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Indian MP wrote to UNHCR for Burmes



Indian MP wrote to UNHCR for Burmese asylum seekers

New Delhi, May 28, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

A Member of Parliament from India has recently written to the United Nations 
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in India to "sympathetically" 
consider the plight of 24 Burmese asylum seekers for the refugee status. Mr. 
S. Ramachandran Pillai, a Raja Sabha (Upper House) MP also requested the 
UNHCR-India Chief of Mission Mr. Augustine Mahiga to expedite the interviews 
of the Burmese.

"Given the internal situation in Burma, their request for refugee status 
should be sympathetically considered. I therefore request you to expedite 
the interviews and other formalities in this regard", said the letter dated 
May 22.

Twenty-four Burmese asylum seekers staged a hunger strike in front of the 
UNHCR office in New Delhi early this month, claiming that UNHCR has 
neglected their plight for protection. They said that they left their native 
places in Burma due to the repression of the military government. All of 
them belong to Chin ethnic nationalities of Burma.

After a week of the hunger strike, UNHCR office has agreed to interview all 
the 24 asylum seekers for their refugee status. Mizzima has learnt that 
UNHCR has been interviewing the 24 Burmese over the last two weeks. The 
interviews will be completed tomorrow and the results are expected to follow 
soon.

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