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Fwd: Special Posting: Report from T



Subject: Fwd: Special Posting: Report from Thai Mission to Border
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 97 10:26:19 -0500

Subject:     Special Posting: Report from Thai Mission to Border
Sent:        3/7/97 5:55 AM
Received:    3/7/97 6:49 AM
To:          Multiple recipients of list, free-burma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sender: "Chalida Tajaroensuk. Ms" <chalida@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Report from Thai Mission to Border


For your info:

Here is the translation of the report  made by the Thai
Fact-finding Mission to Kanchanaburi and Ratchburi- a little rough
I think but no mistakes in the meaning.

Please note:

1.   There was reasonable coverage of the Mission's press
conference in Thursday's Thai and English language media 

2.   Representatives of the Mission will meet with the Thai Prime
Minister on Friday (march 7)  afternoon to present their concerns

3.   Representatives will also meet with the Supreme Command of the
Thai military next Monday (march 10)

4.   Channel 11 will hold a debate on Thai Govt. policy on Karen
refugees next week.

In solidarity,

Debbie Stothard
ALTSEAN-BURMA (Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma)
___________________________________________________

REPORT OF FACT-FINDING MISSION ON KAREN REFUGEE SITUATION
AND ASSISTANCE FOR KAREN REFUGEES

MU BARN PHU NAM RAWN
AND MU BARN PHU MOANG, MUANG DISTRICT,
KANCHANABURI PROVINCE

Tuesday 4th March 1997

This report was initiated in response the large-scale military
attacks by Burma's State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc)
against Karen people in rural and urban areas, e.g. Ma Rit Tavoy
city, in Karen state.  Large numbers of Karen people escaped from
death by fleeing across the border to Tambon Bong Tee (Ampor Sayok
District), and Ban Phu Nam Rawn, (Muang District) in Kanchanaburi
Province on February 24.  They received some assistance from Thai
locals and the local military commander (9th Division).  The
military took care of children, women and elderly people but
refused asylum to men and boys, aged 13 - 50 who they pushed back
to Mae Saming Bon and Mae Saming Lang (in Burma territory).

These forcible repatriations exposed the Thai government to much
criticism from the international community for sending these people
back into Burma to be killed, this not being the first time such an
incident has occurred.  Such practices have an impact on the image
of Thailand and also raises grave concern about the fate of the
refugee people who were sent back.

Spurred by this concern, the Coordinating Committee of Human Rights
Organization of Thailand (CCHROT) and the Thai Action Group for
Democracy in Burma (TACDB) organized this fact-finding mission to
collect information in the area and report their findings to their
public and relevant authorities.

This mission was headed by Mr. Pipob Thongchai.  The 22-person
delegation also included Mr. Suwarot Palung, the spokesperson for
the Justice and Human Rights Committee of the Thai Parliament,
representatives of Thai human rights organizations and members of
the media.

The members of the Mission separated into 2 two groups.  The first
group made fact-finding visits to Phu Nam Rawn and Ban Phu Moung
(Dan Makamteia District, Kanchanaburi).

The second (smaller) group went to Tamaphreu, inside the Burma
border.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

About 2,300 refugees reached Phu Nam Rawn on 24 February.  Only 50
of this group were men and boys (age 13 - 50), either doctors or
teachers who could speak English and Thai.  The remaining 2,250
were women, children (1,595)  and the elderly (200).  This number
excluded the other men and boys who were taken from their families
and sent back across the border by the Thai military.  The military
did this because they claimed they could not differentiate between
civilians and Karen National Union (KNU) fighters.  They claimed
that they did not want to give the Slorc the impression that
Thailand was providing support to the KNU.

However, from interviews with the refugees, the Mission strongly
believes that all the people fleeing across the border were
civilians, mainly farmers, traders and professionals.  The KNU
fighters had stayed behind to engage the Slorc and therefore, had
not accompanied their families to seek asylum in Thailand.

CONDITIONS IN THE CAMP (Phu Nam Rawn)

The refugees endured very primitive conditions, relying on plastic
sheets for roofs, in wall-less shelters and having access to only
one small well for all their needs.  These unsanitary conditions
caused many people to suffer from diarrhea.  The area is malaria
infested and the refugees were falling ill.  The mission believes
that these extreme conditions contributed to the death of a newborn
baby at the camp.

REMOVAL OF REFUGEES TO BAN PHU MOANG

On March 4, the day of the Mission visit, Thai authorities loaded
the refugees into logging trucks and took them to Ban Phu Moang,
about 22 kms from Ban Phu Nam Rawn.  The Thai village leader of Ban
Phu Moang told the Mission that he was not informed prior to the
event and was shocked to see truckloads of refugees being brought
to the bamboo jungle about three hills away from his village. 
There was no opportunity to clear or prepare the bamboo jungle to
which the refugees were relocated.  The refugees were ill-equipped
to clear the area and to build shelters.  Some women and children
owned knives to cut down the bamboo but this was extremely
difficult for them since the ground was extremely hard and the
thorny bushes injured many people.

WATER & HEALTH

The refugee site is located some distance away from the village (an
hour's walk) but it is near a small reservoir.  There is concern
that the stagnant water will become contaminated and worsen the
health problems of the refugees who rely on it for all their
drinking and household needs. The reservoir is also the main source
of water for the villagers of Ban Phu Moang, numbering 1,000
families (3,000 people) and such contamination will affect them.

