KARENS REPORTEDLY FLEE ATTACKS BY BURMA ARMY

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000053 C O R R E C T E D COPY (SUBJECT) SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2020 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM SUBJECT: KARENS REPORTEDLY FLEE ATTACKS BY BURMA ARMY Classified By: Political Officer Marc Shaw for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (C) Alan Saw U, coordinator of the Karen Development Network (an unregistered NGO in Rangoon working to promote Karen interests) said he could verify several recent reports that 2,000 ethnic Karens have been displaced as a result of clashes between the Burma Army -- and its proxy the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)-- and the Karen National Union (KNU). Although reports suggest these incidents occurred in Karen State, Alan Saw U told us January 28 the attacks actually occurred in Bago Division, adjacent to Karen State. A January 21 account by the Free Burma Rangers detailed how the Burma Army reportedly burned villages, murdered inhabitants, and looted and destroyed other property. For now, observers believe villagers are hiding in the jungle, waiting until it is safe to return home. ¶2. (C) Intermittent skirmishes are common between the BA/DKBA and the KNU, particularly during Burma's November--April dry season. The last large displacement occurred in June 2009 when an estimated 2,000 villagers fled into refugee camps in neighboring Thailand. DINGER