The following is from Shepherd's Staff Missionary Sharon Porterfield. Sharon serves Karen refugees in Thailand...
This is a report from the southern Karen area that I have asked you to pray for – please pray fervently so the spiritual & physical enemies cannot win & the Lord will be glorified! Please pray for the captured villager to be returned safely, & for the Lord to protect all other villagers. Thank you!!
Burmese Army burning paddy and capture villager
On 25th March, 2009, Burmese army from LIB (Light Infantry Battalion) # 557 with 25 troops led by battalion commander colonel Min Thu Soe attacked Lahaylu IDPs hiding site and shot 35 years old IDP Saw Bu Lah and is wounded then captured later. BA also burned down three paddy rice barns that are including over 200 basket of paddy rice. The captured villager is not released until the information is sending out.
Lahaylu IDPs hiding site is situated in the east of Tenasserim River bank, west of Suang Phuang district, Rachaburi province of Thailand and in Tenasserim Big River area, Tenasserim division of Burma. The hiding sites is closed to Thai Burma border and closed to the Burmese Army's border out post. Most of IDPs in this area are villagers from Tenasserim river bank villages such as Kasehta, Tapelayko and Mehngaw village.
These IDPs are fled and hiding in this area since 1997 when the Burma Army launched major operation to Mergui-Tavoy district. Later on because of the Burmese Army's activities they crossed and lived in Thai side illegally in Karen villages, Pongheng, Bakohta, Suang Phung district along Thai border since 2000 and become Externally Displaced Peoples (EDPs).
Map showing incident site
Porterfield Missionary Page
