Myanmar airstrikes have forced 3,000 Karen civilians to flee across Thailand’s border in a bid to escape the torture and destruction enforced by military soldiers in a country-wide putsch.
It is estimated that 10,000 villagers from Myanmar’s northern state, Karen, have been forced to flee, with 3,000 already making it over the Thai border.
Military airstrikes began on Saturday after the Karen National Liberation Army attacked and captured a government military outpost in a bid to achieve greater autonomy for the Karen civilians.
According to Thoolei News, the online news outlet relaying information directly from the Karen National Union, eight government soldiers were captured and killed on Saturday by the Union which resulted in a backlash from military forces.
At least 114 villagers were killed on Saturday, with at least 459 losing their lives as of Sunday.
Tensions have been on the rise across Myanmar after the military overthrew the Aung San Suu Kyi government in February, with Saturday’s events exciting existing tensions.
Antony Blinken, US Defence Secretary, said he was “horrified by the bloodshed perpetrated by Burmese security forces, showing that the junta will sacrifice the lives of the people to serve the few.”
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said: “We don’t want to have mass migration into our territory, but we will consider human rights, too.”
“We have prepared some places, but we don’t want to talk about the preparation of refugee centres at the moment. We won’t go that far.”
There have been reports, however, that Thai soldiers have begun to force fleeing Karen civilians back across the border into Myanmar.
520 Karen from U Wae Klo & Pak Kade villages who fled to Thailand due to airstrikes by Terrorists (#Myanmar military) were sent back by Thai authorities.
Yesterday 2009 sent back.#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar #MilkTeaAlliance #Mar30Coup #AntiFascistRevolution2021 pic.twitter.com/v7DjuBQvvI
— Ro Nay San Lwin (@nslwin) March 30, 2021
A spokesperson for the Karen Peace Support Network said:“They told them it was safe to go back even though it is not safe. They were afraid to go back but they had no choice.”
The UK has called for a closed meeting of the UN Security Council which is due to be held on Wednesday. The Council have already condemned the military’s use of violence but have not yet considered sanctions.
Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, said:“My message to the military is very simple: stop the killing. Stop the repression of demonstrations. Release the political prisoners, and return power to those that have the right to exercise it.”
Thousands of protestors from Myanmar have taken to the streets in response to military action, condemning what has become an authoritarian military regime.
https://twitter.com/Yelly_iswithU/status/1376753518640435202
Madeleine Raine
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