Over 8,000 Myanmar refugees flee to Thailand due to fighting in Shwe Kokko

Narinjara News, April 9, 2023

Fighting between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the military-backed Border Guard Force (BGF) is intensifying in Shwe Kokko near Myawaddy of Karen State.

The number of Myanmar civilians who fled to Thailand has exceeded 8,000, according to the Bangkok post.

On the morning of Thursday, over 1,000 Myanmar people crossed the border to seek refuge in Tak Province’s Mae Sot and Mae Ramat District after clashes between ethnic groups and the Myanmar military continued.

More than 1,000 people fled across the border into Tak’s Mae Sot and Mae Ramat districts on Thursday as fighting continued nearby between Myanmar military troops and Karen fighters.

The Myanmar military and Karen National Liberation Army are involved in a fierce struggle around villages in the Shwe Kokko economic zone. The villages are opposite Ban Wang Takhian Tai village in Mae Sot district and Ban Wang Pha village in Mae Ramat district of Tak.

On Thursday morning the two sides fired mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades at close range. There were a lot of casualties on both sides.

Wounded people have been rushed to Mae Sot and Mae Ramat hospitals, where some were reported to have died.

More than 1,000 people displaced by the fighting crossed the first Thai-Myanmar friendship bridge on Thursday morning, seeking entry on border passes – mostly women, children and elderly people.

Their arrival brought the number of recent refugees from Myanmar in Mae Sot and Mae Ramat districts to more than 8,000. Local government officials, soldiers and police were taking care of them, with donations of food from townspeople in Mae Sot district.

A refugee said many houses and some temples had suffered major damage and residents were fleeing for their lives. Many families left only one person at home.