Myanmar rebel group calls for no-fly zone to protect civilians

Myanmar’s oldest rebel force wants international help to establish a “no-fly zone” near the Thai border, after warning there was a danger of clashes with the army resulting in civilians being targeted by air strikes.

There has been an escalation in fighting recently between the army and the Karen National Union (KNU), prompting thousands of people to seek refuge in Thailand.

About 3,400 people have taken shelter in Thailand over recent days, Thai authorities said. Thousands more are stranded on the Myanmar side of the border, waiting to cross.

In a statement released this week, the KNU warned of a “high possibility” of military air strikes on civilians.

“These air strikes won’t target military bases but civilian bases as in schools, hospitals, houses and villages,” the head of the KNU’s foreign affairs department, Saw Taw Nee, told Reuters, citing his experience from previous bouts of fighting.