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Mon Information Service 11.06 -95



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MON INFORMATION SERVICE

JUNE 11 TH 1995

 

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1. AIM OF THE MON NATIONAL RELIEF COMMITTEE. 

2. "HUNGER FOR PROTECTION " MON REFUGEES, by MNRC.

3. MNRC MAY 1995 REPORT. 


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1. AIM OF THE MON NATIONAL RELIEF COMMITTEE.


A. Resettlement of the refugees who become homeless due to the opression
   of Rangoon military regime.

B. To help for the welfare of the refugees who become jobless due to the
   opression of Rangoon military regime.

C. To take care and look after the health of the refugees.

D. To fight against illiteracy for the children in the refugee camps.

E. To struggle for human rights.


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2. "HUNGER FOR PROTECTION" MON REFUGEES IN 1994 BY MNRC.


	The Mon National Relief Committee has published a booklet giving
detailed account of the situation and events of the refugee community in
1994 and the future expectations they have. The contents of the publica-
tion is the following:

  Notes from Chairman of the Mon National Relief Committee	 4
  
  PART A. MON REFUGEES AT HALOCKHANI, THE VICTIMES OF VIO-
          LENT ATTACK BY BURMESE TROOPS
  
  A.1.	The July 21st attack on Haloskhani on Mon Refugee
        by SLORC4s troops.					 6
  A.2.	Motives behind the SLORC4s troops attack		 7
  A.3.	Further suffering of the 6000 Mon refugees, while
        in quest of safety on Thai soil				10
  A.4.  The role of UNHCR in nprotection of the Mon refugees	12
  A.5.  International Community in protection of Human Rights	15
  A.6.	The role of Mon community in Thailand			16
  A.7.	Thailand4s attitude towards Burmese refugees		19
  A.8.	Chronology of Halockhani				21

	
  PART B. BACKGROUND OF MON REFUGEES

  B.1.	Mon National Relief Committee for Mon refugees on
        Thai border						32
  B.2.	Forced relocation/repatriation of Mon refugees by
        Thai autorities						32


  PART C. 3000 MON REFUGEES IN PAYAW CAMP UNDER FEAR OF
        REPATRIATION

  C.1.	Pa Yaw camp, a suitable site for refugees		37
  C.2.	Protection and assistance for the new site		38
  C.3.	Appeals of MNRC on the planned repatriation of
        the 3,000 Mon refugees at Pa Yaw camp			39

 PART D. ANALYSIS ON BURMESE ETHNIC REFUGEES

 D.1. The ethnic persecution in Burma and the flow of refugees	41
	( a ) The Human Rights abuses, the reason for the
	      flow of refugees					42
	( b ) Existance of internal displacement		46
D.2.	Seeking protection from international community		47
	( a ) Definition of Burmese ethnic refugees		47
	( b ) Urgeent international protection agains
              repatriation					48
	( c ) International involvement in post-repatriation	49

APPENDIX

	A. Maps and photos					52
	B. Statements						62
	C. Press Releases					70
	D. Letters						79
	E. Opinions from Newspapers



Orders to:	Mon National Relief Commitee
		G.P.O.Box 1983
		Bangkok 10501,
		Thailand. 


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3. MNRC MAY 1995 REPORT.

A.The Relocation of Halockhani New Arrivals


After the Thai Border Police ordered the Halockhani camp leaders to move
the refugees from Thai territory in recent last weeks of April, they 
moved those refugees during the second week of May.

Because of the narrow site of Halockhani camp, those new arrivals who
escaped from Burmese troops persecution, have built their shelters on
the Thai territory at the edge of the camp. After they issued the order
the camp leaders and MNRC had appealled them not to move those refugees 
until the next dry season but the suggestion was refused. At present it
is hard for them to build new shelters again.

During the first week of May some police said the refugeess could stay
on Thai territory for temporary reason, without surrounding their huts 
with fences and without rights to cultivate the land. Anyhow we were
thankfull they allowed that solution take place considering the rainy
season. However, during the second week of May a different order was is-
sued ordering those refugees to move from Thai territory to Burmese soil
as soon as possible. Although the refugees did not have any desire to
move beeing afraid of measures by Thai autorities they decided to move.
Altogether about 40 families already moved from Thai territory to the
unsafe Burma territory.

