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Crackdown threats remain
Irrawaddy - September 21, 2009
Lawi Weng – Burmese opposition groups and local Burmese NGOs operating in Thailand have temporarily closed their offices for fear of further crackdowns by Thai police, according to sources along the Thai-Burmese border.
Several offices in the Thai border towns of Mae Sariang, Mae Sot and Sangkhlaburi are closed at the moment, the sources said.
A member of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland said this is the first time this year that Thai security officials have ordered their office in Sangkhlaburi in Kanchanaburi Province to be closed, adding that no reasons were given for the closure.
Sources said the offices of several other Mon groups dealing with education, media, relief and youth were also ordered closed in Sangkhlaburi.
The closures are thought to be temporary, but Thai security officials have given no reason for the orders, sources said.
Win Min, a Chiang Mai-based analyst of Burmese affairs, said a Burmese military attachi in Bangkok may have played a role in requesting Thai security officials to harass Burmese opposition groups in exile.
Thai police raided several exiled Burmese opposition groups in Chiang Mai last week, including the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma, the Burmese Women's Union and the National Health and Education Committee.
About 10 Burmese women attending a capacity-building workshop were arrested for illegal entry into Thailand. They were fined and later released.
After the raids, several Burmese opposition groups and NGOs based in Chiang Mai closed offices for a few days.
A Western diplomat in Bangkok said the Thais may have targeted less prominent Burmese organizations that are not strongly affiliated to international organizations.
Western diplomats have raised the issue of the surprise raids on Burmese groups in Chiang Mai last week with Thai officials.
International human rights groups and Western governments periodically express concern for the safety of exiled Burmese dissidents living in Thailand.
Several exiled Burmese and foreign groups have opened NGOs and advocacy offices in Thailand in recent years.
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