The Christmas massacre in Kayah State has drawn worldwide attention to the situation in eastern Burma, on the Thai border. In the area, fighting has been intense for several weeks, as Kayah State and Karen State are the cradles of some of the most organized and active armed resistance groups.
With our correspondent in Yangon, Juliette Verlin
A resident of Lay Kay Kaw, Karen State, films the sunrise on his phone. In the distance, we can hear the artillery fire, which began at 4 am. This video, which has gone viral, shows the intense fighting that has been taking place in this stronghold of resistance, on the Thai border, for weeks.
The violence has prompted more than 5,000 Burmese to flee to the neighboring country, and Thais to seek refuge inland, to avoid stray bullets and poorly targeted airstrikes. In Kayah State, north of the Karen, nearly half of the 150,000 inhabitants fled to other parts of Burma.
Friday, the Christmas massacre and its 35 victims burnt by the military highlighted the conflictual situation in this area on the Thai border.
The Karen National Union, one of the country’s oldest resistance armies, is making life difficult for the junta – and the dozens of armed groups that revolve around it are multiplying fronts across the area. Thailand has extended its humanitarian aid to refugees, but we hear a lot of stories of refugees being rejected or deported from the country.
The Karen National Union has called on the international community to ban flights in the area, without a response at this time.
► To read also: Massacres in Burma: “It is therefore a war against all the people”