[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
1993: COMMUNICATIONS (CONTINUED)
/* Written 28 July 6:00am 1995 by DRUNOO@xxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.burma */
/* -------------" 1993: COMMUNICATIONS (CONTINUED) "------------- */
[Following letter were written in connection with reports received from
Thailand regarding Burmese student refugees/asylum-seekers and displaced
Burmese women in 1993. Despite our best efforts, the protection of
Burma's refugees continued to be most disappointing situation. The most
distressful aspect, in my opinion, of Burmese refugee situation in Thailand
has been intimidation/persecution by the authorities concerned. We continue
to hope that the Royal Thai Government cooperate with UNHCR in protecting
all refugees and solving the Burmese refugee problem. -- U Ne Oo.]
U Ne Oo
Burma Action(SA)
1st Floor, 39 Wakefield Street
Adelaide SA 5000 AUSTRALIA
July 15 1993
Mr Danial Conway
P.O. Box 2-121
Rajdanmern, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Dear Mr Conway,
Concerning with the deteriorating situation of Burmese asylum seekers in
Thailand, I support the UNHCR to make initiatives for the Royal thai
Government to grant a temporary political asylum status to Burmese
refugees. Regrettably, the attention given by UNHCR to Burma's displaced
minorities at Thai-Burma border as well as to the Burmese dissidents within
Thailand is fall far short of our expectations.
I understand that the Government of Thailand is not a signatory to the
international refugee laws for the UNHCR to be fully operational. It must
stress, however, that the UNHCR is not an organization which its
responsibility is solely to hand-out charity. The UNHCR's responsibility
should extends to the protection of abuses on the displaced people anywhere
in the world. IN this context, the UNHCR in Thailand must become a strong
advocate of the safety of the refugees regardless of local laws. The UNHCR
must actively seek for a solution to the problems that relates with
protection of displaced people.
There had been incidences that the Burmese students have been forcefully
repatriated in 1989 (Tak Repatriation Center in Dec 1988-FEb 1989). There
were also reports of the LOcal Thai authorities harassment and abuses on
refugees in order to gain advantage on commercial dealings with the Burma
MIlitary (Sanglaburi District in April 1991: Asia Watch, March 20-1992,
Vol.No 4. Issue No 7.). The present conflict of the Thai authorities and
Burmese refugee will continue unless the Government of Thailand gives a
promise not to make forced repatriation.
I therefore urge the UNHCR in Thailand to speaks out, both in private and
public, for the safety of the Burmese refugees. Firstly, the UNHCR must set
up an inquiry into these incidences. Secondly, the UNHCR must encourage the
Government of Thailand to consider granting a temporary political asylum
status to the Burmese refugees. Thirdly, the UNHCR must promote a policy to
get access to the Burmese refugee camps along Thai-Burma border.
YOurs faithfully
Sd. U Ne Oo
cc. Ms Sadako Ogata, UNHCR, CASE POstale 2500, CH-1211 Geneva 2 Depot,
Switzerland.
/* Letter to Coordinator of Australia Burma Council */
July 23, 1993
Mrs Amanda Zappia
41 Ingamells Street
Garran ACT 2605
Dear Amanda
Thanks for your letter of 5-May-93, and Prof. Yokota's report together with
ABC updates. It is of great help to get those documents.
Enclosed are a copy of letter send by Burma INformation Group(BIG) in
Thailand, I am sure you received that copy. According to the letter, the
situation are getting worse for burmese dissidents in Thailand. SLORC, on
the otherhand, try to pressure Thailand by scrapping logging concessions
(see FEER, 22 July). We simply do not know what is the SLORC's motive for
doing this. My worry is that it may force Thais to take tougher stance on
Burmese dissidents, both in Thailand and at Manerplaw.
It will therefore be helpful to urge the Thai government and UNHCR to
consider the Temporary Political Asylum status to Burmese dissidents as
being described in BIG's letter. It also important for UNHCR to get access
to the refugee camps at Thai-Burma border. Although such proposal as
cross-border assistance to displaced population in Burma is quite difficult
to get support at the diplomatic level, the presence of UNHCR at the border
will be of a great help to these people. In general, this is the time for
Thailand to change its policy toward Burma.
It will help burmese dissidents in Thailand by supporting the BIG's
proposals. Please run a campaign for this as you and ABC can. For our part,
I write letter to UNHCR(all our members too)
Please send ABC update to this address from now on:
U NE OO, 48/2 AYLIFFES RD. ST MARYS 5042
PS: Some good news: I was awarded PhD last Month. It is something certainly
to be proud for all of us who are under military repression, struggling for
burma's democracy.
