200 Karen flee to Thailand after fresh flighting erupts in Myanmar

BANGKOK, Nov 15 -- More than 200 ethnic Karen escaped fresh fighting between Myanmar troops and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) late Sunday night to Ban Wale in Tak's Phop Phra district.

The DKBA reportedly fired mortars and small weapons at Myanmar solders and both sides exchanged gunfire sporadically late last night.

The combined forces of Thai army soldiers, Border Patrol Police and provincial administrative staff reinforced the border at Phop Phra and led the escaping Karen to safer places.

The Thai authorities were not sure that the hostilities would eventually ease but were monitoring the situation all night, fearing that more Myanmar nationals would move into Thai territory.

Most of Myanmar nationals who escaped the fighting between the armed ethnic Karen splinter force and Myanmar government troops who had fled into Thailand's border provinces of Kanchanaburi and Tak had returned to their homeland last Wednesday as hostilities eased.

But continuing skirmishes have forced some of them to return to Thailand to seek safe shelter. (MCOT online news)