Guard admits to shooting young Karenni

General News - Sunday December 23, 2007

Guard admits to shooting young Karenni

Refugee dies after brawl at camp

By Kultida Samabuddhi

An Interior Ministry security guard has admitted he shot dead a 17-year-old Karenni boy at Ban Nai Soi refugee camp last Saturday when rising tensions between state officials and about 17,000 refugees turned into a deadly brawl.

Mae Hong Son's Muang district chief Wachira Chotiroserani, who is also the commander of the refugee camp, said the guard told him he gunned down the boy, named Aye Oo, in self defence.

The security guard, whose name has been withheld, said he had to fire his gun because he and his team were surrounded by hundreds of angry refugee youths at the camp.

The incident took place on Dec 15 when young refugees were celebrating a student sports day at the camp, about 30 kilometres west of Mae Hong Son and 2km from the Thai-Burmese border.

The security volunteers were instructed to beef up security at the camp during the event and conducted a search for arms on the refugee students.

The tight security operation led to disputes between security guards and the students, who later asked the guards to leave. The guards reacted impolitely, fuelling anger among the students.

As a brawl broke out a gunshot was heard and Aye Oo collapsed. His blood-soaked body was taken to the camp committee office where he later died.

Following the teenager's death other students went to the security volunteers' base and destroyed their belongings and living quarters.

According to the camp commander's initial investigations, two security volunteer office buildings, 29 motorcycles and two cars belonging to the volunteers were destroyed.

Mr Wachira said all the security volunteers implicated in the brawl had been questioned by Interior Ministry officials and police and had been removed from the camp to prevent further disputes with camp residents. A new group of 15 security volunteers and soldiers from the 17th infantry had been sent to stand by at the camp, he added.

''The situation at the camp has returned to normal,'' he said. ''What we have to do now is restore relations between the refugees and state officials. However, the refugees who destroyed state assets will face charges.''

The refugees should understand they are on Thai soil and should respect Thai laws, Mr Wachira said, adding that he would look into the security volunteers' operation at the camp.

Bangkok Post