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Mizzima: UNHCR, Burmese reached an
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UNHCR, Burmese reached an agreement
New Delhi, May 11, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has agreed to
speed up the cases of the Burmese asylum-seekers who have been on a
hunger strike in front of its New Delhi office since May 8. The
hunger-strikers, total 24 Burmese nationals, and UNHCR has reached an
agreement today that UNHCR will start interviewing their cases from
Monday onwards and will release the result of the interviews within a
week from the date of interview.
?Mr. Augustine Mahiga, Chief of Mission of the UNHCR-India, conveyed
this decision to us this evening. He also assured us that his office
will consider our request for refugee status seriously?, said Mr. Van
Hnin Thang, a representative of the hunger strikers.
Mr. Mahiga however did not give in to the demand of the hunger strikers
that all of them be granted the refugee status and subsistence
allowance.
The Burmese said that they would continue to stay in front of the UNHCR
office for some more days until the results of their interviews come
out. However, it is not clear yet whether they will continue their fast
and what the police will do if they continue to fast.
The fourth day of the hunger strike started this morning with the local
police intensifying their pressure on the asylum-seekers to end their
strike or face arrest. A high-level police officer, Assistant
Commissioner of Police from the Defence Colony came to the spot this
morning and warned the Burmese that the police will have to take action
if the Burmese do not call off the strike in two hours. This was
followed by a renewed negotiation between the UNHCR and representatives
of the hunger strikers, which eventually lead to the agreement.
The Burmese asylum-seekers, including eight women, came to India for
shelter due to the repression of the military government in power in
Burma.
About one thousand refugees from Burma are at present staying in New
Delhi and nearly seven hundreds of them are recognized as refugees under
the UNHCR office in India, which provides most of them the monthly
subsistence allowance of Rs. 1,400 per person (about US $ 30).
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<center><b><u><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+2>UNHCR, Burmese reached
an agreement</font></font></u></b></center>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>New Delhi, May 11, 2001</font></font>
<br><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font></font>
<p><font size=+1>The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
has agreed to speed up the cases of the Burmese asylum-seekers who have
been on a hunger strike in front of its New Delhi office since May 8. The
hunger-strikers, total 24 Burmese nationals, and UNHCR has reached an agreement
today that UNHCR will start interviewing their cases from Monday onwards
and will release the result of the interviews within a week from the date
of interview.</font>
<p><font size=+1>?Mr. Augustine Mahiga, Chief of Mission of the UNHCR-India,
conveyed this decision to us this evening. He also assured us that his
office will consider our request for refugee status seriously?, said Mr.
Van Hnin Thang, a representative of the hunger strikers.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Mr. Mahiga however did not give in to the demand of the
hunger strikers that all of them be granted the refugee status and subsistence
allowance.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The Burmese said that they would continue to stay in front
of the UNHCR office for some more days until the results of their interviews
come out. However, it is not clear yet whether they will continue their
fast and what the police will do if they continue to fast.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The fourth day of the hunger strike started this morning
with the local police intensifying their pressure on the asylum-seekers
to end their strike or face arrest. A high-level police officer, Assistant
Commissioner of Police from the Defence Colony came to the spot this morning
and warned the Burmese that the police will have to take action if the
Burmese do not call off the strike in two hours. This was followed by a
renewed negotiation between the UNHCR and representatives of the hunger
strikers, which eventually lead to the agreement.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The Burmese asylum-seekers, including eight women, came
to India for shelter due to the repression of the military government in
power in Burma.</font>
<p><font size=+1>About one thousand refugees from Burma are at present
staying in New Delhi and nearly seven hundreds of them are recognized as
refugees under the UNHCR office in India, which provides most of them the
monthly subsistence allowance of Rs. 1,400 per person (about US $ 30).</font>
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