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sample letter to Thai Prime Ministe



Subject: sample letter to Thai Prime Minister 


>
>General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, Prime Minister of Thailand
>	fax:  (66) 2- 282-8631
>
>Dear General Chavalit,
>
>A crisis now exists along the Thai/Burmese border, and I would like to
strongly urge the Thai government to continue its policy of:  1) accepting
displaced persons from Burma and 2) allowing humanitarian assistance to flow
to those seeking refuge in Thailand.  The Burmese military regime, the State
Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) is persecuting thousands of ethnic
Karen, Karenni, Mon, and Shan.  SLORC's military offensives (in Karen and
Karenni States and the Tenasserim Division), mass forced relocations (in
Shan and Karenni States and theTenasserim Division), forced portering (in
all regions) and forced labor (in all regions) have made it impossible for
civilians to continue to live in Burma and pushed them to seek safety and
shelter in Thailand.
>The Thai government has a long record of supporting refugees, displaced
persons and humanitarian efforts.   Recent events have placed greater burens
on Thailand along its border with Burma than ever before. SLORC's policies
have resulted in record numbers fleeing to Thailand, and SLORC, through its
support for the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), has now even attacked
refugees on Thai soil; such actions violate not only Thai sovereignty, but
numerous international norms against attacks on civilians and refugees.
>It has also come to my attention that the Thai Army has established a
policy of repatriating refugees crossing into Kanchanaburi Province.  Men
have already been pushed back across the border and women and children, now
separated from their husbands and fathers, are being repatriated farther
south.  Given SLORC's current offensive against the KNU and their actions
toward any people even remotely suspected of any form of association with
the KNU, the safety of these civilians is in grave danger.  In light of
these events, I would like to encourage the Thai government:
>
>1. to continue to allow all those seeking refuge and asylum to cross into
Thailand from Burma; 
>
>2. to quickly implement its stated policy to relocate refugee camps further
inside Thailand to more secure areas, so the camps will be safe from
cross-border attacks by SLORC and its supporters; and
>
>3. to continue to allow humanitarian aid to flow uninterrupted to these
refugees and displaced persons.
>
>Recent accounts of some Thai authorities denying access to Thailand or for
people fleeing Burma are worrisome.  These accounts raise considerable
concern in the world community about the health and safety of those who are
attempting to flee to Thailand to escape political persecution and other
human rights abuses.  I hope that the reports of denied access to Thailand
are isolated incidences, and I encourage the Thai government to continue its
past policy of supporting those in need of humanitarian assistance and
shelter from persecution.
>
>Sincerely,
>