By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BANGKOK, Thailand – Almost 3,000 ethnic Karen of Myanmar, mostly women and children, have fled to neighboring Thailand after the Myanmar army launched another offensive attack last week. This attack led to the largest exodus from Karen State since the Myanmar government began its attacks in 1997.

In the recent years, Karen forces have weakened due partly to divisions within its ranks.  David Thaw, the spokesman for Karen National Union (KNU), said they do not have any information regarding Karen casualties of the recent attacks, and one of the camps inside Myanmar, which sheltered internal refugees, has been abandoned.

The KNU has been fighting for autonomy from Myanmar’s military government for the past 60 years, and it is one of the longest running insurgencies in the world.  Around 100,000 Karens have already sought refuge in Thailand after fleeing the counterinsurgency, and about half a million Karens have been internally displaced inside Myanmar.

Karen refugees seeking shelter in Thailand (Source: AP)

According to Amnesty International, this ongoing offensive includes widespread violations of international human rights and humanitarian law by the Myanmar government, including displacement of refugees, unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, imposition of forced labor, and unlawful forms of punishment.

When the tensions heightened in the recent days, Thai troops were deployed to the Thai-Myanmar border to prevent a spillover of the fighting between the Karen people and Myanmar’s government.  The Thai army is also in contact with international aid agencies to provide relief for the Karen refugees.  The United Nations, along with other aid agencies, is continuing to deliver aid to the border and is setting up temporary shelters.

The Myanmar government has refused to comment regarding this situation.

For more information, please see:

Amnesty International – MYANMAR ETHNIC GROUP FACES CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY – 5 June 2009

BBC – Burma’s Karen flee army offensive – 8 June 2009

MSNBC – 4,000 Karen flee fighting in Myanmar – 9 June 2009

Reuters – Nearly 1,800 Karen flee Myanmar fighting – Thailand – 8 June 2009