The Nation debunks Post articles – Post stands by its story

Local English-language papers have had two stories of tourists joining the Karen National Union. It started with a Bangkok Post about a 19-year-old tourist from Sweden who joined the KNU: Swedish tourist in KNU ranks and the next day they ran this: Scotsman runs clinic for Karen. The Scotsman was David Fisher who claims in this article in The Nation, KNU 'soldier' says news report was fabricated, that the Post faked the story and made up his quotes. "I felt sick when I read the story." he said. "I don't know where they [the Thai newspaper] got their information from." He said he had planned to use his picture in uniform for "English Week" at his school, when teachers were asked to pin their photographs on an exhibition board... Fisher said he is now worried that the false report would affect his career as an English teacher in a Bangkok school.

And the next day The Nation struck again with this story saying the 19-year-old Swedish tourist story was made-up as well. "She gets her picture taken in the press like it's a souvenir that she can take home and hang on her wall," said a 15-year veteran relief worker in Thailand who declined to give his name. "The implications of her actions are not confined to Karen State," he said. The Burmese will put pressure on the Thais to inquire about how foreigners "illegally" exit Thai territory into rebel-controlled parts of Burma, he said.

Meanwhile (in this article): Bangkok Post reporter Supamart Kasem stood by his story. ``I treated the information he gave me as something he wanted to tell the public,'' he said. Also present when Mr Supamart interviewed Mr Fisher were reporters from television channels 3, 5, and 9 and Mae Sot-based stringers for international news agencies.