(This article is from TBBC - Thailand Burma Border Consortium - website.)
The following maps illustrate how the situation on the Thai/Burmese border has developed since 1984.
1984: The First Refugees
 |
| Tachileik/Maesai, Myawaddy/Maesot, Kawthaung/Ranong. |
In 1984 the border was predominately under the control of the indigenous ethnic nationalities. The Burmese Government / Army had only three main access points at Tachileik in the North, Myawaddy in the Centre, and Kawthaung in the South.
The dark-shaded border areas had never been under the direct control of the Burmese Government or occupied by the Burmese Army. These areas were controlled by the ethnic nationalities themselves, predominantly Shan, Kareni, Karen, and Mon, who had established de facto autonomous states.
The ethnic nationality resistance had influence and access over a much wider area represented diagrammatically in the pale shade. They raised taxes on substantial black market trade between Thailand and Burma and used these taxes to pay for their governing systems, their armies, and some social services.
The Karen national Union (KNU) had been in rebellion for 35 years and since the mid 1970s had been increasingly being pushed back towards the Thai border. For several years dry season offensives had sent refugees temporarily into Thailand only to return in the rainy season when the Burmese Army withdrew.
But in 1984 the Burmese launched a major offensive, which broke through the Karen front lines opposite Tak Province, sending about 10,000 refugees into Thailand. This time the Burmese Army was able to maintain its front-line positions and did not withdraw in the rainy season. The refugees remained in Thailand.
