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THE THAI'S INCONSISTENT REFUGEE POL



Subject: THE THAI'S INCONSISTENT REFUGEE POLICY

WRITTEN SUNDAY 5-DEC-99; 6:00AM

THE THAI'S INCOHERENT POLICY ON BURMESE REFUGEES 

Since the `Vigorous Warriors' stormed Burmese Embassy in Bangkok, Thai
authorities heavy-handed treatment of Burmese exiles and refugees,
especially the Maneeloy camp residents, have been reported. On analysing
unceasing plights of the Burmese refugees in Thailand, there has been
little change in thinking of some Thai authorities about the problem of
Burmese refugees during this decade. 

Burmese refugees are considered little more than 'pawns' in the Thai
authorities bid for trade and businesses privileges from the Burmese
military. In 1988/89, General Chavalit turned Burmese exiles into the
hand of SLORC in exchange for trade concessions [See Burma Action(SA)
report to UNGA in 1993 in my home page]. During the period of 1992-1997,
the Border Affairs Committee by Burmese and Thai Generals contribute no
outstanding achievements towards bilateral relations. It, however,
managed to pressure the NMSP to sign ceasefire agreement with the
Burmese military --paving the way for completing the gas pipeline. In
recent event, it becomes clear that in the wake of border closure by the
Burmese side, the Thai authorities pressured Burmese students into
Maneeloy camp and putting a "show of oppression" to appease the Burmese
military. From what we can read from the detalied report of events at
Maneeloy, there have been the deliberate provocations on the part of
concerned authorities. 

NETTING STUDENTS WITH RESETTLEMENT 

After the Embassy siege in October, the Thai authorities have spread
rumours that UNHCR will help resettled all Burmese exiles in Maneeloy
camp-- in fast track --to Third countries. Regarding  Burmese students
in Thailand, there has already been an ongoing resettlement program,
albeit in a small scale, under the auspices of UNHCR. The UNHCR could,
in practice, appeal those countries to take a few more  refugees to be
resettled. However, processing for resettlement of any refugee will
take 6 months to 1 year. No matter how generous of the governments offer
for resettlement, it is unrealistic to assume all Burmese students in
Maneeloy to be resettled within two years. One must also takes into
account of new refugee claimants coming into the camp during that two
year. In any case, the Burmese exile groups, such as ABSDF in Bangkok.
appeared to have treated with caution about Thai authorities' proposed
resettlement program. Unfortunately, anyone encouraging Burmese to enter
Maneeloy for Third Country resettlement could be guilty of co-conspiring
with Thai authorities in netting the students.

To my understanding, most Burmese student used Maneeloy camp as a
transit camp. Burmese student do not usually stay long in Maneeloy camp;
they entered the camp only for a resettlement. By observing recent
developments, the Maneeloy camp sets to become more of a permanent
refugee camp. Because of the evidence of oppression and intimidation, we
should ask the UN Special Rapporteur, perhaps other NGOs too, to paid a
visit to the  Maneeloy camp. Camp authorities cutting-off the line of
communication with the camp residents is a very serious matter.

RATIONALE FOR RESETTLEMENT ?

Apart from the technicalities of resettlement, one just wonder what is
the rationale behind this 'Third country resettlement' of Burmese
students in Bangkok. Obviously, the Thai government cannot get rid of
all Burmese students in Bangkok by the resettlement alone. Even all
Burmese in Maneeloy being resettled to the Third countries, there will
still be Burmese activists in and around Bangkok. On the one hand, there
are 110,000 Burmese ethnic minority refugees currently in border camps.
Clearly, nothing could possibly be changed in Thailand by promoting the
Third country resettlement. So is the repatriation of Burmese workers:
so long as problems in Burma remain, there will continue to be illegal
Burmese workers in Thailand.

There are incoherent statements from Thai NSC chief about the
resettlement of Burmese students: see following AFP reports of 29/11 and
18/11. On the other hand, it is not humane practice for Thai authorities
to create hardship for the Maneeloy camp residents in the hope that the
students be receiving speedy resettlement from Third countries.

Then, there has also been report about NSC Chief requesting UNHCR to
mediate the repatriation of Burmese ethnic minority refugees (BKK Post
27/11/99). This is certainly good news ( but take with a pinch of salt,
to be sure). NSC Secretary-General can be assured there are no shortage
of feasible solution for Burmese refugees at UNHCR. What is needed is
the Thai Government to make a proper initiative with the United Nations
to solve Burmese refugee problem. 

