Thai authorities warn Myanmar citizens in Mae Sot not to accept refugees

By Admin 20 Apr 2023

DMG Newsroom
20 April 2023, Sittwe

Thai authorities announced on Wednesday evening that Myanmar citizens legally living in Mae Sot, Tak District, Thailand, should not accept people displaced by fighting, according to Myanmar residents of the border town.

The Thai authorities indicated via a loudspeaker that Myanmar citizens who legally reside in Mae Sot are expected to notify the relevant authorities if Myanmar refugees arrive.

“The Thai authorities announced through loudspeakers that Myanmar citizens legally living in Mae Sot should not accept Myanmar refugees and that they should notify the police if Myanmar refugees arrive. Legal action will reportedly be taken against Myanmar citizens legally living in Mae Sot if they accept Myanmar refugees without informing the local authorities,” a Myanmar citizen in Mae Sot told DMG.

The announcement was made in some neighbourhoods and villages in Mae Sot, but a full explanation for the announcement is not yet known, according to a person assisting Myanmar citizens.

“We are investigating the reason for the announcement and will hold a meeting with village officials. I don’t know the reason for the announcement,” said a labour activist in Mae Sot.

Fighting between the junta-backed Border Guard Force and a coalition led by the KNLA, the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU), prompted thousands of residents to cross the Thaungyin River and flee into neighbouring Thailand on April 5.

About 3,000 Myanmar refugees have reportedly returned home since April 10, while some are unable to return home, according to an aid worker.

“Thousands of Myanmar refugees have already returned home, but over 100 Myanmar refugees remain in Thailand. Myanmar refugees dare not return home due to various reasons, and they are being provided with necessary assistance,” the aid worker added.

It is difficult to say the exact number of Myanmar refugees who have sought shelter in Thailand in recent weeks, according to Myanmar citizens in Mae Sot.

Since the military coup, there have been frequent clashes near the Thai-Myanmar border, and there are many residents in Myawaddy Township who often flee to Thailand and return to Myanmar.

As of April 10, more than 1.8 million people remained displaced across Myanmar, according to an April 19 report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).