Yours sincerely
Sd. U Ne Oo.
/*------------ Letter from UNHCR: Thailand (9/8/93) ------- */
UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
BRANCH OFFICE FOR THAILAND
P.O.Box 2-121 Rajdamnern
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
9 August 1993
Dear Mr U Ne Oo,
We acknowledge receipt of your letter of 15 July 1993, concerning the
general situation of Burmese asylum seekers in Thailand.
With respect to the general situation of the above mentioned asylum
seekers, it should be noted that a distinction is made by the Royal Thai
government (RTG) between the approximately 40,000 Burmese who arrived in
Thailand prior to 1976, the approximately 70,000 Burmese now living in
refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border, and the Burmese currently in
Bangkok. The civilian populations at the border who arrived before 1976
were accorded the status of displaced persons by the RTG in 1976, thus
allowing them to reside officially in thailand although their freedom of
movement is restricted to the provinces where they are established. Insofar
as the Burmese who arrived after 1976 are concerned, they reside in refugee
camps along the border, which are assisted (with the tacit approval of the
RTG) by a group of non-governmental organizations referred to as the
Burmese border consorium (BBC) which functions under the auspices of the
CCSDPT. These populations are considered by the Thai authorities as
minority groups fleeing generalized violence in their country of origin,
whose presence on Thai territory is informally tolerated. UNHCR has visited
the aforementioned camps on a regular basis since 1992 to monitor
developments therein. The office does not, however, have a permanent
presence in these camps.
Insofar as the third category of persons is concerned, the RTG has
formulated a polity whereby Burmese students and political dissidents who
registered with the Ministry for the Interior, whould by permitted to
remain in Thailand, in a zone referred to as the Safe Area. It should be
noted that UNHCR, many Embassies and non-governmental agencies have visited
the Safe Area and have determined that it meets accepted international
standards for the welfare and protection of refugees. Furthermore, we wish
to emphasize that Burmese residents of the Safe Area have permanent and
unimpeded access to the UNHCR staff member who is posted there.
It should further be noted in regard to this latter group, that Thailand is
not a party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of refugees or to
its 1967 Protocol. Thus, with the exception of the Comprehensive Plan of
Action for INdochinese Refugees, Thailand has not enacted specific
legislation/ regulation relating to refugees and asylum seekers. Therefore,
Burmses persons of concern to UNHCR who refuse to comply with the above
mentioned measures (and who are residing in Thailand illegally) would be in
a precarious situation, since they would, pursuant to the relevant
provisions of the Thai immigration law, be considered as illegal immigrants
and would be subject to arrest and prolonged detention at the Immigration
Detention Center(IDC), irrespective of their status with UNHCR. However,
UNHCr does have an official permanently based at the IDC, who monitors
developments pertaining to all asylum seekers/persons of concern who are
thus detained, in order to intervene on their behalf as and when
appropriate.
We thank you for your concern with respect to Burmese asylum seekers in
Thailand and hope that the above information proves useful to you.
Yours sincerely,
Sd. Nik Chandravithun
Officer-in-Charge (Legal Section)
/* --------- Letter from Coordinator of ABC ----------- */
9th September 1993
Dear U Ne Oo
My apology for the delay in this correspondence but I am working around the
clock at the moment and still I am not getting everything done.
As far as UNHCR goes in Thailand they are attempting to do as you suggest
to assist the Burmese but my dear the Thais, as always, are preventing it.
It may be more valuable for us to put pressure on the Thais by bonbarding
the Thai Embassy here with requests for cooperation. What do you think ?
We will suppport the BIG campaign both in Australia and at the UN. I will
be there in October 1993.
I will put out another Update at the end of September and ensure that I
start the Thai correspondence flowing then.
In the meantime I am assisting the students put together a public seminar
to be held in Dec or Jan and they will be here for one week prior to the
AIDAB seminar which the students are doing on the 30th September.
14th September is the first meeting of the International Parliamentary
Committee, Burma. There are 100 nations in town for the IPU meeting and I
am taking advantage of that to set up an international Burma committee.
Have received signatures from nearly all Members and Senators of Australian
Parliament for a petition to the UN demanding the release of Suu Kyi. Also
I think I am suppposed to be going to New York in October and should be
preparing for that.
Its a nightmare at the moment. You wouldn't move to Canberra and pitch in
would you, I here the uni here is great. I'm only joking really but I could
use a few more hands.
Please take care, my best wishes to you as always.
