SECURITY has been stepped up at Mae Hong Son’s Mae Sariang district after a Myanmar junta fighter jet dropped a bomb there while bombarding a Karen National Union (KNU) military hospital in Karen province’s Hpapun district on Monday (April 20), Naewna newspaper said this morning (April 22).
Mr. Worasak Panthong, Mae Sariang’s district chief, ordered members of the District Volunteer Defence Corps, under the command of the deputy district chief, to join forces with local agencies in increasing patrols, establishing checkpoints and roadblocks, and closely monitoring natural border crossings.
They were also told to closely watch and track the situation, especially the smuggling of weapons or crossing over to the Thai side, and conduct drills and prepare contingency plans in case of emergency or should the fighting in Myanmar spill over to Thai territory.
Within risky areas, that is Ban Tha Ta Fang and its surrounding villages, bomb shelters have been reinforced. These shelters and safe zones had been previously prepared because people living along this stretch of the border had been strafed by heavy weapon and machinegun fire unleashed by Myanmar soldiers that hit their homes but fortunately there were no casualties.
Security has also been tightened in community areas, schools, hospitals, and important locations with emphasis placed on information management and continuously communicating accurate information to the public to reduce panic and prevent fake news from spreading
Last evening Mr. Arsit Sampanrat, permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, ordered governors of four border provinces, Tak, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai, to increase vigilance because the fighting in Myanmar is escalating and expanding in several areas, particularly across the Thai border in Kayah and Karen states, Amarin TV said.
“Clashes have been observed between Myanmar government forces and ethnic groups in several locations, involving continuous use of military force, aircraft, and projectile attacks.
“This has affected Myanmar citizens who got injured, killed and had to flee closer to the Thai border. At the same time, there is a risk of stray bullets or shots coming to the Thai territory, which could affect the safety of life and property of people in the Thai-Myanmar border area,” he stated.
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Scenes from Ma Sariang border area. Photos – Naewna
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