Myanmar’s military government on Friday ordered airstrikes over a rebel-controlled region near the Thai border. The airstrikes targeted Lay Kaw Kaw, a town run by the Karen National Union (KNU), an ethnic guerilla group is a political organisation that claims to represent the Karen people and seeks greater independence. The group reported being hit by at least two airstrikes; artillery rounds were also fired.
The military also arrested between 30 and 60 people during the operation, including at least one opposition lawmaker from ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party.
The latest airstrikes forced hundreds of people to flee to Thailand on Friday. Official data shows that almost 4,200 people have fled to Thailand since the beginning of the violence. Thailand’s Tak province governor, Somchai Kitcharoenrungroj, said that as of Sunday, 5,358 villagers from Myanmar had crossed the Moei River to seek refuge on Thai soil. However, civil society groups claim that the number of displaced people may be as high as 10,000.
In response, Thai border authorities have warned conflicting parties in Myanmar to ensure their clashes do not spill over into Thai territory. Tak’s provincial administration has also asked residents to maintain distance from the border and ordered authorities to increase patrols along the country’s border with Myanmar.
📢KWO strongly condemns the attacks by the Burma Army in Hrpuso township, Karenni State in which at least 30 refugees, including women and children, were burned alive. There must be concrete action to protect the lives of thousands who still remain in danger.
— Karen Women Organization (@karenwomenorg) December 25, 2021
Full statement 👇 pic.twitter.com/lcA96ngwoW
Thailand’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Tanee Sangrat, said during a press conference that Bangkok is concerned about the violence and how it affects Thai people living in the border region.
Furthermore, on Saturday, photos appeared on social media showing two burned trucks and a car on a highway in Hpruso township in Kayah state, with the charred remains of bodies inside. The Myanmar Witness monitor confirmed local media reports “that 35 people including children and women were burnt and killed by the military on 24th December Hpruso township.”
Following this, international aid group Save the Children announced that it was suspending operations in the violence-inflicted Kayah state after two staff members went missing in the attack. Government opposition groups have blamed the military for the incident.
The “grievous incident” was also condemned by a United Nations official on Sunday, who said that he was “horrified” by credible reports from Myanmar that reported the killing and burning of at least 35 civilians. The official also demanded the government launch “a thorough and transparent investigation” into the violence.
In addition, a joint statement by the diplomatic envoys of Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Czech Republic, Norway, Finland, and Denmark read: “The recent attacks on civilians in Karen State, including the shelling of villages, are a violation of International Humanitarian Law and must stop,” the foreign envoys said.
While the junta has not yet commented on the violence, the KNU has urged the international community to set up a no-fly zone in the area.