DESPERATIONS IN MANEELOY

Apart from the issues of resettlement, there ought to be some immediate
improvement to the living condition of Maneeloy residents. For example,
there was an unfortunate incident in September 1999 of some camp
residents protesting UNHCR staff for suspending the subsistence
allowance. Five UNHCR personnel were blocked by students who did not
receive their monthly allowance of Baht 800 (about 20 USD). Maneeloy
students who had participated in 9999 protest in Bangkok apparently were
unable to showed up in time to collect allowance in Maneeloy; UN staffs
consequently had threatened to cut-off this meagre allowance.

In this very case, I can understand the students' anger and empathise
their desperation. I myself have been a long-term 'unemployed' and on
government's welfare benefit of subsistence in nature since 1993( i.e.
from the time I was granted refugee status in Australia). Some unkind
observers may ridicule these students squabbling with UNHCR for $20
allowance. Surely, what $20 could afford for one with ? A hair cut (you
need it); one pack of cigarette or two (bad for your health); few meals
at side-street noodle stall (precious escapes from the horrible
camp-food!); and, perhaps, few drinks at local pub or a trip to cinema
(that would be a luxury!!). Going down to Ratchaburi town and sending
email/post-mail would cost them quite a few bahts too. Despite $20
amount of money being humiliatingly small, to take away this subsistence
allowance do constitute serious threat to the welfare of Maneeloy
students. The reactions of students were understandable. 

Since this payment to Maneeloy residents seems too small, we should ask
the UNHCR in Bangkok to topped-up this allowance with a few more Bahts,
perhaps. This certainly wouldn't help us being ridiculed as
'international beggars' by the other camp (i.e. NLM). But it is the
'truth' we will have to face with.

IN DEALING WITH PROVOCATIONS

For any activists and refugees, provocations by other political actors
(media often included) have to be taken usually as 'occupational
hazards'. In some cases, these political actors provoke us in order to
cause reaction, to create diversion or distraction. In such case, the
passive and non-violent resistance is most effective to counter the
provocation -- for example, simply ignore provocation as much as
possible. On the other hand, should there be a certainity of oppression
and intimidation, we all must pull our resources together to repel the
oppressors. The activists/refugees on the ground must be able to make
judgment about suitable response for any such situation.

With best regards, U Ne Oo.
--------------------------------------

THE BANGKOK POST: UN AGENCY URGED TO AID REPATRIATION
27 November, 1999 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been urged by the
National Security Council to negotiate with Rangoon the repatriation of
100,000 refugees in Thailand.

NSC Secretary-General Kachadpai Burusphat said it was hoped the UNHCR
and other international organisations would push for the repatriation of
Burmese who had fled over the past 15 years to escape fighting, through
talks with the Burmese government.

"I have asked the UNHCR to come up with decisive resolutions. The UNHCR
must consult international communities to find out how to play a greater
role in Burma and give Burma assistance, to ensure the safety of
refugees who return home," he said.

More than 750 Burmese students in Bangkok had so far registered with the
UNHCR and would be sent to the Maneeloy centre in Ratchaburi, which
houses 1,100 Burmese students.

The NSC chief said he believed the process to send all Burmese students
in Thailand to third countries could begin by the end of the year.
************
AFP: US WILLING TO ACCEPT MORE EXILED MYANMAR DISSIDENTS
29 November, 1999 

BANGKOK, Nov 29 (AFP) - The United States is willing to resettle more
Myanmar dissidents exiled in Thailand, after having found homes for more
than 30 this month alone, US embassy officials said Monday.

"We are willing to process more Burmese refugees, were more to apply. We
don't have a quota, we have never had a quota. If more were to apply, we
are willing to consider it and settle more," said a US embassy
spokeswoman.

"Capacity-wise we could do it," she said.

Earlier in the day, Thailand's National Security Council said a first
group of about 20 dissident students flew to the United States on
Sunday, and that a further 100 would leave in December.

However, the US embassy spokewoman said no students left that day and
that the 100 figure was inaccurate.

"In November there were three different dates people went out. On
November 4th four people went out, on the 11th 13 people, and on the
18th 16 people went out," she said.

A further 22 students would leave on December 2, she said, but added
that the program was scheduled to be put on hold over the Christmas
period.

