Thai soldiers ‘returning people to Myanmar’ after thousands flee air strikes

An anti-coup protester holds a smoke bomb behind makeshift barricade, as the protesters confront police in Yangon, Myanmar Sunday, March 28, 2021. Protesters in Myanmar returned to the streets Sunday to press their demands for a return to democracy, just a day after security forces killed more than 100 people in the bloodiest day since last month’s military coup. (AP Photo)

Thai soldiers have started sending back some of the thousands of people who have fled a series of air strikes by the military in neighbouring Myanmar, sources said.

The weekend strikes, which sent ethnic Karen people seeking safety in Thailand, represented another escalation in the violent crackdown by Myanmar’s junta against protests over its February 1 coup.