Villagers taking temporary refuge in Thailand are unable to return to their villages after Burma army soldier’s landmined their homes.
April 4, By CHA MU.
Heavy fighting between the Burmese military (SPDC) and a renegade brigade of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) forced thousands of villagers to take refugee across the border in Thailand.
People from Shwe Inn Myaing village say they are caught between local authorities who want them to the leave safety of their temporary refugee site and the danger of going home --- hidden landmines.
Ma Than Myint, 40, witnessed the danger firsthand when she saw her father-in-law detonate a landmine in his home. Ma Than Myint had returned to her village with her sixty-year-old father-in-law from the safety of their temporary camp in Thailand as they wanted to check their property, particularly his rice barn.
"I warned him that it was dangerous. When we got our house, he went into the kitchen. I told him not to go. He didn’t listen to my warning and said there was no problem.”
Ma Than Myint’s father-in-law was wandering around the kitchen, he looked at the stove and told her it was okay, as it had been recently used.
“He said that because the stove had been used there wouldn't be any danger. Just as he was speaking there was a huge explosion - “Kwang!” It was close to where I was standing, I saw him fall. He shouted at me to help him, but I dared not go."
Ma Than Myint’s father-in-law dragged himself to safety and villagers organized a car to take him to a local hospital.
Ma Than Myint’s says her father-in-law was lucky that he only lost a leg and not his life.
Before Ma Than Myint’s father-in-law's had triggered the mine she had noticed two other detonated landmines next to her house and her dog was badly injured and had also lost a leg after setting one of them off. Ma Than Myint says their experience highlights the dangers for people returning to the village.
Fighting broke out between Burma army and the DKBA in Ma Than Myint's village in early 2011 and says she had to leave with the rest of the people in Shwe Inn Myaing and take refuge in a Thai–Karen village in Phop Pra District. Ma Than Myint’s village was not the only one to evacuate, there are now 14,000 people taking refuge in makeshift hiding sites along the border. From Myawaddy and Kawkareik to Wa Lei fighting in these areas, forced the people to flee to Thailand and take temporary shelter.
The fighting taking place at Shwe Inn Myaing is part of a bigger battle between the the Burma army and a splinter group of the DKBA that refuses to become a border guard force (BGF) under the control of the army. Fighting broke out on the day of Burma’s first general election (7th November 2010) in 20 years. After the DKBA splinter group refused to join the BGF, the Burma army launched a offensive against the DKBA group who are led by Major General Saw Ler Pwe, also known as Na Ka Mwe or 'Mr Mustache'. The objective of the army’s offensive was to occupy Wa Lei, the DKBA's main base.
In Shwe Inn Myaing village both sides have laid many landmines, but it is the villagers who are the real victims of the offensive. Villagers are caught in the middle. Villagers say the DKBA will not let them return to their homes as they say it is too dangerous, and the Thai authorities are insisting that villager return to their villages. International aid and humanitarian agencies have been denied formal access to the villagers who have few rations left and inadequate shelters – the unseasonably cold and wet weather has not helped.
The refugees do not want to stay in Thailand as they have farms and are anxious to attend their crops - it is important for them to harvest their rice and corn. Many villagers feared their paddy fields have also been landmined.
A woman from a nearby village also named Ma Than Myint describes how she felt. “All I feel now is sadness. I want to go back and work on my farm and live in my houses. We are angry, but we can’t do anything about it. We have to stay like this, we can’t think of anything else we can do”.
To add to the villagers’ woes the Burma army has said that if villagers do not return soon their houses will be destroyed and their villages will be razed.
However, after hearing about what happened to Ma Than Myint's father-in-law the villagers are scared that their houses have been landmined as well.
Community-based-groups say the Thai government must grant humanitarian organizations access to the displaced people and give them temporary refugee status until the Burma army and DKBA cease fighting and clear the villages of landmines. Ma Than Myint's father-in-law is now recovering in hospital in the Thai border town of Mae Sot.
#ENDS#
People from Shwe Inn Myaing village say they are caught between local authorities who want them to the leave safety of their temporary refugee site and the danger of going home --- hidden landmines.
Ma Than Myint, 40, witnessed the danger firsthand when she saw her father-in-law detonate a landmine in his home. Ma Than Myint had returned to her village with her sixty-year-old father-in-law from the safety of their temporary camp in Thailand as they wanted to check their property, particularly his rice barn.
"I warned him that it was dangerous. When we got our house, he went into the kitchen. I told him not to go. He didn’t listen to my warning and said there was no problem.”
Ma Than Myint’s father-in-law was wandering around the kitchen, he looked at the stove and told her it was okay, as it had been recently used.
“He said that because the stove had been used there wouldn't be any danger. Just as he was speaking there was a huge explosion - “Kwang!” It was close to where I was standing, I saw him fall. He shouted at me to help him, but I dared not go."
Ma Than Myint’s father-in-law dragged himself to safety and villagers organized a car to take him to a local hospital.
Ma Than Myint’s says her father-in-law was lucky that he only lost a leg and not his life.
Before Ma Than Myint’s father-in-law's had triggered the mine she had noticed two other detonated landmines next to her house and her dog was badly injured and had also lost a leg after setting one of them off. Ma Than Myint says their experience highlights the dangers for people returning to the village.
Fighting broke out between Burma army and the DKBA in Ma Than Myint's village in early 2011 and says she had to leave with the rest of the people in Shwe Inn Myaing and take refuge in a Thai–Karen village in Phop Pra District. Ma Than Myint’s village was not the only one to evacuate, there are now 14,000 people taking refuge in makeshift hiding sites along the border. From Myawaddy and Kawkareik to Wa Lei fighting in these areas, forced the people to flee to Thailand and take temporary shelter.
The fighting taking place at Shwe Inn Myaing is part of a bigger battle between the the Burma army and a splinter group of the DKBA that refuses to become a border guard force (BGF) under the control of the army. Fighting broke out on the day of Burma’s first general election (7th November 2010) in 20 years. After the DKBA splinter group refused to join the BGF, the Burma army launched a offensive against the DKBA group who are led by Major General Saw Ler Pwe, also known as Na Ka Mwe or 'Mr Mustache'. The objective of the army’s offensive was to occupy Wa Lei, the DKBA's main base.
In Shwe Inn Myaing village both sides have laid many landmines, but it is the villagers who are the real victims of the offensive. Villagers are caught in the middle. Villagers say the DKBA will not let them return to their homes as they say it is too dangerous, and the Thai authorities are insisting that villager return to their villages. International aid and humanitarian agencies have been denied formal access to the villagers who have few rations left and inadequate shelters – the unseasonably cold and wet weather has not helped.
The refugees do not want to stay in Thailand as they have farms and are anxious to attend their crops - it is important for them to harvest their rice and corn. Many villagers feared their paddy fields have also been landmined.
A woman from a nearby village also named Ma Than Myint describes how she felt. “All I feel now is sadness. I want to go back and work on my farm and live in my houses. We are angry, but we can’t do anything about it. We have to stay like this, we can’t think of anything else we can do”.
To add to the villagers’ woes the Burma army has said that if villagers do not return soon their houses will be destroyed and their villages will be razed.
However, after hearing about what happened to Ma Than Myint's father-in-law the villagers are scared that their houses have been landmined as well.
Community-based-groups say the Thai government must grant humanitarian organizations access to the displaced people and give them temporary refugee status until the Burma army and DKBA cease fighting and clear the villages of landmines. Ma Than Myint's father-in-law is now recovering in hospital in the Thai border town of Mae Sot.
#ENDS#
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