ACTION REQUEST:- ETHNIC MINORITY RE

[an400642@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: ACTION REQUEST:- ETHNIC MINORITY REFUGEES IN THAILAND (1/3)

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ACTION REQUEST:- ETHNIC MINORITY REFUGEES IN THAILAND
part 1 of 3.  For more information, contact :-
refugee_help@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Dear Friend,

A few moments of your time CAN make a difference.

We would like to ask for your time and your compassion in contributing a
letter to help a group of Burmese refugees who are stranded in Thailand.

These people have already been accepted for resettlement by a third
country,  but have been denied the right to leave Thailand.

There are two groups of refuges from Burma: political refugees, and
people from ethnic minority groups that SLORC has named insurgents, who
have fled due to the on going civil war.

The Thai Government has set up a special camp for political refugees
only, known as the Burmese Safe Area. In order to get in to this camp
refugees are screened by the United Nations High Commission for
Refugees, UNHCR.

Only people from the Safe Area are allowed to leave Thailand.

The group of people that we are particularly concerned with are from the
ethnic minority group of refugees. All of this group have been accepted
by a third country  for resettlement. However as the policy of the Thai
Government does not allow ethnic minority groups to stay in the Safe
Area, no one from this group is allowed to leave the country.

Entrants to the Safe Area are screened by the UNHCR and sometimes the
Thai Government, which does not want noticeable numbers of ethnic
minority groups to enter the camp.  In a few situations, this rules out
people the UNHCR has already categorized as being 'Persons of Concern'
who would be in grave personal danger if they returned to Burma.

In order to apply to foreign embassies for resettlement, refugees are
obliged to go to Bangkok. The Thai Government is afraid that, by
allowing these people to leave Thailand, a magnet effect will develop
with a great many refugees travelling to Bangkok. However as these
refugees are given no support or protection when they travel to Bangkok,
and are liable to arrest at any time as illegal migrants, very few do
take the chance, even though there are no other options. Furthermore,
from those who apply for resettlement, only a few are accepted.

This group of people is a very small proportion of the refugee
population from Burma. We feel that they are a forgotten group.

We ask your help in bringing this impasse to the forefront of people
concerned. By writing a letter, you can help to send these people to the
countries that have already offered them a future.

If you would like to write a personal letter, the next message has some
ideas that you might like to start with.

for more information, contact :-
refugee_help@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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