WANG KELIAN (Perlis), May 26 — Even as the media descends in droves to quiet Wang Kelian in Perlis in the wake of the discovery of mass graves, it is business as usual for the locals. 

Residents in Kaki Bukit, the village nearest to the mountainous site where the graves were found, are generally unperturbed by the arrival of an unprecedented number of police and government officials.

Coffee shop operator Zulhelmi Yusof was unaware about the graves found just 4km from his shop.

He claimed to have seen some foreigners who looked like Myanmar nationals passing the area in small groups last year.

He said the foreigners, including women and babies, would not stop in the village.

“I have not seen them this year,” he added.

An elderly man, who did not want to be named, said he had never seen any Myanmar nationals there.

He said he was also not aware about the mass graves.

“The graves are in the mountains at the border. How are we to know about them?” he asked.

Songtip Prathinkorn, who was also unaware about the graves, said residents seldom ventured into the mountainous area.

Wang Kelian was once popular for its street shopping as was Wang Prachan, its twin across the border.

The Malaysian and Thailand governments allowed people document-free cross-border travel within a 3km radius then.

Putrajaya stopped this arrangement in February 2008 but resumed it a few months later — but only on Saturdays — with Malaysians required to produce their identity cards to go across the border.

Thais do not have to produce any documentation to cross the border. This adversely affected both towns much to the concern of their residents.

Wang Kelian today is home to only 250 people, a far cry from the thousands previously.

Most villagers are rubber smallholders with a few padi farmers making the numbers.

The trip by road from Kangar to Wang Kelian takes an hour.

From Wang Kelian, Kaki Bukit near the Malaysia-Thai is a mere 8km drive.