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A30 world news
Diaranson 31 Maart 2021

Myanmar junta deepens violence with new air attacks

battled Karen guerrillas on
and off for years — along
with other ethnic minorities
seeking more autonomy —
but the airstrikes marked a
major escalation of violence.
Political organizations repre-
senting the Karen and Kachin
in northern Myanmar have
issued statements in recent
weeks warning the govern-
ment against shooting pro-
testers in their regions and
threatening a response.
They were joined Tuesday by
the Three Brothers Alliance,
which represent the guer-
rilla armies of the Rakhine,
Kokang and Ta-ang -- also
known as Palaung -- minori-
ties.
The alliance condemned the
killing of protesters and said
if it did not stop immediately,
they would abandon a self-
declared cease-fire and join
with other groups to protect
the people.
(AP) — Violence in east- left but to confront these gees had sought shelter, said scabs all over her face. Thai Their statement, like those
ern Myanmar, including serious threats posed by the later that those still on Thai nurses in protective gear to of the Karen and Kachin,
air raids that drove thou- illegitimate military junta’s soil were expected to return guard against COVID-19 at- seemed to suggest that any
sands of members of the army in order to defend our to their own country in a day tended to her, giving her and military response by them
Karen ethnic minority territory, our Karen peoples, or two. others tests for the coronavi- would be in their home ar-
to seek shelter across the and their self-determination The attacks are a further es- rus. eas, not in the cities of central
border in Thailand, deep- rights,” said the statement, is- calation of the violent crack- Another villager from the Myanmar where the protests
ened Tuesday with new sued in the name of the KNU down by Myanmar’s junta boat, 48-year-old Aye Ja Bi, and repression have been the
air attacks by the military office for the district that was on protests against its Feb. 1 said he had been wounded by strongest.
that seized power from an first attacked on Saturday. takeover. a bomb dropped by a plane. Supporters of the protest
elected government last It said the attacks were the At least 510 protesters have His legs were hit by shrap- movement are hoping that
month. latest in a series of actions by been killed since the coup, nel and his ears were ringing, the ethnic armed groups
Myanmar’s military break- according to Myanmar’s As- he said, but he was unable to could help pressure the jun-
Thailand’s prime minister ing a cease-fire agreement. sistance Association for Po- travel to get help until Tues- ta. Protest leaders in hiding
denied that his country’s The KNU has been fighting litical Prisoners, which says day. say they have held talks, but
security forces had forced for greater autonomy for the the actual toll is likely much The airstrikes appeared to there have been no commit-
villagers back to Myanmar Karen people. higher. It says 2,574 people be retaliation for an attack ments.
who had fled from military have been detained. by guerrillas under the com-
airstrikes over the weekend, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth The coup that ousted the mand of the KNU on a gov- The United States on Mon-
saying they returned home Chan-ocha, speaking before government of Aung San Suu ernment military outpost in day suspended a trade deal
on their own accord. the latest air attacks, said his Kyi reversed the country’s which they claimed to have with Myanmar, also known
But the situation in eastern country is ready to shelter progress toward democracy killed 10 soldiers and cap- as Burma, until a democratic
Myanmar appeared to be get- anyone who is escaping fight- since her National League tured eight. Tuesday’s KNU government is restored in the
ting more, not less, danger- ing, as it has done many times for Democracy party won statement charged that the Southeast Asian country.
ous. for decades. His comments elections in 2015 after five strikes had been planned be- The office of the U.S. Trade
came a day after humanitar- decades of military rule. fore that. Representative said the
Saw Taw Nee, head of the ian groups said Thailand has At Thailand’s Mae Sam Laep About 2,500-3,000 refugees country was immediately
foreign affairs department of been sending back some of village along the Salween crossed into Thailand on suspending “all U.S. engage-
the Karen National Union, the thousands of people who River, which forms the bor- Sunday, according to several ment with Burma under the
the main political body rep- have fled the air attacks by der with Myanmar, paramili- humanitarian aid agencies 2013 Trade and Investment
resenting the Karen minor- Myanmar’s military. tary Thai Rangers on Tues- who have long worked with Framework Agreement.″
ity there, confirmed that new “There is no influx of refu- day twice waved off a boat the Karen. Under the agreement, the
raids Tuesday left six civilians gees yet. We asked those who that had come from the other They said on Monday, how- two countries cooperated
dead and 11 wounded. crossed to Thailand if they side carrying seven people, ever, that Thai soldiers had on trade and investment is-
Dave Eubank, a member of have any problem in their including one lying flat and begun to force people to re- sues in an effort to integrate
the Free Burma Rangers, area. When they say no prob- another with a bandage on turn to Myanmar. Myanmar into the global
which provides medical as- lem, we just asked them to his head. But ambulances “They told them it was safe economy, a reward for the
sistance to villagers in the return to their land first. We soon arrived on the Thai side to go back even though it is military’s decision to allow
region, provided the same in- asked, we did not use any and it landed anyway. not safe. They were afraid a return to democracy — a
formation. force,” Prayuth told report- Thai villagers helped medical to go back but they had no transition that ended abrupt-
The attacks by Myanmar’s ers. staff carry the injured people choice,” said a spokesperson ly with last month’s coup.
military led the KNU to is- “We won’t push them back,” on stretchers to a small clinic for the Karen Peace Support The announcement Monday
sue a statement from one of he said. ’If they are having at a nearby checkpoint. One Network, a group of Karen doesn’t stop trade between
its armed units saying that fighting, how can we do so? man had large bruises on his civil society organizations in the two countries. Last week,
the government’s “military But if they don’t have any back with open wounds, an Myanmar. the United States restrict-
ground troops are advanc- fighting at the moment, can injury one medical staffer The army has restricted jour- ed American dealings with
ing into our territories from they go back first?” said could have been caused nalists’ access to the area two giant Myanmar mili-
all fronts,” and vowing to re- The governor of Thailand’s by an explosion. where the villagers crossed tary holding companies that
spond. Mae Hong Son province, An elderly woman in the the border. dominate much of that coun-
“We have no other options where as many as 3,000 refu- group had small cuts and Myanmar’s government has try’s economy.