Sd. Amanda Zappia
Aust Rep. NCGUB and FTUB
Central Coordinator ABC
/* -----------" NEWS FROM BURMA INFORMATION GROUP (MAY 93) "---------- */
NEWS FROM THE IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTRE
BANGKOK 31 MAY 1993
BURMA INFORMATION GROUP
-----------------------
BURMESE DETAINEE'S FATAL SUFFERINGS FROM VARIETY OF HEALTH COMPLICATIONS
NEWS FROM THE IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTRE: a Burmese asylum seeker named
Ko Htay Lwin who had been suffering from a variety of health complications
died of heart failure last month(April). Doctors and medical workers from
Foundation In Support of Refugee Assistance Programmew in Thailand
(FISRAPT) had warned him about his health condition according to a friend.
FISRAPT had been aware of Htay Lwin's severe condition for a long time.
Ko Htay Lwin had been arrested when the Thai police raided the FISRAPT
compound on 9 April 1993 while refugees were studying there. About 13
persons had been arrested including Ko Htay Lwin. Most of those arrested
were Burmese asylum seekers. Some of the students had sought help from the
FISRAPT officers. Some Burmese asylum seekers had also asked the Thai
officers to find a way to release Ko Htay Lwin specifically because of his
worsening health condition. They felt that he should be taken to hospital
where he could be taken care of properly and not to the IDC. However, their
request was rejected by the Thai authorities. Some Burmese asylum seekers
expressed their resentment towards the FISRAPT office because three of
their volunteer workers (two of whom were Burmese asylum seekers with UNHCR
-"persons of concern" status) were released shortly after the raid at
FISRAPT's request.
ONe Burmese asylum seeker who is living in Bangkok and is a mmber of
Overseas National Students' Organization of Burma(ONSOB) critized of Ko
Htay Lwin's case when he was told by medical workers that Ko Htay Lwin only
had a limited time to live before he was captured. This the asylum seeker
went on to say, was the reason why FISRAPT and UNHCR failed to act.
On 24 April, 1993 Ko Htay Lwin died from his illness. Before he died he had
been vomiting blood and was taken to hospital.
To date his body has not been released to his friends who are waiting to
bury him.
Ko Htay Lwin is a "person of concern" to the UNHCR. He fled to the border
after the military cracked down on the pro-democracy movement in Burma. He
was a member of the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) before he
came to Bangkok.
BURMESE ASYLUM SEEKERS WERE BEATEN IN DETENTION
-----------------------------------------------
NEWS FROM THE IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTRE: Currently almost 30 Burmese
asylum seekers are being detained in the Immigration Detention Centre
(IDC). They were randomly arrested either on the streets or at their hiding
rooms on charges of violating the Thai Immigration act.
On 29 April, 1993 about 12 Burmese asylum seekers who are being detaining
in IDC were taken out of their cell and severely beaten by the wardens and
police. The motive is not clear.
On 15 May, 1993 about 20 Burmese asylum seekers were beaten up by the
wardens and police again.
Some Burmese detainees have served their sentences in the IDC but have not
been released yet. There is an unconfirmed report from IDC that a Burmese
asylum seeker has disappeared after a brutal beating. His fellow inmates
could not find him in the room after the brutal beating.
Thai immigration police have also tortured Burmese detainees who they
suspect to be Burmese asylum seekers or Burmese students. NO one yet knows
the reason why immigration police and wardens abused these inmates.
Due to the worsening situation in the IDC, Burmese asylum seekers have
become depressed especially as they face such and uncertain future. Some
are sick because of malaria and other diseases. Although they are "persons
of concern" to the UNHCR they are reluctant to identify their status to the
UNHCR officer in the IDC for tow reasons: Firstly, because they fear that
this will lead to a continued detention in the IDC and secondly, because
they fear that they would be sent to the "safe area". Most of the Burmese
asylum seekers who are being detained in the IDC have no options but to
choose the risky way of deportation to the Thai-Burmese border where they
can run away from the police before the deportation or bribe the police
with money to set them free in the vorder area before being handed over to
Burmese authorities.
This is a long-term problem which faces the Burmese students who now
realize that their caretaker, the UNHCR is impotent to protect them from
maltreatment, deportation and detention. Moreover, UNHCR has voiced that
the "safe area" is the only solution for the Burmese asylum seekers in
Thailand but many Burmese asylum seekers disagree and have not entered the
area. They are therefore afraid to cooperate with UNHCR.
"These UNHCR officers are always hiding in their offices" as one asylum
seeker puts it.
