BURMA: REFUGEES CROSS BORDER TO ESCAPE FIGHTING

(26 Feb 1997) Burmese/Eng/Nat

The Burmese military continue their onslaught against one of the world's oldest insurgent armies.

It's estimated that one hundred thousand troops have been deployed against ethnic Karen forces, who are fleeing territory they've held for almost fifty years.

Thousands of refugees have already crossed the border into Thailand to escape the fighting.

For three generations, soldiers of the Karen National Liberation Army have controlled large swathes of Burma's eastern border, in their battle for autonomy from Rangoon's military regime.

Now they're patrolling it for possibly the last time.

The Burmese army launched a major offensive two weeks ago, and swept aside the insurgents, and their allies, forcing them to abandon and burn their headquarters, and a string of other bases.

At the start of the month, this patrol would have considered this safe territory.

Now an ambush could come from either river bank.

In this area, opposite the Thai province of Kanchanaburi, there have been frequent clashes.

SOUNDBITE: (Burmese)
"The Burmese have deployed everywhere in the area. They're coming in huge numbers, and using a lot of heavy weapons, especially against my troops."
SUPER CAPTION: Saw Kenneth, Commander, 10th Battalion, Karen National Liberation Army

These men were wounded by mortar fire and brought out by boat, just minutes before these scenes were recorded.

Casualty figures are impossible to confirm.

The Karen claim to have killed more than a hundred Burmese troops, for the loss of only one of theirs.

The Burmese say they've killed almost fifty insurgents.

But there's little doubt who's winning.

As these pictures were being taken, three days ago, the order came to abandon more camps and villages.

The troops going forward to bolster the crumbling defensive line suddenly found themselves packing up and joining in a general retreat.

At a nearby camp of their allies, the A-B-S-D-F, it was the same
story.

The soldiers got ready for a waterborne evacuation - a detachment was left behind, to try to buy time and slow the Burmese advance.

The rebels say they will now revert to fighting a guerrilla war - harassing government forces in the jungles that hug the border.

SOUNDBITE: (Burmese)
"We don't have any bases, we don't have regular troops, we'll try to find the best chance to attack the Burmese whenever we can. It'll be a hit and run strategy from now on."
SUPER CAPTION: Yel Min Aung, A-B-S-D-F Army Quartermaster

Villagers are using whatever transport they can to escape the fighting, and make for the nearby Thai border.

It's thought the repeated failure of cease-fire talks has brought about the offensive. That, and the government's concern to secure an economically vital gas pipeline that runs nearby.

In all, an estimated twenty thousand people have crossed the Thai border in the past two weeks.

Two-hundred kilometres further north, they've swelled the population of long-established refugee camps, inside Thailand.

The Burmese have overrun all Karen bases in the area, and sealed off much of the border, trapping several thousand displaced people inside.

Refugees tell unconfirmed stories of arson, of summary executions, and of villagers being forced to porter supplies to the front line.

Speaking just inside Thailand, this Karen commander says the fight will go on.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"In this case I believe the Karen people will never surrender. Even the armed personnel surrender, the people will not surrender. Even the leaders surrender, the Karen people will never surrender."

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