Long-neck Karen held before sale
Twenty long-neck Karen (Padaung) were arrested while crossing the Thai-Burma border on Wednesday night, police said yesterday.
The group were relatives of a woman married to a Bangkok businessman who allegedly aimed to sell them to a group of Phuket investors for Bt10 million. Provincial Governor Direk Konkleeb urged officers to extend the investigation to arrest those behind this alleged human trafficking. A Padaung woman identified as "Som-O" - who led the group across the border - told police they had come from Doi Kor province's Ti Mo So district in Burma to stay with Padaung residents in Mae Hong Son's Huai Pukaeng Village. Som-O said she had been living in Huai Pukaeng Village for a long time and heard the Padaung at Ti Mo So lived a hard life, so she invited them to cross the border with her to live in Thailand. The woman appeared to be very stressed so police placed her on a close watch to prevent her from committing suicide. Another Padaung told police that Som-O had early last year married a Bangkok businessman - who was already married to a Thai woman - and built a resort in Ban Huai Deu to support Som-O's relatives. The Padaung said the businessman wanted 20 Padaung from Ti Mo So sold to a group of Phuket investors for Bt10 million. The Padaung - currently being held for further investigations at Muang Mae Hong Son police station - would later be sent to the immigration police for deportation. The Nation MAE HONG SON
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