Myanmar refugee dies in Thailand after US clinic closed; Military denies reports it’s now conscripting women

A 71-year-old from Burma named Pe Kha Lau, living in Umpiem Mai Refugee Camp in Thailand, died after experiencing shortness of breath four days after being discharged from a health facility funded by the U.S. on Feb. 2. The clinic, which was run by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), closed after a U.S. freeze on foreign aid.

“To hear of this loss of life is devastating and we offer our condolences to the family and friends of Pe Kha Lau,” an IRC spokesperson told Reuters. The IRC closed and locked hospitals in several refugee camps in late January after receiving a “stop-work” order from the U.S. State Department, according to residents and aid workers.