Thailand Pulls Back Over 600 Myanmar Refugees Amid Ongoing Conflict
On Sunday, December 19, a senior Thai official confirmed that clashes between Myanmar’s military and ethnic rebels are still raging. As a result, Thailand has rounded up more than 600 refugees who had crossed into Tak province to seek safety but chose to return across the border.
Voluntary Return, Allegations of Danger
- The refugees, who had recently settled near a Thai high‑school, were conveyed in three trucks before they were sent back to Myanmar’s frontier.
- One unnamed evacuee recounted, “I fled from Mae Htaw Talay when artillery struck my neighbourhood. I crossed the river to the Thai side.”
- Provincial Governor Somchai Kitcharoenrungroj reported that 623 people were returned and 2,094 remained in Thailand, but that all would go home if they chose to.
Human Rights Concerns
Human Rights Watch’s Deputy Asia Director, Phil Robertson, warned Thailand against hastily sending refugees back into harm’s way: “Myanmar’s army deliberately targets civilians with lethal force once it moves into the field. These people are literally fleeing for their lives.”
A spokesperson for the Myanmar junta did not respond when asked for comment, while the army maintains that it does not target civilians.
The Bigger Picture
Myanmar’s political turmoil began after the military ousted the civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1. The ensuing protests and sporadic clashes between anti‑junta militias and the army have forced thousands of civilians, especially in the Karen state, to seek refuge across the border.
According to the Aid Alliance Committee, a Thai‑based migrant group, roughly 1,000 displaced individuals camped along the Myanmar border, waiting for an opportunity to cross into Thailand.
