All Quiet On The Thai-Burmese Border

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BURMA

All quiet on the Western front for now

By The Nation

Normalcy returned to the Thai-Burmese border as the last group of refugees was repatriated yesterday, although authorities voiced doubts about the ceasefire lasting as rebels and the junta have not yet settled their conflict.

The Burmese military yesterday bombarded the Karen stronghold near the border township of Pyaduangsu to pave the way for the repatriation of 2,000 refugees, who had fled into Kanchanaburi a few days ago, a Thai Army commander said.

While Maj General Tawan Ruangsir, commander of the 9th Infantry Division, led the 2,000 refugees back to Pyaduangsu, Burma emptied more than 80 rounds of artillery into areas where Karen rebels under the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) were believed to be hiding.

The movement of the refugees was stopped for 45 minutes until the bombing ended.

The Thai commander said that radio contact with his Burmese counterpart suggested that the Karen insurgents were being fired at to protect refugees making their way home.

“All the refugees are home and the situation is back to normal now, but we will monitor the situation for a few days to make sure everything is fine,” the commander said.

Refugees started pouring into Thailand since Monday, when DKBA started attacking the two major border towns of Pyaduangsu, opposite Kanchanaburi’s Three Pagodas Pass and Myawaddy, opposite Tak’s Mae Sot district. The attacks, which erupted on the day ballots were cast in Burma for the first time in 20 years, were meant to protest against the new policy to make DKBA the Border Guard Force.

DKBA’s Brigade 5 commander, BrigGeneral Saw Lah Pwe, also known as Nakhanmway, said he attacked the Burmese authorities to protest against the “election of shame” and the ban on his people celebrating the Karen National Day on November 7 the day of the election.

“Ethnic minorities have no rights under the military regime,” he said in an interview with the Karen Information Centre.

Tak Governor Samart Loyfa said the situation was still uncertain, as the conflict had not yet been settled. However, he said, peace should last for four or five days while the authorities try to negotiate with DKBA.

“If they cannot make a deal, fighting will erupt again in four or five days,” he said.

The main point of contention is that the DKBA would have to give up their right to collect fees from ferries crossing the Moei River once they are made the Border Guard Force, a source said.

-- The Nation 2010-11-12