Report urges Thailand to prepare for more refugees

by Brian McCartan
Friday, 02 October 2009 12:29

(Mizzima) – A report released this week by Washington-based advocacy group Refugees International praised Thailand for its current refugee policy, but noted the need for progressive strategies going forward in order to deal with a possible large influx of refugees and a burgeoning number of internally displaced people should renewed fighting erupt between the Burmese junta and ethnic ceasefire groups.

Fighting between the junta-backed Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and the Karen National Union (KNU), in June, combined with ongoing human rights abuses related to the DKBA’s drive to control the area, has resulted in 4,862 new refugees in Thailand. The new arrivals added to the tens of thousands of others already living in refugee camps spread along the Thai-Burma border.

Refugees International’s (RI) report lauded the response of Thai officials in June to accept the refugees and permit them to cross the border to safety in Thailand. It also praised the quick coordination between international and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which made it possible to immediately provide humanitarian assistance.

The fighting this summer was seen as a direct result of the junta’s policy of integrating ethnic ceasefire armies into its military as a new Border Guard Force. The DKBA’s attack was aimed at seizing control of more territory before it begins the transformation in October. Reports from human rights organizations and ethnic insurgent groups indicate that attacks will continue later this year and into 2010, resulting in an increase in internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees.

The same Border Guard Force policy has raised tensions in northern Burma where ethnic ceasefire groups are resisting the junta’s offer. Fighting in August between the Burmese Army and the Kokang resulted in some 37,000 refugees fleeing to China. The Kokang are one of the smaller of the regional groups and security experts believe that should widespread fighting break out in the north, it could generate huge refugee flows into Thailand and China and hundreds of thousands of IDPs in a conflict that could last years.

The RI report notes that although many of the refugees from the June fighting want to return home, “No one that RI spoke to was willing to return under current conditions, which included the widespread presence of landmines in home villages, forced recruitment of soldiers and porters by the DKBA, and continued human rights violations against people who had chose to stay in Burma.” This same situation is likely to repeat itself on a much larger scale should fighting break out in northern Burma.

An issue that could compound problems for refugees in Thailand is that a third country resettlement program facilitated by Thailand, which has seen more than 50,000 refugees resettled abroad, is scheduled to conclude in 2010. Without the option of resettling in a third country and unable to return home, large numbers of refugees will be forced to remain in Thailand, possibly for years. RI says the possibility of the closure of the resettlement option “underscores the importance of looking at the future of Burmese refugees living in Thailand and resolving their plight.”

RI called on Thailand to be prepared to deal with these large populations and come up with progressive strategies for refugees who may be forced to remain in Thailand for an extended period of time. Among the group’s suggestions were for the government to “consider steps towards greater self-sustainability and freedom of movement for some substantial percentage of its refugee population.”

The group called on the US, EU and other governments to actively engage the Thai government to encourage it to maintain its current refugee policy in the face of future refugee inflows. In addition, it called for these governments to “maintain flexibility in their funding for Burmese humanitarian assistance to ensure that rapidly changing and evolving refugee needs can be met.”

These recommendations are especially salient should fighting break out in northern Burma. There are already tens of thousands of refugees from Shan State living in Thailand. However, so far, the Thai government has only given permission for one small camp on the border. The bulk of this population who have fled fighting and human rights violations have been forced to join the illegal migrant work force in Thailand. Some within the Shan community say this has allowed them greater freedom, but others note that it also means they are denied the assistance and rights accorded refugees.

RI also called on aid agencies both in Burma and across the border in Thailand to come up with strategies to deal with the large numbers of IDPs that would result from any conflict between the government and the ceasefire groups. Providing assistance to IDPs is extremely difficult and dangerous due to the active conflict environment in which they live. In Burma, most aid comes from across the border in Thailand.

To this end, the group further implored donors to encourage cross-border initiatives and “to support creative means of accessing internally displaced communities,” calling for the reinforcement of existing information sharing efforts between humanitarian agencies to ensure better access to communities on both sides of the border.