In a move that threatens to displease Myanmar's military regime, Japan will provide between 5 million yen and 10 million yen in grant-in-aid to help relieve the suffering of Karen refugees in Thailand, Foreign Ministry sources said March 31.
The sources said the aid will be provided later this month or early next month through the Burmese Border Consortium, a Western nongovernmental organization helping more than 100,000 Karen refugees living in camps in northwestern Thailand along the Myanmarese border.
The Burmese Border Consortium will use the money to purchase rice and edible oil for the refugees, who crossed into Thailand to escape attacks from the Myanmarese military, the sources said. Myanmar was formerly called Burma.