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14/2/94:ACTION ON INTERNALLY DISPLA



Subject: 14/2/94:ACTION ON INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE IN KAREN STATE

/* Written 18 Aug 6:00am 1997 by drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.burma */
/* ----------------" 14/2/94 Action on Internally displaced "------------- */

1994: Appeal to UN & NGOs for internally displaced people
********************************************************
Action Proposal for Burma( Internal Communication)

Date: February 14, 1994.
To Individuals:
& Grousps: CRDB(Australia), T.R.W.(WA), Australia Burma Council,
H.R.W.(New York), Burma Action(SA)

Note: Due to difficulties -financial and techincal - to organize public 
letters, I have made an informal communicaiton to groups and individuals 
who are already in contact with me. This communication is in essence my 
appeal to the groups and individuals. The groups can redistribute this 
document or take actions upon making your own political judgement. 
I appreciate very much for the individuals taking actions regarding this.
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Call for Action: To write to Professor Y.Yokota, The Special Rapporteur 
for Human Rights in Myanmar, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, 
Switzerland. Fax: 41-22-917 0123.

The Special Rapporteur will present the 1994 Human Rights report for 
Myanmar at the 50th Session of commission on HUman Rights early March. 
Please write to the Special Rapporteur:

1) To raise the issue of the internally displaced people in Karen State, 
eastern Burma.

2) To urge the authorities in Myanmar to compensate to the villagers who 
were forcefully relocated.

3) To recommand the International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC) 
assess the humanitarian needs of these villagers (The members of 
Amnesty Internal, please cousult with the recommendations in AI 
Index: ASA 16/03/94.)

Since 1991, the Burmese military has been relocating villages in the 
areas where the ethnic insurgency is active. During 1992-93, an 
intensive relocation campaign was carried out in the districts of 
Thaton, Pa'pun and Pa'an within Karen State (See List of villages 
in Document 3). All the villagers are ordered to leave at short 
notice for concentration camp near the military outposts. The houses, 
livestocks and food left behind at the villages are destroyed for 
the army's strategic reason. Anyone who refuse to leave village or 
simply left behind was considered rebel and shot onsight.

The humanatarian situation for the villageers in the camps is egregious. 
There was no adequate food and medical attention(see document 1). 
Last June-August, there were mass exodus of refugees to Thailand as 
the humanitarian situation in those camps worsen.

The forced relocation and confinement of villagers in Karen State 
continue this year (U.S. State Department Human Rights report, February 
1994) Sice normal farming activities of the villagers in these camps 
were restricted, the crop production has been low and the situation 
for these people is more serious this year (compare it with the 
situation described in December 1991 Report, Tennasserim Division, 
Document 1.).

The situation will continue to deteriorate as the Burmese military 
usually do not give attention to the humanitarian needs of people 
in these camps. This will gnenerate another exodus of refugees into 
Thailand in the next rainy season(May-October).

These conditions can be improved by urging the Burmese military to 
compensate all the villagers. It must also call for the ICRC to 
assess the humanitarian needs of people in the camps and urge SLORC 
to arrange adequate food and medical attention.

Documents<BR>
1) Burma Issue, Special Report December 1991.<BR>
2) Asiaweek, January 20, 1993.<BR>
3) List of Villages,the New Era Journal, No. 9, May 16, 1993.<BR>
4) The Economic, 5011 February, 1994.

<HR>

Forthcoming Issues: CPA for Burmese Refugees in Thailand
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Although the royal Thai Government is not a signatory to the 
international conventions regarding to the Status of Refugees, 
the RTG can enact a special legislation to protect refugees. 
The Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian refugees, for example, 
have the United Nations' protection under this special legislation 
known as 'the Comprehensive Plan of Action(CPA) for IndoChinese refugees' 
and get their repatriation organized by UNHCR.

According to Thai Internal Security Operation Command, there are as 
many as 350,000 Burmese have registered with authorities for their 
illegal entry to Thailand. Up until now, there is no legislation for 
Burmese to have protection from the United Nations. These refugees 
have to negotiate with the local authorities ofr their own safety. 
While NGOs can look after only a limited number of refugees' welfare, 
the Thai local communities are bearing the burden of Burmese refugees.

The RTG seems rather reluctant to make CPA for Burmese refugees since 
SLORC do not want the internal conflicts in Burma exposed to the 
international community. Such attitude is seen as Thais making favour 
for SLORC in the name of non-interference on Burma's internal affairs. 
Ofcourse, this make little or no comfort to the Burmese refugees, who 
are struggling for day to day survival in Thailand. Some refugees are 
working for 40 Bahts a day (Thailand's National minimum wage is 125 
Bahts/day; a daily news paper cost 14 Bahts).

The Thailand's non-interference policy towards Burma and its handlings 
of Burmese refugees should be judged in comparison with that of 
Bangladesh. The Government of Bangladesh also have a strictly 
non-interference policy, but not tarnished by the elements of insincerity. 
The problem of Burmese Muslim refugees was handled by UNHCR from 
the outset. The result is a peaceful and early end to the refugee 
problem: a Memorandum of Understanding was signed last October for 
the safe repatriation of Burmese Muslim reufgees.

The two governments (the RTG and SLORC) are non the less realizing 
the Burmese rrefugee problem invite the international attention and 
criticisms. Recently, the Royal Thai Government pressures the ethnic 
rebels along Thai-Burma border to enter cease-fire negotiations with 
the SLORC. The Burmese prodemocracy groups in Thai-Burma border are 
also immobilized. By noting the attitude of the Thais, there is 
growing fear that the Burma's ethnic refugees may be pushed across 
the border once the cease-fire strucks between the rebels and SLORC.

It may be far easier fo tthe Thais to solve Burmese refugee problem 
by forcing the ethnic rebels to make cease-fire. However, such move 
will not serve long term political interest of burma. The cease-fire 
condition offered by SLORC encourages worlord-feudalism and will not 
lead to lasting political solution for Burma.

For all the good reasons, the Thais should consider handing over the 
Burmese refugee problem to the United Nations. The Non-Governmental 
Organizations should call for CPA for Burmese refugees in Thailand.
<HR>
Burmese Women in Thailand.
**************************
An estimated 20,000 Burmese prostitutes are in the brothels in thailand. 
These Burmese women are lured into prostitution and held against their 
will in brothels. There are reports of widespread abuse of women, 
including forced miscarriage, beating and forced to sex with clients. 
It constitutes to a new form of slavery, as Asia Watch have reported.

The Burmese Government may probably respond about these women as 
' Drug addicts & of Bad Characters' or no such problem exists. 
The truth is the continuing decline of economy that forced Burmese 
women into these brothels.

These women are more vulnerable than other Burmese illegal entrants. 
Since prostitution is illegal in Thailand, those women are unable to 
seek help from police and NGOs if they were abused. If an abused Burmese 
women go to police, she will be fined for illegal entry and deported to 
Burma.

Desperate as the situation may, the NGOs and international community 
must not ignore the problem. Burmese women problem is a problem that 
ignored by both Governments. the corss-border trafficking of sex-slaves 
should be brought to the international attention. The NGOs and 
Expatriate groups should consider to take action on this problem. 
QAn international inquiry should be call for these incidences.
<HR>
HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE IS BORDERLESS IN ASIA
****************************************
<I>A Burmese artist's perspective of Nobel Peace Laureate's visit 
to Thailand last year. The SLORC's bad behaviour is actually inviting 
criticism for Southeast Asian Nations (source: New Era Journal, February 1993.)</I>
<HR></HTML>
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