Landmine kills one in supposed safe zone
Posted on February 12, 2010
Filed Under Burma news, Karen news | Comments Off
A man has died after treading on a landmine in an area that Thai authorities last week claimed was safe for Karen refugees to return to.
According to a report by the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), the explosion happened about 500 meters from the Ler Per Har camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). He died while en route to receive medical attention in Thailand.
Last week, Thai officials had promoted Ler Per Har to foreign observers as a safe haven for thousands of Karen refugees to be returned to.
The refugees arrived in Thailand in June to escape fighting between the Karen National Liberation Army and a joint force of Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and Burmese Army troops (see: Displaced numbers reach 4,000).
The refugees have been housed in temporary accommodation since they arrived with Thailand unsure of what to do with them.
The DKBA has called for them to be returned to Burma. But, Karen groups and aid groups along the border say it is not safe for them to return, with unexploded landmines littering the area.
The refugees are also concerned about the prospect of being forcibly conscripted into the DKBA or being forced to work as porters.
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