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What U.S. is doing to help the Kare



Subject: What U.S. is doing to help the Karen Refugees 

U.S. congressmen bring new pressure on
  Thailand over refugees
  March 6, 1997
  9.39 a.m. EST (1439 GMT)

  BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Thailand came under new pressure from the United
  States today to open its borders to ethnic Karen refugees fleeing a Burmese
  army offensive. 

  Thailand sent hundreds of Karen men, women and children back to Burma last
  week, prompting criticism from the international community and human rights
  groups. 

  The Thais insisted the refugees would be safe. But human rights groups said
  they were being sent into the path of advancing Burmese troops trying to crush
  the rebel Karen National Union. Burma's army is accused of rape, random
  execution and burning villages. 

  Three Republican congressmen sent Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh a
  letter today demanding respect for the refugees' "basic human rights'' and
  calling the repatriations "against international law and internationally
accepted
  humanitarian standards.'' 

  It was signed by Benjamin Gilman of New York, chairman of the House
  Committee on Foreign Relations; Christopher Smith of New Jersey, chairman
  of the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights; and Dana
  Rohrabacher of California. 

  Spokesmen for the prime minister's office and the Thai Foreign Ministry said
  they had no knowledge of the letter. 

  The Thai army appeared to succumb to the international outcry over the
  weekend, transferring some 2,300 refugees reportedly slated for deportation to
  a safer location inside Thailand. Burmese troops raiding across the border had
  twice tried to attack their camp. 

  A Thai army spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it had
  always been Thailand's policy to help unarmed people. 

  The spokesman had been asked to clarify remarks attributed to Gen. Chetta
  Thanajaro, the army commander, on Wednesday that Thailand would allow all
  Karens to enter the country if they were unarmed. 

  The remarks appeared to be a reversal of Chetta's stance last week to bar
  entry to all fighting-age males, saying he did not want Thailand turned into a
  guerrilla rear base. 

  But statements from Thai officials have been inconsistent and confusing over
  refugee policy and under what circumstances any repatriations took place. 

  A spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees had no immediate
  comment on Chetta's remarks. 

  The Coordinating Committee of Human Rights Organizations in Thailand was
  hopeful Chetta was indicating a new policy. But the committee's spokesman,
  Pairoj Pholphit, said he was not confident it was official and would be
carried
  out. 

  About 15,000 ethnic Karens have fled to Burma in the past three weeks.
  Thailand historically has opened its borders to refugees from Burma and used
  ethnic rebels as a buffer against Burma's military government. 

  The Karens now fear a change of heart due to warming Thai-Burmese
  relations linked to cross-border infrastructure projects.