Human Rights Watch says Burmese army attacks on ethnic minority villages are forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee in the east of the country.
The rights group issued a press release today saying many displaced people hide from abusive army troops by living in the jungle. It said they are unable to return to their farmlands because of violence they often face by army soldiers.
The organization welcomed today a recent survey released by the Thailand Burma Border Consortium that said as of mid-2007 there were 503-thousand internally displaced. The group surveyed several internal displaced sites including Karen State.
Human Rights Watch says Burmese military forces displace communities primarily for security reasons, but also to clear them for building projects such as gas pipelines and mines.