Hundreds of Residents Flee to Thailand
On the 21st of last month (local time), prisoners of war were being moved under the supervision of the People's Defense Force (PDF) at a temporary prisoner camp in the jungles of Myanmar. This camp is operated by the PDF, the armed organization of the National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar. Photo by EPA Yonhap News
The Myanmar military regime has declared an extension of the ceasefire for earthquake recovery, but the ongoing civil war continues to increase civilian casualties. The National Unity Government (NUG) claimed that at least 270 civilians have been killed in at least 200 airstrikes nationwide.
According to France's AFP news agency on May 9, the Karen National Union (KNU), an ethnic minority armed group in southeastern Myanmar's Kayin State, launched an attack on a Myanmar military base on May 7, about 2.5 kilometers from the Thai border, resulting in clashes.
The Thai military announced the previous day that more than 300 Myanmar residents fled across the border into Thailand due to the fighting. Thai authorities stated, "Attacks continued, including the use of armed drones to drop bombs," and added, "A total of 327 Myanmar residents are staying in temporary shelters, and border patrols have been strengthened in the area."
The KNU is an organization representing the Karen people, one of Myanmar's largest ethnic minorities. The KNU, regarded as the most powerful among the major ethnic minority armed groups, commands military organizations such as the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO).
After the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck the central region on March 28, the core rebel alliance known as the "Brotherhood Alliance" and the Myanmar military regime declared a ceasefire. Both sides have extended the ceasefire until the end of this month. However, criticism has arisen that the Myanmar military continues to conduct airstrikes in rebel-controlled areas even during the ceasefire period. In addition, not all ethnic minority armed groups have joined the ceasefire, so clashes have continued in various regions.
The Myanmar military has also continued airstrikes near Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, which suffered extensive damage from the recent earthquake. Local media outlet Myanmar Now reported that on May 7, the military dropped bombs in the Tabeikkyin area of Mandalay, killing one civilian and injuring nine others.
According to the rebels, the Myanmar military carried out 20 airstrikes in the Tabeikkyin area alone last month, resulting in at least 50 civilian deaths. On May 7, two civilians were killed and four were injured in a Myanmar military airstrike in the Nato Gyi area, southwest of Mandalay.
The NUG, the provisional government of Myanmar's pro-democracy forces, claimed that since the earthquake at the end of March and up until May 2, the military has carried out 200 airstrikes nationwide, killing at least 270 civilians and injuring more than 450 others.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
