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AFP-Resettlement of exiled Myanmar

Subject: AFP-Resettlement of exiled Myanmar students to resume in December

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Thursday, November 18 6:03 PM SGT=20
Resettlement of exiled Myanmar students to resume in December
BANGKOK, Nov 18 (AFP) -=20
Thailand said on Thursday that a first group of 100 Myanmar exiles now =
staying in a tense border camp would be resettled in the United States =
next month.

The exiles, the vast majority of whom fled Myanmar's military rule, =
would leave under a program launched by officials after relations with =
Yangon deteriorated sharply when dissident gunmen from Myanmar raided =
Yangon's embassy in Bangkok in October.

"Resettlement for these exiled students in a third country will take =
place in December when 100 of them are due to leave for the US," =
National Security Council (NSC) chief Khachadpai Burusapatana told =
reporters.

He said latest United Nations High Commisioner for Refugeesestimates =
showed there were between 1,700 to 2,000 students exiled from Myanmar in =
Bangkok.

Only 750 have reported to the agency so far, ahead of a Thai deadline =
for registration for resettlement of November 21, he said.

"Both the NSC and immigration police will get tough with those who fail =
to report to the UNHCR before November 21," he said.

Another 900 students in the Maneeloy border camp, where clashes broke =
out between police and students Tuesday, have said they are ready to go =
abroad, he added. Six hundred were keen to go to the US.

Authorities say the pace of resettlement will speed up next year and =
Thailand expects 3,000 exiles to be leave for third countries by the end =
of 2000.

Khachadpai said the UNHCR had expressed concern at reports of unrest in =
the camp.

Students claimed one of them was shot in the leg by police during a =
clash on Tuesday. Thailand says the student was injured in an unrelated =
incident, not by security officials, but admits the camp is tense.

Thailand ordered the resettlement after five gunmen, some former camp =
residents, seized the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok along with 38 hostages =
last month.

The incident sent Bangkok's relations with Yangon into a nosedive after =
Thai officials allowed the gunmen to escape to the Myanmar border in a =
helicopter in a deal which ended the 24-hour siege.

Maneeloy camp has been tense for weeks. In one incident last month =
students locked up UN refugee workers in a dispute over allowances.

Thailand warned camp residents after that episode that they should not =
abuse its hospitality after fleeing the jurisdiction of Myanmar's =
military government.

The UNHCR has stressed resettlement is voluntary and that it has already =
helped to 2,000 refugees from Myanmar move abroad.

Thailand's resettlement operation is taking place alongside one to =
repatriate some of the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from =
Myanmar.


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Thursday, November 18</B> 6:03 PM =
SGT=20
<H2>Resettlement of exiled Myanmar students to resume in =
December</H2>BANGKOK,=20
Nov 18 (AFP) -=20
<P>Thailand said on Thursday that a first group of 100 Myanmar exiles =
now=20
staying in a tense border camp would be resettled in the United States =
next=20
month.</P>
<P>The exiles, the vast majority of whom fled Myanmar's military rule, =
would=20
leave under a program launched by officials after relations with Yangon=20
deteriorated sharply when dissident gunmen from Myanmar raided Yangon's =
embassy=20
in Bangkok in October.</P>
<P>"Resettlement for these exiled students in a third country will take =
place in=20
December when 100 of them are due to leave for the US," National =
Security=20
Council (NSC) chief Khachadpai Burusapatana told reporters.</P>
<P>He said latest United Nations High Commisioner for Refugeesestimates =
showed=20
there were between 1,700 to 2,000 students exiled from Myanmar in =
Bangkok.</P>
<P>Only 750 have reported to the agency so far, ahead of a Thai deadline =
for=20
registration for resettlement of November 21, he said.</P>
<P>"Both the NSC and immigration police will get tough with those who =
fail to=20
report to the UNHCR before November 21," he said.</P>
<P>Another 900 students in the Maneeloy border camp, where clashes broke =
out=20
between police and students Tuesday, have said they are ready to go =
abroad, he=20
added. Six hundred were keen to go to the US.</P>
<P>Authorities say the pace of resettlement will speed up next year and =
Thailand=20
expects 3,000 exiles to be leave for third countries by the end of =
2000.</P>
<P>Khachadpai said the UNHCR had expressed concern at reports of unrest =
in the=20
camp.</P>
<P>Students claimed one of them was shot in the leg by police during a =
clash on=20
Tuesday. Thailand says the student was injured in an unrelated incident, =
not by=20
security officials, but admits the camp is tense.</P>
<P>Thailand ordered the resettlement after five gunmen, some former camp =

residents, seized the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok along with 38 hostages =
last=20
month.</P>
<P>The incident sent Bangkok's relations with Yangon into a nosedive =
after Thai=20
officials allowed the gunmen to escape to the Myanmar border in a =
helicopter in=20
a deal which ended the 24-hour siege.</P>
<P>Maneeloy camp has been tense for weeks. In one incident last month =
students=20
locked up UN refugee workers in a dispute over allowances.</P>
<P>Thailand warned camp residents after that episode that they should =
not abuse=20
its hospitality after fleeing the jurisdiction of Myanmar's military=20
government.</P>
<P>The UNHCR has stressed resettlement is voluntary and that it has =
already=20
helped to 2,000 refugees from Myanmar move abroad.</P>
<P>Thailand's resettlement operation is taking place alongside one to =
repatriate=20
some of the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from=20
Myanmar.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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