Locals who were forced to cross into the Thai side on 15 May due to the resistance offensive on the military junta’s Maw Kwee Lu camp in Paing Kyon Township, Hpa-An District – the Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 7 Area – have returned to their homes, according to sources.
According to Thai sources, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and allied forces attacked the junta’s Maw Kwee Lu base, prompting 414 refugees to cross the Thaungyin River (Moei River) and seek shelter in Thailand’s Tak Province, Tha Song Yang District, Mae La Sub-district, at two monasteries.
On 16 May, the KNLA captured the base, and by the morning of 17 May, over 200 refugees staying at one of the monasteries returned home, according to the refugees themselves.
A displaced woman who returned said: “There were over 200 people at the monastery, including many children. We came back this morning. Others staying outside, like at acquaintances’ homes, started returning yesterday. The Thai side arranged everything for us. Other groups also came to donate aid.”
In addition to Thai authorities, organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Save the Children, and the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), along with other donors, provided food and school supplies for children, sources report.
Over the past two months, the KNLA, alongside the Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO) and allied forces, have seized several junta border outposts in the Dawna Mountain Range in Hpa-An District.
Thai sources note that each battle, often accompanied by junta airstrikes, has forced locals to flee to Thailand for safety.
Between April and May, the KNLA and allied forces captured bases including Maw Kwee Lu, Tar Lel tactical hilltop camp, Ta Khaw Bwi Khwee, Pu Lu Tu, Kha Lel Day, and Maw Pha Thu.
According to the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP), nearly 30,000 people were displaced in Hpa-An District as of March, before these battles intensified.
Sent by KIC.
