Citing instances of recent land mine explosion victims, several rights groups and US lawmakers have made a fervent appeal to the Thai government to halt repatriation of ethnic Karen refugees, even as some refugee families have begun to return to Burma.
Thai and Karen rights groups held a press conference in Bangkok on Thursday, on the Thai Third Army’ s plan to repatriate Karen refugees, who fled fighting in Burma.
Surapong Kongchanteuk, a Human Rights Committee member of the Thailand’s Lawyer’s Council said at the press conference that there are several cases of refugees being injured in landmines explosions.
“While the Thai Third Army commander had insisted that there is no fighting in the area now, where the KNU, DKBA and Burmese Army were active, the fact remains that many landmines had been laid,” he said.
Blooming Night Zan, Joint Secretary I of KWO said that there were more than five deaths or injuries after stepping on landmines, when villagers returned to look after their farmlands or live stock. They included a 13-year old boy who lost his leg in August 2009 and a woman eight months pregnant who lost her left foot in mid January 2010.
Three families returned to Burma this morning, according to Surapong. On the appeal to stop repatriation there is no clear response from the Thai government even as more refugees are expected to go back because of pressure from the Thai Army.
The open letter from the group, which will be submitted to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that on 27 January, Colonel Nopphadol Wathcharajitboworn, Commander- in-Chief of the Scout Department Special Force 35, called a meeting of the army, United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR), Thai Burma Border Committee (TBBC) and leaders of the Karen asylum seekers being hosted at Nong Bua village, Tambon Mae Usu, Tha Song Yang district. The meeting sought ways to push back the remaining 1,500-1,600 refugees to Burma safely.
“Initially, we urged concerned Thai authorities, including the National Security Council, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to suspend any action to push back refugees pending genuine participatory and open investigation by authorities and UNHCR regarding the willingness of the refugees to return to their homeland. Also, concrete measures need to be implemented to ensure that refugees return to their homeland safely and with dignity in accordance with required international standards,” the group said in the letter submitted to the Thai premier on Friday.
The Thai military has said that the repatriation shall be voluntary. They also claim that safeguards have been put in place to ensure safety of the returning refugees in compliance with international standards.
On Thursday, 27 US lawmakers also dispatched a letter to the Prime Minister urging Thailand not to repatriate Karen refugees, with reports saying the operation could begin soon.
“If forced to return, these refugees will suffer horrific human rights abuses,” said representative Joseph Crowley, a Democrat from New York.
While, the Karen National Union (KNU) also released a statement to reaffirm and make it clear that it has not given any instruction to members with regard to the repatriation of the refugees and it is not the KNU’s position that refugees should be repatriated.
“There is no guarantee of safety and security in the areas where the refugees are going to be repatriated because they are still in the conflict zone. In addition, human rights abuses, such as attacks on civilians, rape, forced labour, extortion take place daily throughout the Burmese Army and DKBA-controlled areas,” the statement noted.
