Rebels from the Karen ethnic group have seized one of the country’s main cities, on the Thai border, a gateway to the rest of Southeast Asia. A new setback for the junta in power since February 2021.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Bangok, Carol Isoux
The town of Myawaddy, on the Thai border, is a commercial hub and an important stop on a route called the “Asia Highway”. For several days, fighting between soldiers of Karen armed groups and the Burmese army has raged there. Hundreds of Burmese soldiers have surrendered to rebel forces and the town is now under the authority of the Karen National Union (KNU), the main local governing body.
The Thai government has granted special permission for repatriation flights from the border town of Mae Sot in Thailand towards the Burmese capital Rangoon, and despite the denials of the Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs, anxious not to appear to support the Burmese regime, several government sources report the presence of Burmese officials and soldiers on board these planes.
Thailand ready to welcome 100,000 refugees
The minister also said Thailand was ready to welcome 100,000 Burmese refugees as fighting has displaced more than two million people in the country and neighbor Thailand is expected to play an increasingly important role in the crisis. Burmese humanitarian.
Thailand shares a 2,400 kilometer-long border with Burmaprey to civil war sincea junta took power by a coup d’état in 2021, overthrowing a democratically elected government. Since the military coup, political opponents of the junta have found refuge with the KNU, which has also formed “people’s defense forces” fighting to overthrow the army.
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