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BKK Post, March 1, 1998 SALWEEN SCA
- Subject: BKK Post, March 1, 1998 SALWEEN SCA
- From: burma@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 01 Mar 1998 06:41:00
March 1, 1998
SALWEEN SCANDAL / FIFTH IN A SERIES
Karen refugees in national park refuse to go to camp
They are uncertain about their safety
Onnucha Hutasingh
Many Karen refugees living in the Salween National Park in Mae Sariang
district of Mae Hong Son have refused to move to a refugee camp in Sop
Moei district, claiming they are uncertain about their safety at the
camp.
But some border officials know that the refugees resisted the transfer
operation because they do not want to lose a lot of money from illegal
logging in the national park and they want to further support the
anti-Rangoon Karen National Union organisation whose stronghold is
located in Burma opposite the forest.
According to a military source, many Karen refugees have long been hired
by illegal loggers to cut down trees in the Salween forest and have
illegal logs delivered to the Salween River bank using 50 elephants.
"Although we know this, we are unable to use the force to press them to
move because authorities have a policy to use soft measures for
humanitarian reasons and to preserve Thailand's image," the source said.
According to another source, many elephants used for illegal logging in
the national park were found to have died from overwork.
About 50 elephants owned by many Karen refugees must work for the
illegal logging business from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. and deliver about 300
logs from deep forests to the Salween River bank each day.
"Each elephant must work for three consecutive days without a break.
They have only one day a week to rest. They are fed with amphetamine so
that they can drag heavy logs and work hard. Many elephants died of
overwork," the source said.
However, Nae Moo, representative of Karen refugees at Ban Mae Yeh Tha,
denied the allegations, saying the refugees had never been involved in
illegal logging in the national park.
"The new shelter is located in an unsafe area. We have lived in the
national park for more than three years. We feel safe and happy here,"
he added.
An operation to transfer more than 12,000 Karen refugees living in the
Salween National Park to Mae La Ma Luang Camp in Sop Moei District which
started early this month is aimed to ensure security along the border
and combat illegal logging in the national park.
The operation at Ban Mae Ye Tha, the shelter of more than 1,800
refugees, ended in failure because all refugees refused to move to the
camp and staged a protest.
Following day-long negotiations with concerned officials, many of these
refugees agreed to return to Burma by the end of this month.
On February 23, the refugee transfer operation which took place at Ban
Ko Pa and Ban U Da Tha also ended in failure after only 137 of all 2,207
refugees there cooperated.
However, the officials have not given up yet. They are negotiating with
refugees living in other areas of the national park.
According to an official, refugees who fail to return to Burma or move
to the camp within the deadline will face action on illegal entry
charges.
"In the latest development, they (the refugees) claimed that it was not
safe in Burma so they could not move back home. They used the same
method to play for time until the rainy season, a difficult time to
move," the source said.
Meanwhile, some officials voiced their concern that the KNU forces may
rob Thai villagers in border areas if the Karen refugees move and cannot
give support to them any longer.
The refugees fled from Burma into Thailand in 1995 after the KNU forces
were defeated by the Burmese troops. More than 1,800 of them sought
refuge in Ban Mae Yeh Tha, 2,207 others in Ban Ko Pa and Ban U Da Tha,
2,350 in Ban Mae Sa Kerb.
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