Exodus to Thailand continues after fall of key Myanmar border town
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00:00 They're among the 4,000 Burmese per day who are fleeing the town of Mayawaddy and seeking
00:06 refuge across the border in Thailand.
00:08 Mayawaddy in southern Myanmar has been at the heart of clashes which erupted earlier
00:13 this week between the junta troops stationed there and the ethnic minority group Karen
00:18 National Union.
00:20 Artillery shells and gunfire have prompted residents to leave, with border crossings
00:24 doubling in just one week.
00:26 "I'm afraid. I feel safer on this side of the border."
00:32 "They can't bomb Thailand."
00:36 According to the junta spokesman, 200 Myanmar troops stationed in Mayawaddy have abandoned
00:41 their posts and are sheltering on a bridge linking the trade town to the Thai district
00:46 of Mae Sot.
00:48 Thailand's foreign minister is visiting Mae Sot as the country makes preparations to
00:52 take in what they estimate could be 100,000 people fleeing the fighting in Myanmar.
00:57 "There might be some possibility of a mass influx coming to Thailand. So that's why the
01:02 Thai government needs to get ready to plan on a more comprehensive approach to deal with
01:09 the situation."
01:10 Myanmar has been deep in conflict since its army overthrew a democratically elected government
01:16 in 2021, but the junta's facing territory and troop loss as multiple rebel groups have
01:22 launched offensives in the country.