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Subject: The Nation - Student camp will be searched for arms 

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The Nation - Nov 19, 1999.
Headlines=20
Student camp will be searched for arms=20

DEPUTY permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry Weerachai =
Naewboonnear has given the green light to the police to conduct a =
thorough search of the Burmese refugee camp in Ratchaburi for hidden =
weapons.=20

Weerachai said the move was to prevent any possible problem the Burmese =
exiles may create for a ''neighbouring country''.=20

The Maneeloy holding centre was established seven years ago to house =
Burmese exiles who have been granted refugee status by the United =
Nations High Commissioner for Refugee.=20

The UNHCR oversees the camp while the Ministry of Interior provides the =
security. About 1,000 Burmese exiles are currently living at the =
Maneeloy centre and 1,700 new refugees are expected to arrive soon from =
border camps.=20

Apart from the newcomers, National Security Council chief Khachadpai =
Burusapatana said between 1,700 and 2,000 Burmese exiles are currently =
living illegally in Bangkok. So far, only 750 have reported to =
authorities.=20

Khachadpai said he has given all Burmese exiles in Thailand until next =
Sunday to report to the authorities or face charges of illegal entry and =
possible jail sentences.=20

After the deadline, authorities will launch a crackdown on all exiles =
living illegally outside the holding centre or border camps.=20

Somchai Hormlaor, secretary general of Forum-Asia, a network of human =
rights groups, has criticised the move saying Burmese dissidents should =
be allowed to explore their full potential by permitting them to =
continue their studies.=20

''They should not be locked up in camps surrounded with barbed wire,'' =
he said.=20

The Sunday ultimatum came amid growing tension between the Burmese =
student dissidents living in the camp and the Thai security guards whom =
they accused of using heavy-handed tactics to maintain order in the =
camp.=20

Last Tuesday, a fist-fight between security guard Sumit Boonthin and a =
refugee broke out over a toy gun that the guard confiscated.=20

The incident attracted the attention of 100 refugees who immediately =
staged a noisy protest. Local villagers, on the other hand, held one of =
their own just metres away from the gate, resulting in a war of words =
between the two sides.=20

During the protest, one inmate was injured in the leg by a .22 calibre =
bullet. Pol Col Pornchai Benchathikul, chief of Pak Thor district, said =
police could not determine who fired the shot.=20

Pornchai said it was likely that one of the villagers may have shot the =
student.=20

Sumit eventually filed a complaint with the police against Minh Rouy, =
who was arrested yesterday at a nearby district hospital where he sought =
treatment for his injuries. He then filed counter charges against Sumit, =
as well as two other guards Somsak Khungleung and Chai Boonlert.=20

Meanwhile, security guards have been putting barbed wire fencing around =
the camp prompting the students inside to plan a protest.=20

Fearing more trouble, scores of security forces from nearby Petchaburi =
province have been called to reinforce security but student leaders said =
the presence of more armed guards will only provoke nervousness and hard =
feelings among the camp residents.=20

Burmese Student Association's secretary general Meay Thee Ha said the =
group will file a protest with the Interior Ministry over the fencing =
and accused the authority of violating their human rights. The students =
also threatened to post their protest on the Internet.=20

BY PONGSAK BAI-NGERN=20

The Nation


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV>The Nation - Nov 19, 1999.</DIV>
<DIV>Headlines </DIV>
<DIV>Student camp will be searched for arms </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>DEPUTY permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry Weerachai =
Naewboonnear=20
has given the green light to the police to conduct a thorough search of =
the=20
Burmese refugee camp in Ratchaburi for hidden weapons. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Weerachai said the move was to prevent any possible problem the =
Burmese=20
exiles may create for a ''neighbouring country''. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The Maneeloy holding centre was established seven years ago to =
house=20
Burmese exiles who have been granted refugee status by the United =
Nations High=20
Commissioner for Refugee. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The UNHCR oversees the camp while the Ministry of Interior provides =
the=20
security. About 1,000 Burmese exiles are currently living at the =
Maneeloy centre=20
and 1,700 new refugees are expected to arrive soon from border camps. =
</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Apart from the newcomers, National Security Council chief =
Khachadpai=20
Burusapatana said between 1,700 and 2,000 Burmese exiles are currently =
living=20
illegally in Bangkok. So far, only 750 have reported to authorities. =
</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Khachadpai said he has given all Burmese exiles in Thailand until =
next=20
Sunday to report to the authorities or face charges of illegal entry and =

possible jail sentences. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>After the deadline, authorities will launch a crackdown on all =
exiles=20
living illegally outside the holding centre or border camps. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Somchai Hormlaor, secretary general of Forum-Asia, a network of =
human=20
rights groups, has criticised the move saying Burmese dissidents should =
be=20
allowed to explore their full potential by permitting them to continue =
their=20
studies. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>''They should not be locked up in camps surrounded with barbed =
wire,'' he=20
said. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The Sunday ultimatum came amid growing tension between the Burmese =
student=20
dissidents living in the camp and the Thai security guards whom they =
accused of=20
using heavy-handed tactics to maintain order in the camp. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Last Tuesday, a fist-fight between security guard Sumit Boonthin =
and a=20
refugee broke out over a toy gun that the guard confiscated. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The incident attracted the attention of 100 refugees who =
immediately staged=20
a noisy protest. Local villagers, on the other hand, held one of their =
own just=20
metres away from the gate, resulting in a war of words between the two =
sides.=20
</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>During the protest, one inmate was injured in the leg by a .22 =
calibre=20
bullet. Pol Col Pornchai Benchathikul, chief of Pak Thor district, said =
police=20
could not determine who fired the shot. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Pornchai said it was likely that one of the villagers may have shot =
the=20
student. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Sumit eventually filed a complaint with the police against Minh =
Rouy, who=20
was arrested yesterday at a nearby district hospital where he sought =
treatment=20
for his injuries. He then filed counter charges against Sumit, as well =
as two=20
other guards Somsak Khungleung and Chai Boonlert. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Meanwhile, security guards have been putting barbed wire fencing =
around the=20
camp prompting the students inside to plan a protest. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Fearing more trouble, scores of security forces from nearby =
Petchaburi=20
province have been called to reinforce security but student leaders said =
the=20
presence of more armed guards will only provoke nervousness and hard =
feelings=20
among the camp residents. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Burmese Student Association's secretary general Meay Thee Ha said =
the group=20
will file a protest with the Interior Ministry over the fencing and =
accused the=20
authority of violating their human rights. The students also threatened =
to post=20
their protest on the Internet. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>BY PONGSAK BAI-NGERN </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The Nation<BR></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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