Caught between Myanmar's militias and Beijing's demands, thousands face an uncertain fate
A soldier of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) burns Myanmar's national flag at a military base at Thingyan Nyi Naung village on the outskirts of Myawaddy, the Thailand-Myanmar border town under the control of a coalition of rebel forces led by the Karen National Union, in April 2024. © Reuters
Don Pathan is a Thailand-based security analyst.
Until recently, twice a day, two plane loads of Chinese tourists on commercial flights from Bangkok would land here at Mae Sot, a border town in Thailand not known for much other than cross-border trade with Myanmar.
