By Alishba I. Kassim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

THAI SONG YANG, Thailand – A sudden offensive against ethnic Karen rebels by Myanmar’s military junta has led to a mass exodus of refugees from Myanmar. The six-decade long conflict between the Christian Karen and the mainly-Buddhist Myanmar’s junta continues to escalate.

Thailand is already home to 135,000 refugees, yet more refugees and orphans continue to arrive. Just weeks ago a group of 96 orphans fled their children’s home in Myanmar to the sound of mortal shells, AFP reports.

One such orphanage is run by Tasanee Keereepraneed, who watches over children from Myanmar tending to toddlers not much younger than themselves. Tasanee has readily taken in orphans and displaced families from one of the world’s longest conflicts. “The children look after each other and take care of themselves. The older ones teach the younger ones…They have to grow up very quickly,” said Tasanee, speaking about the orphans. These children idly spend their time since the resources available to them are meager at best, “They do not have a school, they do not have a place to stay because they had to run from the attacks,” said Tasanee.

Many elderly couples have been forced to flee the fighting and seek refuge in Thailand’s makeshift camps, some after having walked long distances without food and hardly any water. Those left behind are at risk of suffering at the hands of the rebels and as well as the military. In early June local aid groups reported the rape of teenage and pregnant women by government troops.

History makes no secret of hiding that war brings out ugliness in everyone.

 For more information, please see:

AFP – Myanmar Orhaps Flee to Uncertain Refuge in Thailand – July 9, 2009  

AP – Myanmar Refugee Numbers Swell in Thailand – July 6, 2009   

By Alishba I. Kassim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – The ongoing battle between Pakistan’s forces and the Taliban continues to challenge aid distribution to Pakistan’s growing refugee crisis. As many as 18 people were killed on Tuesday night when alleged Taliban forces detonated a bomb at a luxury hotel in Pakistan.

The Pearl Continental Hotel, the target of Tuesday’s attack, was housing nearly 30 members of the United Nations staff when the bomber hit it. The bombing disrupted aid operations immediately an resulted in a one-day suspension of food distribution efforts. It also prompted several United Nations agencies to move most of their international staff to Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

Despite reports indicating alarm, the emergency coordinator for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Kilian Kleinschmidt, said “It’s a reshaping of operations, it’s not a reduction. We will not abandon the more than two million people. That’s very clear.”

Among the relocated staff members are also several World Food Program employees who have been brought on board to help handle the influx of Pakistani refugees from the North. Mr. Paul Risley, spokesman for the World Food Program said, “This is a very specific targeting of the humanitarian effort. It was a tragedy, but it won’t stop the U.N.’s work.” Two World Food Program employees were wounded seriously in the attack, but more are expected to arrive soon.

The United Nations High Commissioner, Antonio Gutierrez, in a joint statement with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, condemned the attack, saying, “Humanitarian workers around the world are coming under increasing attack, and it is the poor, the uprooted and the vulnerable who will suffer the most by their loss.”

Needless to say, the refugees’ loss is one that cannot be quantified.

For more information, please see:

NY Times – Bombing Challenges Aid Distribution – June 10, 2009

United Press International – Pakistan Hotel Bombing – June 10, 2009

Reuters – UNHCR Mourns Loss of Staff Member – June 10, 2009

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