At present they have cleared and dag hillside areas in the Halockhani
main camp. Among those refugees, very few of them went to the Baleh 
Dunphai section where they would have space enough for buildings but
les safety, as the section site is very close to the military route
used by SLORC troops which connect the Three Pagoda Pass and their mi-
litary headquarters in Mon State or Tenasserim Division.

At the same time, because of the worst human rights abuses by SLORC,
nearly 200 new arrivals had arrived again since the second week of 
April. Those new arrivals also did not want to take refuge in Baleh 
Dunphai and most of them moved to Halockhani main camp. Though the
site is inconvenient to build many shelters there the camp leaders
have arranged for possible settlement of those new arrivals. They are
still building their shelters, while some are still findinh the suita-
ble position in the narrow mountainous site.

By collecting informations from new arrivals we noticed that the human
rights situations in Burma are still worsening as a whole. The railway
( slave labor ) construction is still going on; it is hoped to be stand-
stilled for the rainy season. The local civilians are accused to be sup-
porters of the rebels and the forced relocations around the gas pipeline
area and other confrontation zones are still implemented by SLORC local
troops and more terribly than before. To establish free fire zone,many
villagers in Thaton district have severally suffered by mistreatment of
SLORC4s Local Infantry Batalion No.62 led by Col. Ohn Myint. Col Ohn 
Myint was the commander  who burnt the Baleh Dunphai section and tried
to disturb the main Halockhani camp July 1994 while his troops returned
to the military headquarters in Mon State. Then he was commanded to make
a military operation along the Gaing river areas, which is situated east
of Moulmein where the Mon and Karen troops are active. In recent March 
and April the civilians in Moulmein district also suffered by allegation
of beeing suporters of Mon rebels. SLORC also plans to relocate some
villages.

The Halockhani refugee camp, even it lies on unsafe area, anyhow, has
become a suitable site for the victimes suffering of the mistreatment
by the military regime. Before the new refugees arrive they have hope
to find food and shelter in the camp. Totally, the refugee population
in the camp has increased by more than 300 and we appealled the inter-
national aid agencies to provide more assistance before the terrain
monsoon weather comes.


B. THE STOCK-PILING ASSISTANCES IN HURRY-UP.

In comparison with last year, the monsoon weather arrived into Thai-
Burma border very soon and it mad complicated to BBC ( Burma Border
Consortium ) and MNRC to have time enough to transport the rice to
Mon refugee camps like Payaw and Bee Ree. The way to Payaw has three
parts of the mountainroad difficult to climb because of slipping prob-
lems when the rain falls. The way to Bee Ree camp is even more diffi-
cult, full of mountain climbs. The Payaw refugee is situated more than 
50 kilometers from Sangkhlaburi, while the Bee Ree camp is far about
80 kilometers when the rice transportation is done.

First week of May the rain fell and the roads to Payaw and Bee Ree 
were destroyed. We had to standstill the transportation process for
nearly two weeks  while more than 2100 sacks of rice left had to be
sent to Payaw and more than 1300 sacks of rice for Bee Ree. For the
transportation to Halockhani camp there is no problem, goods can be
sent also during the rainy season. While we were waiting for the ain
to stop and repairing the roads to Payaw and Bee Ree as soon as the
rain stopped, we had finished the transportation process to Halo-
ckhani except the rations for increased population of new arrivals.

While we were waiting the rain to stop we worried about the delay
of transportation and were afraid the refugees could face shortage of
food in mid rainy season. Following this experience, in coming year
stock-piling season, we need to transport the rice quicker than this
year and the permissons should be obtained on time.

As soon as the rain stopped in the last week of May, we immediately
arranged to transport the rice again. At the present when the rain
stops we urgently send the rice. Most of small four wheel drive 
trucks in Sangkhlaburi were rented to send the rice to Bee Ree camp.
For the way to Bee Ree camp the road condition does not allow the
tem wheel trucks for the whole way, and the four wheel drive small
trucks had to pick rice sacks on the half-way. The situation is not
so sure for us to finish the transportation process which is totally
dependent on the rain conditions.


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