In Karen State:

In September 2005, the SPDC troops launched a military operation in parts of Karen State, especially Taung Goo district, which is on-going. The operation is the result of the military regime's move from Rangoon to Pyinmana in the north, which is much closer to Karen State. The SPDC is involved in clearing a 500 km radius around their new headquarters. The military activities of the operation have increased each month and expanded into other Karen districts… Nyaung Lin Bin and Papun districts. As we write this report, SPDC troops are massing on the border of Mu Traw district, the one closest to the Thai border. From September '05 to mid-May '06 approximately 16,000 Karen people have had to abandon their homes as internally displaced or flee to Thailand and become refugees. Each month the numbers have been escalating.

According to the many testimonies from newly arrived refugees, villagers have been killed, shot, tortured, and raped. Land, farms, food stores, and property are confiscated. There is arbitrary shelling of villages with long range weapons. The use of landmines in civilian areas has greatly increased. SPDC have been searching out any families suspected of having contact with the KNU, or who are village leaders. Many people have abandoned their homes for fear of persecution or attack by the SPDC troops and try to survive hiding in the forest, foraging for food. Others are on their way to seek refuge at the border camps, a journey of one to four weeks, depending on SPDC troop movements.

Many villages have been forcibly displaced. Villagers are removed from smaller villages and must live in larger townships, where they have no livelihood, no land and no houses.  The SPDC are forcing villagers to build roads, offices, barracks and houses. All movement into and out of townships, and in surrounding areas is controlled to the point where ‘free’ travel is virtually impossible.

In Taung Goo district more than 54 villages have been abandoned, some were burned down by SPDC soldiers, some were forced to relocate.  In Taung Goo town, a famous community and Bible school (the Karen Peku School) has been closed down by the SPDC and is being used by them as a soldier camp.

In Nyaung Lin Bin district 100 villages and in Papun district more than 10 villages have been burnt, relocated or abandoned.

The SPDC are sending more and more troops to each district. We have received information from local Karen district leaders that the SPDC plans for this operation to last 3 to 6 months.

Of urgent concern for the people displaced in Karen State are health issues. Since they have to abandon their homes, small belongings, farms, and orchards, on which they depend for food and safety, their health is put at risk. They are moving from place to place seeking safety and security and there are not proper shelters for them to settle. The rainy season has already started, early, which is making things even worse. Plastic sheeting will be the most urgent need in this time.

Women, and children under 16, are the most vulnerable, and according to an analysis of the data of newly arrived refugees, make up 70% of the population.  Most of the women are mothers with small children and some are pregnant. Pregnant women have delivered their babies in the jungle without sufficient assistance or materials.

Due to the increased military activities, it is proving very difficult to provide any medical care or relief assistance. It does not reach people in time or regularly and what can get through is insufficient. The SPDC troops are trying to block all the transportation routes.

Food security is an additional cause for urgent concern. As the farms, rice barns, food stores and orchards have been destroyed or burned down by SPDC troops, or abandoned by the people, fleeing persecution, the survival of the displaced people in the very near future is a big worry. Particularly children, mothers, the sick and elderly.

The Border situation:

Officially the Thai army (Rangers 36) and the Thai authorities (District Office at Sob Moei, near Mae Sariang) do not want the perception of routes into the refugee camps as being ‘open access’ to all those fleeing Burma. They fear a "pull factor" (“If we officially open the border maybe 100,000 people will come into the camps!”). The Thai authorities are claiming that people are not "fleeing fighting", which is the only officially acceptable reason for granting asylum.

Consequently, it is not possible for large numbers of people to cross the border and enter Mae Ra Mo camp. (Since last year, the Thai authorities ruled that ALL new arrivals in this northern area must go only to Mae Ra Moe camp, wait there in a Holding Centre for approval by the Provincial Admissions Board, PAB, and only then move into the camp proper, or move on to Mae la Oon camp).

In March 2006 one boatload of 40 newly arrived refugees were arrested by the Thai police at Thaw Leh Tah (Mae Sam Lap) on their way to Mae Ra Moe camp. They were taken to the immigration police in Mae Sariang. Once informed, UNHCR started negotiations for their release into camp, but at first they were unsuccessful. The Thai Ministry of Interior wanted to deport the people and claimed that there was no more fighting in Karen State and that those who came to enter the camp had only been attracted by the possibility joining the recent resettlement program of refugees to third countries. After many days of discussion, the Thai authorities finally agreed that the group could be allowed to go to Ma Ra Mo camp.

Despite the obstacles, small groups of people are managing to get through. About 15 to 20 per day have been arriving in camp. This is due to careful, on-going and unofficial negotiations between Karen leaders and the Thai border authorities.

Because it has proved troublesome for people seeking refuge to gain entry to a safe refugee camp the Karen leaders decided to set up a temporary shelter on the Karen side of the border. It is near the Salween River so people can wait there until it is possible to go to Mae Ra Mo camp. There are also many families who choose not to go to camp, fearing a loss of freedom and increased difficulty returning to their homes at a later date. These families will stay at the new site and if the situation improves, hope to return to their homes. There are now 842 people there (13 7 families) and they have built small houses for shelter.

The Community Based Organisations offering support to the Karen people just now are:

1. Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP)
2. Karen Office for Relief and Development (KORD)
3. Free Burma Rangers (FBR)
4. Karen mobile medical teams and the "Backpack" team.
5. Karen Women's Organisation (KWO)

Any donations or offers of assistance for the Karen would be gladly accepted by all of these CBOs.

The Camp Situation:

According to Camp Committee and TBBC records the monthly rate of new arrivals in Mae Ra Mo camp has been steadily increasing since December of last year: Dec' - 253 persons; Jan. "06 - 305 persons; Feb - 355 persons; Mar - 448 persons; Apr - 572 persons. May (1st to 17th) – 489. Making a total of  2,422 people. Most of these families are staying in the Holding Centre in Mae Ra Mo camp, however it has been full to capacity for some time, so other families are being lodged in the homes of camp residents, or are sleeping under make-shift shelters with plastic sheet roofing. As mentioned earlier, 70% are women, and children under the age of 16.

The Holding Centre is a compound of 27 "Long Houses", with 4 rooms per house, a total of 108 rooms. There are currently 172 families (850 people) sharing these rooms. 34 families (159 people) are under plastic.

The majority of families have arrived in camp with few or no possessions. They had to travel light, not able to carry much more than essential foods, and often had to sell property on the way to buy rice or pay for short boat rides etc.

The current high influx of New Arrivals and events inside Burma has raised many issues within the camp population and especially for the Camp Committees. Such problems as housing and building materials, feeding, food supply (especially for stockpiling for the rainy season), timing and distribution of relief items sent into camp, support for IDP transport into camp, attendance at schools and Nursery Schools which are already overcrowded. These all place strains on human and material resources in both Mae Ra Mo and Mae La Oon. 

NGOs, especially TBBC, and UNHCR are aware of the current problem and are working hard with the CBOs to respond to urgent needs but as the Thai authorities do not allow the Karen people to officially or publicly enter the camp, providing assistance is more difficult than it need be.

Karen Women Organization
P.O. 19, Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son, 58110, Thailand
Website: www.karenwomen.org