Refugees in Thailand under pressure

Posted on January 25, 2010
Filed Under Burma news, Karen news | 1 Comment

Temporary refugee housing source: The Nation

Some 3,000 Karen refugees a few hours from Mae Sot are coming under pressure from Thai authorities to return to Burma.
The refugees are currently housed in temporary camps after they fled from Burma following a joint offensive by the Burmese Army and their allies the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army in June (see: Villagers flee offensive as Thailand prepares for influx of refugees).
The Nation reported over the weekend that a meeting was to be held today between the Thai military, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), the Karen Nation Union (KNU), NGOs and representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The meeting was intended to decide the refugees’ fate, with some parties calling for them to be sent home.
The refugees are living in poor conditions and many say they would like to return home. But, they would be at risk from unexploded landmines as well facing the prospect of forced labour in the DKBA controlled area.
However, the Irrawaddy reports the meeting was postponed, leaving their future still uncertain.

A representative for the Thai Burma Border Consortium explained, “Their future is undecided, whether they will be allowed to stay or not. There is daily pressure on people to return back across the border to Burma.”

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One Response to “Refugees in Thailand under pressure”

  1. Tweets that mention Refugees in Thailand under pressure | Words of Life -- Topsy.com on January 26th, 2010 9:41 am

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Shane Abrahams, Only In Burma. Only In Burma said: RT @MaeSotShane: New blog post: Refugees in Thailand under pressure http://bit.ly/7uUliX #Burma #Myanmar [...]

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