The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), an ally of Myanmar’s government, has announced that it will cease helping or taking care of trafficked foreigners in its territory, because it cannot afford the high costs.
Informed sources within the DKBA said that they have recently sent 260 people of various nationalities to Phop Phra district in Thailand’s Tak province and are now looking after another 300 foreigners, which is a heavy financial burden on the force.
Meanwhile, in Mae Sot district, repatriation of Chinese nationals rescued from Myawaddy township resumed for a second day this morning, with the first flight leaving Mae Sot airport at 10.40am heading to Nanjing Lukou airport Xishuangbanna, to be followed by five more flights today.
198 Chinese nationals were flown back yesterday. Their departure was witnessed by Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, China’s Assistant Minister for Public Security Liu Zhongyi and the deputy interior minister of Myanmar.
For the citizens of other nationalities waiting to be sent to Thailand, Phumtham claimed the Thai government cannot afford to take care of them and has asked their respective embassies to make preparations to have their citizens repatriated as soon as they are sent across the border into Mae Sot, without having to be accommodated on Thai soil.
Phumtham said that, since there is no Ethiopian embassy in Bangkok, the Thai government is coordinating with Ethiopia regarding about the 200 Ethiopians still in Myanmar.
