Heavy fighting in Myanmar: Thousands flee to Thailand

According to eyewitnesses, thousands of people have fled to neighboring Thailand because of fierce fighting in Myanmar between the army and armed resistance fighters.

Fighting between junta forces and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) broke out on Wednesday and continued on Thursday, aid agencies in the border region said. “We can hear shots,” said a helper on the Thai side.

The KNLA is the armed wing of the Karen National Union, the oldest armed group in multinational Myanmar. She has been fighting for freedom for more than 70 years and has been home to many internally displaced people since the February 2021 coup.

The fighting took place just a few kilometers from a Chinese gambling project in Shwe Kokko in the country’s southeast, Ye Min of the NGO “Aid Alliance Committee for Myanmar Workers” (AAC) told the German news agency. The multi-billion dollar construction project is controlled by the junta and border forces. According to Ye Min, more than 4,000 people have already fled to the neighboring country in panic. “Some villagers on the Thai side helped and protected them,” he said. “We give them food and other necessities as best we can.”

Since the overthrow, Myanmar has increasingly descended into chaos and violence. The generals deposed Prime Minister Aung San Suu Kyi two years ago and have ruled with an iron fist ever since. Suu Kyi is in prison. (saw/sda/dpa)