Myanmar coup: Clash between military, rebels leads to 5,000 fleeing to Thailand

Thousands of civilians from Myanmar were forced to flee to neighboring Thailand this week following a clash between the Myanmar military and armed rebel groups. The clash this week is the latest in the Myanmar military’s assaults since the country’s generals staged a coup in 2021.

Officials and media said on Thursday that the clashes between the Myanmar military and armed resistance groups forced around 5,000 people to flee to neighboring Thailand. The clashes began when rebels in the southern Karen region attacked a military border guard outpost, according to BBC Burmese and the Thai Khaosod English news outlet. Many of the 5,000 people that fled were women and children, crossing into Thailand’s Tak province and seeking refuge in shelters set up by local residents, according to Thai officials and an aid worker.

“Many people crossed the border since yesterday and some are still also waiting on the Myanmar side to cross. People don’t have enough drinking water or any toilets for now,” one aid worker told Reuters.

Bangkok said its air force was monitoring the situation and said they were “ready to send patrol flights if Thai airspace is violated.”

Clashes have been taking place in many areas in Myanmar, with rights groups accusing the country’s military of targeting civilians in air strikes and ground assaults. The junta has denied targeting civilians, saying that they were fighting groups it deems as “terrorists.”

Myanmar has been in a state of unrest since February 2021, when its generals staged a coup and seized power, ousting the elected civilian government. The coup sparked public outrage and protests, and the military engaged in a brutal crackdown, killing hundreds and detaining thousands. The military has since been fighting armed resistance groups on multiple fronts.

Last week, the military carried out an air strike on the village of Kuafo in northwestern Myanmar, killing eight civilians, including two children. The Chin Human Rights Organization’s Salai Mang Hre Lian said there were no resistance fighters in the village, adding that this was a deliberate attack on civilians.

The spokesperson for the Chin National Front told Reuters that 10 people were killed and 20 others were wounded and that there was no fighting in the area.