There are inadequate facilities to boil water for drinking,
therefore the health concerns are growing urgent.  There is an
urgent need for the health authorities to provide assistance to
protect the refugees' health and prevent any epidemics from
occurring.

FOOD

There is clearly insufficient food for the refugees.  The local
villagers have provided them with some rice and vegetables, however
it is unlikely that this assistance will continue since the
villagers themselves are not rich and are not much more in number
than the refugees.

The hard earth of the bamboo jungle at the site does not allow the
refugees to plant vegetables or fruits for their needs, also there
is great uncertainty over how long they will be allowed to stay
there.

TAMAPHREU SITUATION

On or about 24 February, 1,070 Karen people fled across the border
from 11 villages to Bong Tee  (Ampor Sayok District) Kanchanaburi. 
As practiced in Phu Nam Rawn, the Thai military separated the men
and boys (age 13 - 50) from their families and forcibly repatriated
them to Mae Saming, 4 kms inside Burma).  The military also
forcibly repatriated the women, children and elderly to Tamaphreu,
which is located closer to the border, opposite Suan Phern District
in Ratchaburi Province.

The members of the Mission and the local Thais who accompanied them
to Tamaphreu found conditions there extremely harsh.  Eight people
died from diarrhea and malaria.  No organizations were allowed
access through Thai territory to this area to provide humanitarian
assistance.  This area is very rugged and is accessible only by
four-wheel drive or by foot.  During the fact-finding visit,
members heard sounds of frequent gunfire close to the site.  The
visitors provided the refugees with 100 meters of plastic sheeting
and some vegetables.

The refugees told the Mission that slorc troops were at Ban Yakha,
close to Tamaphreu, and they expected Slorc to destroy Tamaphreu
soon because of the sawmills located 4 - 5 kms away.  The sawmills
are a target since they are a source of income for the Karen.

The refugees also told the Mission that some other refugees who had
been forcibly repatriated from Thailand had joined them and there
were now 2,000 refugees at the site.

Note: The refugees at Tamaphreu urgently need medicines, food and
most importantly, asylum in Thailand from slorc attacks.

CONCLUSION

The refugees suffered serious military attack from the Slorc, in
addition, numerous violations were perpetrated on them and their
families.  Many women were raped and killed, often while their
families were forced watch.  Men were murdered, often by having
their throats slit.  The refugees grave fears for their safety are
well-founded.  Clearly, their homes in Burma are not safe at all.

The refugees appreciated the help received from local villagers, as
well as military and health authorities.  However the Mission is
deeply concerned with the policy of the Thai Government to prevent
men and boys from seeking asylum in Thailand.  The breaking up of
families, especially at this time of crisis, and the consequent
isolation and trauma experienced by the women and children have
left them in an extremely vulnerable and desperate situation.  This
constitutes a violation and threatens their physical, psychological
and emotional integrity.

The Mission is convinced that blocking humanitarian aid to the
refugees will directly contribute to increased deaths and ill
health.  The forced repatriation of unarmed civilians to a
vulnerable location such as Tamaphreu is the equivalent of a death
sentence.

The humanity and generosity of the local villagers to the refugees
in unfortunately unmatched by government policy.  Therefore
official treatment of the refugees by the authorities need to be
informed by genuine concerns for humanitarian principles instead of
fear of international criticism.  The Thai government should stop
its attempts to maintain good relations with the slorc by violating
the rights of refugees.  Genuine constructive engagement must be
based on respect for human beings.

The current assistance provided by the Thai government to the
refugees is not enough.  The Thai government must cease its policy
to forcibly repatriate refugees, and instead grant temporary asylum
on Thai soil, which is their last hope.

THEREFORE, THE MISSION URGENTLY REQUESTS THE THAI GOVERNMENT TO:

1.   Articulate a clear policy not to forcibly repatriate the
refugees, further that they establish a center for refugees with
sufficient facilities to provide adequate care.

2.   Assist the refugees according to international standards, and
not break up families by separating husbands, wives and children.

3.   Allow international assistance to be provided to the refugees

4.   Articulate a policy to protect children and women from being
trafficked.*

5.   Officially acknowledge these people as refugees, thus allowing
the UNHCR to provide humanitarian assistance.

* Mission members observed that agents were present at the site to
recruit women and children as migrant labor.  There are serious
concerns that recruit would be used as prostitutes and child
workers.

FURTHER, THE MISSION URGENTLY REQUESTS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
AND ASEAN TO:

1.   Support and assist in the establishment of the refugee center
in the same way that assistance was previously provided to refugees
from Indochina.

2.   Urge Slorc to stop its violence against the ethnic
nationalities on the Thai-Burma border and restore democracy, peace
and justice to Burma in order to resolve the problems there.

The contents of this report are based on interviews with:
     * local military personnel at all sites
     * local health officers at Ban Phu Nam Rawn
     * Karen refugees at all sites through interpreter
     * local Thai villagers who assisted the refugees
     * local Thai merchants selling water , drinks and snack to the
refugees at Ban Phu Nam Rawn
     * local Thai and Karen-Thai groups