Villagers live in fear on Thai-Burma border
by Daniel Pedersen on Mar.25, 2009, under Burma reportage, Northern Thailand, Thailand reportage
Northern Thailand
November 2000
THE fear of villagers close to the border in both Thailand and Burma is wholly understandable.
In about 1995 the KNLA abandoned positional warfare and reverted to guerrilla warfare, small bands of highly mobile units making pre-meditated strikes at their enemy from positions of obvious advantage – ambushes.
But at the same time, the traditional weaponry of positional warfare remained an asset that was far too valuable to reject.
And so from time to time either side resorts to shelling heavily the positions of their opposers.
When such conflict occurs the terror of border-dwelling villagers is complete.
In a mountainous region, with valleys barely a kilometre wide and peaks stretching to 1000m or more, it is impossible to know from where the shells are coming.
There are echoes from all directions of every massive thump of an incoming round.
We had heard a Thai village was daily copping stray shells, so myself and Canadian photographer Steve Sandford rode there on rented motorbikes.
The tiny village of Win Ne Ta was indeed being shelled, just minutes after we rode into town.
The Thai military sprang into action, running around wildly, villagers were rapidly evacuated to a nearby village on higher ground.
About a kilometre away I spoke with the community’s leader, 50-year-old Saw Dabu.
Win Ne Ta was home to just 110 Karens living in 22 rudimentary bamboo dwellings and all were daily taking refuge at a neighbouring village; this had been going on for a week – everyday the same, running for their lives.
“I think it is the SPDC’s [Burmese military’s] intention to take the village,” said Saw Dabu, adding that he wasn’t surprised by their action.
“The KNLA has a lot of support in these parts, particularly from our village, we are all Karen after all – we all want an independent Karen state.”
“During the past 12 months the situation has deteriorated, the SPDC has crossed into the village a few times.
“Now with the dry season offensive underway I am convinced this village will fall.
“We don’t know what to do . . . all we can really do is call the Thai military if they come at night.
“We have no weapons with which to protect ourselves.
“We are worried we will all be killed.”
ENDS
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"Secret Genocide is a scholarly book on the plight of the Karen of Burma. Author Daniel Pedersen writes about the secret genocide of the Karen people at the hands of the Burmese junta, who use murder, rape, forced labour and torture to quell their enemies. Decades after the Karen took up arms against Rangoon; there is no telling when - or if - their struggle for a secure homeland will finally be accomplished"
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