THAI BURMA BORDER : Outbreak of fire in Mae La camp-VIDEO

At around 14:00 on Friday 27 December, TBC was notified of a fire in Mae La camp. Staff from the TBC Mae Sot office immediately proceeded to the camp to provide support and make an initial assessment of the situation.

Information so far is that approximately 100 houses in Section C3A have been destroyed or badly damaged by the fire, affecting between 500 to 600 people. Information at the time of writing is that 3 people have been injured.

Local Thai Government officials and the humanitarian community are working with the camp committee and community leaders to immediately distribute blankets and clothing. There is sufficient food stocks in the Warehouse to meet immediate needs for emergency provision to the affected families. The camp committee and community leaders are already arranging for emergency temporary accommodation for the affected families in relatives or other community member households.

 

Aung San Suu Kyi visiting Mae La Camp – Karen Education Department-video-WATCH!!

Thailand: Suu Kyi no chance give public speech during Mae Sot trip-PM Yingluck Shinawatra worried about the impact on diplomatic relationship with Burma.

Thomas Fuller of the New York Times quoted the governor of Tak province, Suriya Prasatbuntitya, as saying: “The Foreign Ministry asked us to keep her visit low-key.”

read all http://www.dvb.no/news/suu-kyi-unable-to-give-public-speech-during-mae-sot-trip/22277

Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra herself conceded on Sunday that she was worried about the impact of Suu Kyi’s visit on the Kingdom’s diplomatic relationship with Burma.

Karen News : Suu Kyi visit leaves a bad taste –

You better adress to Thai Goverment-

 

Thousands of Burmese people living and working in the Thai border town of Mae Sot say they are bitterly disappointed they did not to get to see their hero Aung San Suu Kyi when she visited the area today. Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace laureate was in the region to visit Mae La refugee camp, to meet ethnic leaders later in Mae Sot and was expected to visit Mae Tao Clinic.

http://karennews.org/2012/06/suu-kyi-visit-leaves-a-bad-taste.html/

 

 

EU Commissioner Georgieva visits “Mae La” Camp Thailand -video

Burmese refugees at Mae La refugee camp are on alert due to a threat of attack by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), according to the vice chairman of the camp.

Orientation
Mae La is also known as ‘Beh Klaw’ in Karen, which means ‘cotton field’ due to the agricultural activities for which Karen leaders first negotiated permission for refugees to cross into the area in 1984.

Location: Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province
Distance from Border: about 8 kms
Distance from Mae Sot: 57 kms / approx. 1 hour driving time
Area about 1,150 rai (4 km2)

“The DKBA said they will destroy our camp,” said Vice-Chairman Htun Htun, speaking to The Irrawaddy on Wednesday.
Many of the refugees have packed clothing and belongings in preparation for a military assault, sources in nearby Mae Sot said. Camp authorities have imposed a curfew of 9 p.m. On all refugee residents.
The DKBA threatened to attack Mae La camp after one of their influential commanders, San Pyote (aka Soe Myint), the head of Battalion 7, was ambushed and killed by an unknown armed group while traveling by longtail boat on the Moei River on June 26.

Mae La refugee camp is located on the Thai side of the river, not far from where the ambush took place. It is the largest refugee camp in Thailand and currently houses about 37,000 Burmese refugees—mostly Karens from Eastern Burma displaced by the ongoing civil war. Despite the camp being established on Thai soil in 1984, Mae La refugee camp has been attacked by the DKBA in the past.

After the DKBA split from the KNU in 1995, the splinter group staged daring attacks on several Karen refugee camps along the Thai-Burmese border with the help of Burmese troops.

In 1997-98, Huay Kaloke refugee camp, about 10 km (6 miles) from Mae Sot, was attacked and burned down by DKBA soldiers.

Former DKBA Battalion 7 commander San Pyote is rumored to have been behind the assassination of former Karen National Union (KNU) General-Secretary Mahn Sha on February 14, 2008.

The Battalion 7 commander and seven others—believed to be DKBA soldiers and porters—were killed as they were returning to DKBA Battalion 999 base in Shwe Koko in Karen State. Another eight soldiers were reportedly injured in the attack. The DKBA have blamed the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the KNU, for the deadly ambush.

DKBA soldiers reportedly gunned down two Karen villagers on Thai soil a few days after they seized KNLA Brigade 7 headquarters on June 23.

After the fall of KNLA Brigade 7, many observers and sources in Mae Sot predicted that more targeted killings would take place between the Karen enemies, because the DKBA will have more access to Mae Sot, traditionally the home base of the KNU.

In August 2007, Lt-Col Kyi Linn, a commander of the KNLA Battalion 18 was shot dead while crossing the Haungthayaw River in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, after meeting government officials and other Karen ceasefire groups, including the DKBA.

Mahn Sha’s death came two weeks after the death of Col Ler Moo, son-in-law of Maj Gen Htain Maung, leader of a Karen breakaway group, the KNU/KNLA Peace Council. Ler Moon was killed in January 2008 and Mahn Sha was suspected of being involved.

After Mahn Sha’s assassination, two more KNLA senior military leaders were rumored to also be on the Karen splinter groups’ hit list: Gen Mu Tu, commander in chief of the KNLA and Brig-Gen Jonny, commander of KNLA Brigade 7.

irrawaddy