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16/9/97 AFP: THAI GOVT.HARASS/THREA



Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 07:38:15 +0930 (CST)
Subject: 16/9/97 AFP: THAI GOVT. HARASS/THREATEN NCGUB MINISTERS

ASIA: THAILAND TO DEPORT MINISTERS OF BURMESE EXILE GOVT
           BANGKOK, Sept 16 AFP - Thailand is to deport three ministers
of 
Burma's government-in-exile, officials said today, despite fears 
they will be jailed on their return to the military-run country.
           The three ministers of the National Coalition Government of
the 
Union of Burma (NCGUB), all elected MPs from the leading Burmese 
democratic party of Aung San Suu Kyi, were arrested in a swoop on 
their offices here yesterday.
           Thai immigration officials said today that a total of eight 
Burmese had been arrested as they did not have passports and were 
being held in an immigration detention centre in Bangkok.
           They would be deported back to Burma, from the northern Thai 
border town of Mae Sot, although it was unclear when this would 
happen, the officials said.
           The NCGUB was formed by MPs elected in Burma's 1990 general 
elections - which were won overwhelmingly by Aung San Suu Kyi's 
party before the ruling junta disregarded the results - who had 
fled political oppression in Burma.

--            Burmese dissidents in Thailand expressed fears that the
NCGUB 
ministers and officials who had been arrested with them yesterday, 
would face persecution on their return.
           "If they are deported I'm sure they will be arrested by the 
Burmese government and detained in Burma. It will be very dangerous 
for them," said one Burmese student here who requested anonymity.
           The NCGUB is an illegal organisation in the military state.
In 
July, Burma's powerful intelligence chief, Lieutenant-General Khin 
Nyunt accused the group of masterminding a terrorist conspiracy 
against the ruling junta.
           Thai immigration officials declined to comment if any key 
politicians were included among the eight currently being held at 
the immigration detention centre in the Thai capital.
           "We got a tip-off about illegal immigrants and we checked
that 
information before we arrested them," one official said. "We 
arrested them because they are illegal immigrants, nothing more."
           Dissidents say the current Thai government is closer to the 
ruling Burmese junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council 
(SLORC) than previous administrations. Prime Minister Chaowalit 
Yongchaiyudh paid a state visit to Burma in May.
           The NCGUB said yesterday the detained MPs were Teddy Buri,
San 
Aung and U Thein Oo.
           Representatives of the exiled government have been based in 
Thailand for more than five years and had not "had problems" before 
this week, Burmese dissident sources said.
           A total of 13 people were picked up in raids on the exiles'
two 
Bangkok offices, the NCGUB said late yesterday. Two women and a 
young man were later released, they said.
           The others were Burmese staff at the NCGUB office and one US 
citizen, identified as Michael Deer, believed to be connected to 
Burmese exiled opposition groups operating in Thailand.
           Several Burmese exile groups have made their base in
Thailand, 
since escaping across the border.
           The prime minister of the NCGUB is based in Washington, while 
ministers and supporters maintain offices in both Thailand and 
India.
           AFP gr
> 
> > /* Written 18 Jul 6:00am 1997 by drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.burma */
> > /* --------------" Letter to Hon.Jesse Helms "----------------- */
> > 
> > LETTER TO HON.JESSE HELMS, U.S.CONGRESS
> > ***************************************
> > Dr U Ne Oo
> > 48/2 Ayliffes Road
> > St Marys SA 5042
> > Australia
> > 
> > July 16, 1997.
> > 
> > Hon. Senator Jesse Helms
> > The Chairman
> > U.S.Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
> > Washington DC 20510-6255
> > United States of America
> > 
> > Dear Sir,
> > 
> > Firstly, I should like to thank you and fellow Congressmen for your letter
> > to the Secretary of State on 30th-April-1997, expressing concerns about
> > forcible repatriation of our refugees from Thailand.
> > 
> > I am writing to the Chairman to inform continuing volatile situation of
> > Burma's refugees in Thailand. Reports have been surfaced recently that the
