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Bkk post - Majority sign up for res



Subject: Bkk post - Majority sign up for resettlement 

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Bangkok Post - Nov19, 1999.
MANEELOY HOLDING CENTRE


Majority sign up for resettlement=20
Of 900 applications, 567 ask to go to US


Yuwadee Tunyasiri and Temsak Traisophon


About 85% of the former Burmese students at Maneeloy holding centre have =
applied for resettlement in third countries, the secretary-general of =
the National Security Council said.

Of the 900 applications, 567 asked to go to the United States, Kachadpai =
Burusphat said yesterday.

Another 263 had opted for Australia, 53 for Canada and the rest for =
other countries. He said Washington had offered to take up to 1,500 =
Burmese in the initial stage.

The NSC chief said he had invited representatives of the countries =
offering to accept the students to a meeting later this month to discuss =
the resettlement programme.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had urged a speeding =
up of the resettlement process. The first batch were due to depart =
Thailand before the end of this year.

"The quicker the Burmese are sent abroad, the less burden Thailand will =
have to shoulder," Mr Kachadpai said.

No matter how Thai officials tried to keep the holding centre in order, =
some trouble-makers would always try to incite trouble and defy the =
rules.

It was Thailand's sovereign right to maintain peace and order at the =
holding centre, whereas the UNHCR was obliged to oversee the =
humanitarian problem.

Thai authorities have banned all the student exiles from leaving =
Maneeloy holding centre without permission after two incidents on =
Tuesday. One student was shot and wounded when he allegedly tried to =
steal a duck from a Thai neighbour, and Thai security guards brawled =
with the students who refused to allow a search for concealed weapons.

There are also 1,700-2,000 former Burmese students living in Bangkok, of =
whom 750 have so far reported to the UNHCR and will be sent to Maneeloy =
camp.

Mr Kachadpai warned that students who refuse to report in by Sunday face =
arrest and could be charged with illegal entry.

"There will be no more reprieves," he said. The UNHCR had already been =
notified of Thailand's toughened position against delinquent students.

He supported the Interior Ministry's plan to lock up trouble-making =
Burmese students at the police private school in Bang Khen to separate =
them from the peaceful ones.

The NSC chief also said forced repatriation of illegal Burmese workers =
was proceeding well and the measure would continue. The illegal workers =
could pose a security and social threat in the long run if they were =
allowed to stay.

Veerachai Naewboonnien, interior deputy permanent secretary, said he =
expected the situation in Maneeloy camp would return to normal at the =
end of the month after the completion of the barbed wire fence.

The flare-ups resulted mainly from the Burmese' dissatisfaction with the =
stricter regulations.


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV align=3Dleft><STRONG><FONT color=3D#900000 =
face=3DARIAL,HELVETICA>Bangkok Post -=20
Nov19, 1999.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><STRONG><FONT color=3D#900000 =
face=3DARIAL,HELVETICA>MANEELOY=20
HOLDING CENTRE</FONT></STRONG></DIV><BR><!-- HEADLINE -->
<H1 align=3Dleft><FONT size=3D4>Majority sign up for resettlement =
</FONT></H1>
<H1><!--KICKER--><FONT size=3D3><I>Of 900 applications, 567 ask to go to =

US</I><BR><BR></FONT></H1>
<P><FONT color=3D#000000><!--BYLINE--><B><FONT size=3D3>Yuwadee =
Tunyasiri and Temsak=20
Traisophon</FONT></B><BR>
<P><FONT size=3D+2><B>A</B></FONT>bout 85% of the former Burmese =
students at=20
Maneeloy holding centre have applied for resettlement in third =
countries, the=20
secretary-general of the National Security Council said.</P>
<P>Of the 900 applications, 567 asked to go to the United States, =
Kachadpai=20
Burusphat said yesterday.</P>
<P>Another 263 had opted for Australia, 53 for Canada and the rest for =
other=20
countries. He said Washington had offered to take up to 1,500 Burmese in =
the=20
initial stage.</P>
<P>The NSC chief said he had invited representatives of the countries =
offering=20
to accept the students to a meeting later this month to discuss the =
resettlement=20
programme.</P>
<P>The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had urged a =
speeding up of=20
the resettlement process. The first batch were due to depart Thailand =
before the=20
end of this year.</P>
<P>"The quicker the Burmese are sent abroad, the less burden Thailand =
will have=20
to shoulder," Mr Kachadpai said.</P>
<P>No matter how Thai officials tried to keep the holding centre in =
order, some=20
trouble-makers would always try to incite trouble and defy the =
rules.</P>
<P>It was Thailand's sovereign right to maintain peace and order at the =
holding=20
centre, whereas the UNHCR was obliged to oversee the humanitarian =
problem.</P>
<P>Thai authorities have banned all the student exiles from leaving =
Maneeloy=20
holding centre without permission after two incidents on Tuesday. One =
student=20
was shot and wounded when he allegedly tried to steal a duck from a Thai =

neighbour, and Thai security guards brawled with the students who =
refused to=20
allow a search for concealed weapons.</P>
<P>There are also 1,700-2,000 former Burmese students living in Bangkok, =
of whom=20
750 have so far reported to the UNHCR and will be sent to Maneeloy =
camp.</P>
<P>Mr Kachadpai warned that students who refuse to report in by Sunday =
face=20
arrest and could be charged with illegal entry.</P>
<P>"There will be no more reprieves," he said. The UNHCR had already =
been=20
notified of Thailand's toughened position against delinquent =
students.</P>
<P>He supported the Interior Ministry's plan to lock up trouble-making =
Burmese=20
students at the police private school in Bang Khen to separate them from =
the=20
peaceful ones.</P>
<P>The NSC chief also said forced repatriation of illegal Burmese =
workers was=20
proceeding well and the measure would continue. The illegal workers =
could pose a=20
security and social threat in the long run if they were allowed to =
stay.</P>
<P>Veerachai Naewboonnien, interior deputy permanent secretary, said he =
expected=20
the situation in Maneeloy camp would return to normal at the end of the =
month=20
after the completion of the barbed wire fence.</P>
<P>The flare-ups resulted mainly from the Burmese' dissatisfaction with =
the=20
stricter regulations.</P></FONT></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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