BANGKOK, March 25 – Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha confirmed today that the fire at a refugee camp in Thailand’s northern province of Mae Hong Son which killed 37 people started from cooking.
His statement was in accord with the Royal Forest Department which rejected reports of sparks from a forest fire as the cause of the blaze. Over 100 persons were injured and more than 2,000 made homeless by the incident.
Ethnic Karen refugees have been sheltered at Mae Surin Camp, Khun Yuam district, for many years after fleeing into Thailand from fighting in Myanmar.
Gen Prayuth said Third Region Army personnel have been instructed to extend help, but he confirmed that the Interior Ministry is the core agency in charge of relief for the ethnic Karen refugees.
The situation on the Myanmar border has improved, he said, but the refugees cannot be sent back against their will. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has resettled more than 200,000 refugees in third countries.
There are about 100,000 refugees from Myanmar left on Thailand’s northwestern border, he said.
Three relief centres have been set up in Mae Hong Son town hall, the Khun Yuam district office and Chiang Mai town hall to receive donations for the refugees.
