10,000 cross Thai border to flee Myanmar clashes‎

At least three civilians were killed after heavy weapons fire hit the town of Myawaddy.

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Deadly clashes between rebel troops and government soldiers in eastern Myanmar on Monday sent 10,000 people fleeing across the border to Thailand,a Thai official said.

Most of those crossing were women and children,said Samart Loyfah,the governor of Thailand’s Tak province on the frontier.

“The current figure of people crossing to Thailand is 10,000,” he said,adding that sporadic fighting continued to be heard in Myanmar.

“Army,police and civil authorities have prepared an area to accommodate them five kilometres (three miles) from the border,” he said.

At least three civilians were killed after heavy weapons fire hit the town of Myawaddy in Myanmar’s eastern Karen State,an official in the military-ruled country said. There was no information on any troop casualties on either side.

Fighting between rebels and government troops further south caused another 1,000 people to cross the border into Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province,said a local district chief,Jamrus Srangnoi.

Zipporah Sein,the Thailand-based general secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU),said there had been clashes between government forces and Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) troops in the two areas.

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“I don’t think the DKBA will surrender,” she added.