THAI MYANMAR BOARD (Reuters) – Thousands are sleeping in makeshift tents on the banks of the Thai-MYANMAR border. Fearful that they will return to their home, where they claimed to have been bombed but hesitant to take refuge elsewhere, thousands of Myanmar villagers now live alongside the river.

Fighting between the Myanmar military which took power last year in a coup and resistance fighters resulted in thousands of people being killed or displace in this area and other parts.

While many fled Thailand for Thailand, the conditions at refugee camps in Thailand have been poor, which has prompted others to go back to Myanmar. Rights groups and humanitarian organizations are calling for greater assistance to those who have been forced to flee.

Reuters journalists on Friday, the Thai side the Moei River saw approximately 2,000 people living under tarpaulin at four different locations.

Sabal Phyu (42 years old) was a woman living in the camp. She had crossed the border unguarded to get food donations and water bottles before she returned to Myanmar.

“Over there we got good aid donations, but it was extremely crowded and hard to live. Sabal Phyu said that here, there is more freedom.

Sabal Phu claimed that her husband and children first crossed into Thailand, but she returned after being forced to go back across the border with others fleeing the Thai city of Mae Sot.

The International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that around 8 000 Myanmar refugees currently live in Thailand in temporary housing.

A spokesperson for Myanmar’s military government didn’t respond to Reuters calls seeking comment.

When asked about conditions in the Thai camps, Ratchada Dahanadirek (Thailand government spokesperson) said that the country is “taking care” of refugees and fulfilling its obligations “accordingly to international human rights standards.”

UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) stated Friday that the Thai government had denied it access to Mae Sot, where refugees are currently being held. It also said they could not allow access from Myanmar.

Spokesperson Kasita Rochanakorn stated that UNHCR supplied facemasks, sleep mats, blankets, and sleeping pads to Thailand’s humanitarian response.

Human Rights Watch’s Asia deputy director stated that Thailand must do more for those who have been displaced in Myanmar by the fighting.

Phil Robertson stated that Thailand must recognize their humanitarian obligations towards refugees, which go beyond allowing food and medicines to cross the border.

Myanmar is in chaos since February 1, when the military overthrew a civilian government headed by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. This triggered protests and occasional clashes between the army and anti-junta militias.

According to activists from the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, more than 1400 protesters and civilians have been murdered by Myanmar security forces in the aftermath of the coup.

These figures are widely quoted by international organizations, but the military claims they’re exaggerated.