Some Burmese students believe that brutal beatings, detention, prison
torture, and proceeding arrests of Burmese asylum seekers aim to put
pressure on the Burmese asylum seekers who still refuse to enter the "safe
area". Some burmese asylum seeker anticipate that the repulsive and
helpless situation in the IDC may push Burmese detainees to surrender to
the "safe area".
RECOMMENDATIONS
---------------
* We request you to visit the detainees in the IDC and support them with
food, medicine, and other essential things.
* We urge you to write letters to the offices of UNHCR and the Ministry of
Interior to ask for the release of these people as well as to request for
the setting up of an inquiry into the current reported abuses in the IDC.
* We request UNHCR, human rights agencies, and the diplomatic cimmunity in
Bangkok to pay frequent visit to the IDC and to lood after Burmese asylum
seekers. BIG suggest the UNHCR should act sensibly to prevent the further
deterioration of conditions in the IDC.
* We request the Thai officials not to send the Burmese asylum seekers in
IDC to the "safe area" without their agreement.
* We believe that since these Burmese asylum seekers are not criminals,
they should be treated properly. These people are in a difficult position
where by they can not return to their homeland due to their country's
current political climate. In addition, some of their friends, relatives
and even their parents are being detained by the current military junta in
Burma.
These people have repeatedly appealed to the Royal Thai Government to grant
them with temporary political asylum status. Their petition should be
reconsidered and reviewed.
Concerning Ko Htay Lwin
-----------------------
* Our human rights group is extremely concerned about the implications of
the case of Ko Htay Lwin. Ko Htay Lwin should have been admitted to
hospital where he could have received proper treatment instead of being
detained in the IDC. Certainly, a person in Ko Htay Lwin's condition should
not have been detained in the IDC. We are very disappointed to learn that
an officer from FISRAPT ignored the appeals from his fellow Burmese people
to consider Ko Htay Lwin's release from the hands of the police. We felt
that Ko Htay Lwin was suffering from not only mortal diseases but also
discrimination during and after the arrest because he was a most vulnerable
person among arrestees and sadly, we have discovered that three refugees
who are "persons of concern" were freed after "negotiations" were
successfully reached between FISRAPT officials and the Thai police. But Ko
Htay Lwin was not released [See page 1]
* We strongly believe that KO Htay Lwin should not be forgotten but should
be remembered and respected as a human being. He should have been treated
justly. The FISRAPT office should have been aware of his health condition
when he was caught by the police because previously FISRAPT had checked up
the condition of Ko Htay Lwin's health.
* Burma Information Group earnestly wants to urge UNHCR and FISRAPT to
learn from the case of Ko Htay Lwin in order to prevent a similar
occurrence. It should not be repeated in the future.
BURMA INFORMATION GROUP, released date:1993531.
*******
Limited Circulation
-------------------
Wida Brothel in Ranong (Southern Thailand)
January 1993 Bangkok
80 to 100 Burmese women, age between 16-28, are presently working as
prostitutes at the Wida brothel in Ranong, Saphanpla area. Before June
1992, about 140 to 160 Burmese women stayed in this brothel.
Three or four Burmese procurers who were "criminals" in Burma illegally
came to the border of Thailand and are currently in charge of the Burmese
group in this brothel. The Burmese women who were sold against their will
by this group have to serve as prostitutes for 6 or 12 months to repay the
money back to the brothel's owner. they are not allowed to go out. Some
Burmese women who tried to escape were severely beaten in the underground
room. However, three Burmese women attempted to flee and succeeded in
middle of 1992.
It was found out that some Burmese women who got pregnant were sometimes
forced to have sex with customers. Some pregnant women were also forced to
work in the kitchen. All these women were provided with insufficient meals.
Before the police make an operation to raid brothels, the brothel owners
are informed. By that time the owner will select the women who are pretty
or who have lots of daily visitors to be kept in the underground room. The
rest will be placed in the show-room to wait for the arrests. After an
operation, the owner will offer the "fine" and take the women out and sell
they at low prices to other brothels.
Previously, the Burmese women who were suspected of having HIV virus or any
infected diseases requested their reliable customers to buy medicine for
them . A confirmed information reveals that the women are not allowed to
see the medical doctors for their disease prevention. 70% of the Burmese
women are drug-addicts or alcoholics at Wida brothel.
In August 1991, a Burmese man who had a good-intention to rescue the
Burmese women at Wida brothel, was killed in the underground room. He
bombed the bathroom in order to make a hole for women to escape.
Burma Information Group
P.O. Box 22 Rajathevee Post Office Bangkok 10401 Thailand.
/* Endreport */