Burma's Karen unable to return home

More than 4,000 ethnic Karen in eastern Burma have fled to Thailand after renewed fighting between Burmese government forces and Karen rebels.

Many of those who have fled over the past week were living at the Ler Per Her camp for internally displaced people in Burma - and had already left their home villages.

Rainbow, who is the secretary of the camp and the headmaster of the school there, told the BBC News website about what is forcing the Karen to flee and the difficult circumstances they now face:

Last week government troops attacked our camp. They were shelling every day. The fighting between the Burmese army and the Karen rebels was taking place close to the camp. It became a dangerous place. So we decided to leave.

There were 1,264 people living in the camp. Since October 2008 we've had about 300 new arrivals.

The Democratic Karen Buddhist Amy (DKBA) [allied to the Burmese army] have been trying to force people in the area to join them in the last few months.

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Burma deports Suu Kyi US 'guest'

From the BBC:

The US man jailed for visiting Burma's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been released and deported.

John Yettaw, whose health is described as fragile, left Burma on a plane with visiting US Senator Jim Webb, who negotiated the deal on Saturday.

Mr Webb was the most senior US official to meet the Burmese leader. He also met pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mr Yettaw was jailed for seven years over the visit and Ms Suu Kyi was given an additional 18 months' house arrest.

Mr Yettaw flew with Senator Webb to Bangkok, where he was taken to hospital in a US embassy van.

Senator Webb told reporters 53-year-old Mr Yettaw was "not a well man".

"He had a medical incident this morning when they read him his orders of deportation," the senator told reporters at Bangkok airport.

"He's now undergoing a thorough medical review here in a hospital, and soon he will be able to return to his family."

His wife, Betty, told the BBC on Saturday she was happy to hear the "wonderful" news that he would be released.

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