MAE SAKOEP, Thailand (AP) – A series of airstrikes by Myanmar’s military along the country’s border raised concerns Monday that more villagers might flee to neighboring Thailand in large numbers, adding a new dimension to an already volatile crisis.
The strikes in areas populated predominantly by ethnic Karen people represent another escalation in the increasingly violent crackdown by Myanmar’s junta on protests of its Feb. 1 coup. On Saturday, more than 100 people were killed in and around demonstrations throughout the country – the bloodiest single day since the takeover.
Myanmar aircraft carried out three strikes overnight Sunday, according to Dave Eubank, a member of the Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian relief agency that delivers medical and other assistance to villagers. The strikes severely injured one child but caused no apparent fatalities, he said. Strikes over the weekend sent about 2,500 people into northern Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province, according to the agency.
One witness described a “chaotic scene” as he watched hundreds of people cross the river border Sunday into Mae Hong Son.
“There were many children and women. It seemed like they had basic supplies to sustain themselves, but I don’t know how long they can last without help,” said La Rakpaoprai, who buys snacks and other goods in the mountainous border village of Mae Sakoep and sells them in remote areas.