugee camps were related to the Salween logging scandal, according to 
the prime minister.

For the refugees' own safety, Mr Chuan said, the number of camps along 
the border would be reduced from 19 to 11 and the refugees would be 
moved deeper inland.

However, he said their relocation could not start immediately because 
new sites were yet to be found.

Thai authorities were seeking means to enhance the UNHCR's role on the 
border in order to ensure more timely help for refugees, Permanent 
Secretary for Foreign Affairs Saroj Chavanaviraj said yesterday.

But the UNHCR would not be allowed to run any of the refugee camps on 
the Thai-Burmese border as it did on the Thai-Cambodian border, he 
added, referring to a string of camps that housed some 300,000 displaced 
Cambodians a decade ago.

An army source said only after all the camps were moved deeper inland 
would the UNHCR would be allowed in to look after the refugees.

"We are now discussing with concerned agencies measures to enable the 
UNHCR to play a bigger part," said Mr Saroj.

Previously, the UNHCR had "virtually no opportunity of knowing what was 
going on at the Burmese border, and was asked to help only on a 
case-by-case basis, sometimes when it was too late," he said.

His disclosure came after Mr Chuan told his cabinet on Tuesday 
increasing the UNHCR's role was one of two options being considered to 
deal with frequent cross-border attacks on refugee camps on the 
Thai-Burmese border.

However, government spokesman Akkrapol Sorachart said yesterday Mr Chuan 
had made it clear to the cabinet it would be up to the Foreign Ministry 
to consider what would be the most suitable means to do so.

Mr Chuan also informed UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan of this option 
when he attended an informal summit of Asean heads of state in Kuala 
Lumpur in December, the spokesman added.

The other option, Mr Akkrapol added, called for relocating the refugee 
camps further inside Thailand, and for reducing their number from 19 to 
11.

The move to increase the UNHCR's role marked a significant policy shift 
since the organisation so far has been allowed limited access to the 
Thai-Burmese border, with its officials having to secure permission from 
Thai authorities every time they want to visit a troubled area.

Western embassies have been urging Thai authorities for some time to 
allow a UNHCR presence on the border. Ambassadors of Australia, Britain 
and the United States, as well as the UNHCR's regional representative 
Amelia Bonifacio visited Huay Kalok and Mae Hla camps last Friday with 
National Security Council chief Boonsak Kamheangridhirong.

In a statement released afterwards, the ambassadors and the UNHCR 
representative welcomed plans to relocate the refugees in Huay Kalok and 
other camps at risk. They also expressed readiness to "support the quick 
implementation of this decision" should the Thai government need 
assistance.

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