> > Thai authorities, at the local level,  are continuing to harass and
> > intimadate student activists and exiled-politician refugees. It was
> > reported that the Thai police in last April had arrested and detained
> > nearly 2-dozen Burmese students on the charge of illegally entering
> > Thailand. Those students who were released recently from detention have
> > been re-arrested by the Thai army at the refugee camp at the border. In
> > another incident, some members of Burma's exiled parliamentarians were
> > arrested, and then released only after paying bribes to Thai police - it
> > was reported. As Thailand currently accommodate estimated 600,000 Burmese
> > illegal immigrants in addition to 90,000 refugees, such disturbing
> > treatment by local Thai authorities to displaced Burmese are of frequent
> > occurrence.
> > 
> > Such incidents of abuses upon the students and political exiles occur
> > because of a lack of legal and formal protection to Burmese refugees in
> > Thailand. The Thai authorities, at the national level, are refusing to
> > grant refugee status to the Karens and all others living in the camps,
> > leaving the refugees more vulnerable. Because of the lack of such legal
> > recognition of Burma's refugees, the UNHCR was unable to protect those
> > refugees. The United Nations, consequently, has not been able to promote
> > appropriate solution for these refugees in Thailand. I therefore request
> > the U.S.Congress and Government of United States urge the Thai authorities
> > to give a formal and U.N.recognized protection to the refugees from Burma.
> > 
> > We also received reports that Thailand will be purchasing approximately
> > US$400 million worth of natural gas from Burma after[1998]. The development
> > of a gas pipeline to Thailand, the project to which America's Unocal has
> > 28.6 percent stake, is reported to be underway. I like to inform the
> > U.S.Congress and business community in America about our intention to
> > seize monies from such sale of natural gas to Thailand (preferably through
> > United Nations system) and then use those funds in our refugee programs. In
> > this connection, I enclosed my letter to U.N.Secretary-General Kofi Annan
> > and Assistant Mr de Soto. I appeal the U.S.Congress to help us in this
> > endeavour.
> > 
> > Finally, I like to express my sincere thanks to U.S.Congress and the
> > Department of State for your continuing supports to our refugees and
> > democracy movement.
> > 
> > Yours respectfully,
> > Sd. U Ne Oo.
> > 
> > /* Endreport */
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > THE ABSDF PRESS RELEASE
> > ***********************
> > Date: 13 Jul 1997 02:31:17
> > Subject: ABSDF (Press Release)
> > To: Recipients of <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Date July 12,1997
> > Thai Arrest 10 Burmese Students at TAMHIM Refugee Camp
> > 
> > On July 9,1997 Thailand's 9th Army Division arrested 10 ABSDF students
> > at TAMHIM Refugee Camp in Thailand's Ratchburi district.
> > 
> > 10 students were among a group of 22 who had been arrested by the Thai
> > authorities on April 12, 1997 for entering Thailand illegally.At the
> > time of arrest,they were on their way to Bo Wi refugee camp on the
> > Thai-Burma border in order to escape the Slorc offensive against the KNU's
> > 4th Brigade.
> > 
> > On July9,1997 the 10 students were released from the Ratchburi Police
> > jail after serving their sentence. They were set free near TAMHIM refugee
> > camp.Afew hour later the army arrested  within the camp.
> > 
> > The 22 students who were arrested on April 12 were beaten at by the army
> > and their belnogings confiscated.Five of them were released on July 4,and
> > another hatch of 15 students were released a day later.Ten of them went
> > back to the refugee camp where they were subsequently arrested.
> > 
> > The students are refugees fleeing the fighting and they were returning to
> > the refugee camp because they had nowhere else to go.
> > 
> > TAMHIM is a large camp with a population of over 7,500. The Thai
> > authorities have restricted the movement of the refugee since the beginning
> > of last month.
> > 
> > All Burma Students' Democratic Front(ABSDF)
> > For more information please contact - 01-654-4984, 01-923-1687
> > 

___________________________________________________________________
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