100,000-plus refugees to be sent home

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100,000-plus refugees to be sent home
Published: 12/04/2011 at 12:00 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: News  

Thailand plans to close all refugee camps along its western border and send more than 100,000 Burmese back home now that a constitutional government has been installed in Burma.

National Security Council Chief Thawil Pliensri said the closure of the refugee camps was discussed at the agency's meeting yesterday chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Thailand has provided shelter for about 140,000 Burmese refugees in Tak, Mae Hong Son, Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces.

Most of the camp residents came from strife-torn villages in eastern Burma, which has been plagued by a decades-old conflict between the military and ethnic minority rebels.

Burma's new president, former premier Thein Sein, is one of several generals who shed their military uniforms to contest the November election.

Mr Thawil said most of these refugees have been in Thailand for more than 20 years.

"I cannot say when we will close down the camps, but we intend to do it," he said.

"We are now in the process of discussion with the Burmese government."

But Kitty McKinsey, spokeswoman for the UN Relief Agency in Bangkok, said it was too soon to send the refugees home.

"We have been working very well with the Thai government and we do understand that they don't want the refugees to stay here forever," she said.

"But the solution is not forcing people to go back to a country that is still dangerous. What we would really like to see is that the returns are done in safety and dignity, and they absolutely have to be voluntary," she said.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and newly-appointed Burmese Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin discussed the issue during their meeting on the sidelines of the Special Informal Asean Foreign Ministers' meeting at Bangkok's Shangri-La hotel yesterday.

Spokesman Thani Thongpakdi quoted Mr Kasit as saying that the Thai government would take part in running administrative work in nine camps managed by foreign non-government organisations.

"The Thai government will help provide training in education and human resources development as well as improve their quality of life to prepare them to return to Burma so they can play constructive roles in their country," said Mr Thani.

He added that Mr Lwin said Burma was ready to take the refugees back.