Burma refugee crisis worsens
By Richard Horsey
The fate of some 6000 refugees who fled from Burma to neighbouring Thailand at the end of July still hangs in the balance. The refugees, from the Mon ethnic group, were forced to flee when their camp was attacked by Burmese government troops, and they now face the prospect of being forcibly repatriated by the Thai army.
The reasons for the attack are still unknown. It was a surprise, coming at a time when Burma was attending the ASEAN ministerial meeting and trying to improve its international image. Some analysts believe that it is an attempt to put pressure on the Mon insurgents to sign a cease-fire agreement with the Burmese junta. The Mon have responded to this pressure by suspending ongoing talks.
Thailand has stated that these are not genuine refugees, but illegal immigrants who are now living comfortably on support from international agencies. A Burmese opposition spokesman in Bangkok, contacted by telephone, had a different story to tell:
"The situation in the camp is desperate. It is now the rainy season, and the people are huddled under plastic sheets with no other shelter. There is no drinking water, and sanitation is non-existent ... All relief agencies have now been denied access to the area by the Thai [government]."
Latest reports from the area suggest that the Thai army is preparing to force the refugees back across the border and into the hands of waiting Burmese troops. All supplies to the camp have already been blocked.
The local Burmese military commander, Colonel Tin Kyaw Win, has promised that any returning refugees will be safe. The fate of 16 villagers abducted by his troops during the original attack is not known, though at least two have escaped and have described their experiences, including their use as "human shields" to protect the withdrawing Burmese forces from insurgent attacks.
These refugees are the victims of an increasingly close relationship between ASEAN and Rangoon, and with the human-rights situation in Burma continuing to worsen, the situation for all the 78,000 refugees from Burma currently in Thailand can only get worse.