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UNHCR unhappy over rights report (r)



Sarah,  Congratulations!  Patricia


At 02:32 AM 10/9/98, you wrote:
>October 9, 1998 							
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>REFUGEES
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>UNHCR unhappy over rights report
>Significant gaps seen in refugee protection
>
>Post reporters
>The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees found "regrettable" the
>failure of a US-based human rights group to "check" with it before
>releasing a report critical of Thailand and the UNHCR regarding Burmese
>asylum seekers, according to the UNHCR spokesperson in Bangkok.
>The spokesperson was commenting yesterday on a report released by Human
>Rights Watch on Wednesday which alleged that the UN refugee agency had been
>"unnecessarily weak" in its effort to "challenge" Thai policies which, in
>the view of the report, "undermine refugee protection".
>Thailand, according to a summary of the report, makes little distinction
>beween refugees and migrants, lacks effective refugee determination
>procedures, and may be deporting people with a valid claim to refugee status.
>Kobsak Chutikul, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, on Wednesday rejected
>these charges, saying Thailand had given shelter to some 99,700 Burmese for
>some time, and had never forcibly pushed back any refugees. He also said
>Thailand had repatriated illegal Burmese workers only through safe
>channels, and never sent them back to Rangoon directly.
>The report maintained that significant gaps in refugee protection remained
>despite an agreement in May between the Thai government and the UNHCR that
>many observers saw as a turning point in its enhancing UNHCR access to
>Burmese asylum seekers on the border.
>"Although UNHCR would welcome constructive scrutiny of its work by NGOs, it
>is regrettable that Human Rights Watch did not check with UNHCR before
>releasing their report this week since it does not take into account recent
>development, particularly regarding the Royal Thai Government's invitation
>to UNHCR to have an expanded role at the Myanmar (Burmese) border" the
>UNHCR spokesperson said.
>"In this context, UNHCR plans to establish offices in the Mae Hong Son, Tak
>and Kanchanaburi provinces as soon as possible," the spokesperson added.
>"We expect that UNHCR's expanded role at the border, in close cooperation
>with the Royal Thai Government, will contribute to enhancing the protection
>of the refugee population," the spokesperson said.
>The Human Rights Watch report said Thailand's failure to ratify the 1951 UN
>convention on refugees was part of the problem and urged the country to do
>so. The group also called on Thailand to stop a practice in effect since
>June of rejecting new asylum seekers.
>Mr Kobsak said Thailand had not ratified the UN convention because it would
>commit the country to giving refugees far reaching rights, such as rights
>to education, jobs and labour unions. He also reiterated Thailand's policy
>of allowing refuge to people fleeing from armed conflicts.
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