She denied Washington was under pressure to accept more students as a
result of the storming of Yangon's Bangkok embassy by gunmen claiming to
be pro-democracy students.

"These are people who were in the pipeline well before the Burmese
embassy thing even happened," she said, adding resettlement applications
typically took three-to-four months to process.

The NSC recently set strict restrictions on the estimated 2,000 exiled
Myanmar students in Thailand, after five gunmen took 38 people hostage
at Myanmar's embassy here on October 1.

It set November 21 as a deadline for all exiled dissidents to register
with the United Nations High Commisisoner for Refugees for settlement in
third countries.

Most of the exiles fled here after a bloody 1988 military crackdown on
Myanmar pro-democracy demonstrators.
****************
AFP: RESETTLEMENT OF EXILED MYANMAR STUDENTS TO RESUME IN DECEMBER
18 November, 1999

BANGKOK, Nov 18 (AFP) - Thailand said on Thursday that a first group of
100 Myanmar exiles now staying in a tense border camp would be resettled
in the United States next month.

The exiles, the vast majority of whom fled Myanmar's military rule,
would leave under a program launched by officials after relations with
Yangon deteriorated sharply when dissident gunmen from Myanmar raided
Yangon's embassy in Bangkok in October.

"Resettlement for these exiled students in a third country will take
place in December when 100 of them are due to leave for the US,"
National Security Council (NSC) chief Khachadpai Burusapatana told
reporters.
\* texts deleted *\

*******
HEADLINE: Exiled Myanmar students clash with Thai police

DATELINE: BANGKOK, Nov 16

BODY:   Dissident students opposed to Myanmar's military government
clashed with security forces at a tightly-guarded camp in western
Thailand late Tuesday, exiles and police sources said. A member of the
Burmese Students Association claimed that several students had been
wounded.

"There was a clash between students and security officers," he told AFP
from inside the Maneeloy camp.

He said a student identified as Nawe Aung was shot in the leg and
another identified as Minn Lwin suffered a blow to the head. Most of the
shots fired by security forces were directed into the air, he said.

Police in Ratchaburi province near the volatile Thailand-Myanmar border
denied shots were fired and said there were no casualties.

"There was a quarrel at around eight o' clock this evening between
Burmese students and police -- nobody was killed or injured," said an
officer who identified himself as Lance-Corporal Winai at Pakthor
district police
station.

"It was not a big incident."

Political authorities in the province could not be immediately reached
for comment.

Thailand ordered the resettlement in a third country of more than 1,000
students at Maneeloy after five gunmen, some former camp residents,
seized the Myanmar embassy here along with 38 hostages last month.

The incident sent Thai relations with Yangon into a nosedive after
officials here allowed the gunmen to escape to the Myanmar border in a
helicopter in a deal which ended the 24-hour siege.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been
seeking new homes for the dissidents and has started a registration
program.

The dissident spokesman, who requested anonymity, said anger had reached
boiling point on Monday after a clash between a student and a villager.
Both the injured students were still in the camp late Tuesday, he said
and fellow students were outraged at the incident.

The camp has been tense for weeks. In one incident last month students
locked up UNHCR workers at the camp in a dispute over allowances.
Thailand warned exiles after that episode that they should not abuse its
hospitality after fleeing the jurisdiction of Myanmar's military
government.

A number of governments have agreed informally to accept students,
including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and several
European states without a long tradition of accepting refugees, the
UNHCR has said.

Thailand has said it would like all the students classified as political
refugees by the UNHCR to be sent to third countries within three years.
The UNHCR has stressed that resettlement is voluntary and that it has
already helped to resettle 2,000 Myanmar refugees who fled to Thailand.

Around 1,000 students were originally at Maneeloy camp and will be
registered for voluntary resettlement, the UNHCR said.

A further 900 have registered as refugees in Thailand but are not in
contact with the agency. Eight to nine hundred more are expected to head
for the Maneeloy camp shortly. Exiled students at Maneeloy, come from
ethnic Burmese, Karen, Karenni and ethnic Mon groups.

The resettlement program has been taking place in parallel with another
Thai drive to repatriate thousands of illegal immigrants to Myanmar. 
bur/col/kf

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
-- 
HTTP://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~uneoo
EMAILS: drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx, uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
POSTMAIL: Dr U Ne Oo, 18 Shannon Place, Adelaide SA 5000, AUSTRALIA
[http://freeburma.org/[http://www.angelfire.com/al/homepageas/index.htm]
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