Thailand to deport Karen refugees in phases

Lt Gen Thanongsak Apirakyothin, Commander of Thailand’s Third Army, accepted that there was a resolution at the meeting between Thai officials and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to repatriate Karen refugees, who fled to Thailand’s Thasongyang district of Tak Province since June 2009, in the wake of conflict between the Burmese Army and ethnic armed groups.

“We will send back all the newcomers who came last year because there is no more fighting on the Burma side,” Thai News Agency on Tuesday said.

Gen Thanongsak said that the government had no policy to provide additional temporary shelters to the refugees, saying it has decided to gradually send them back to Burma.

Surapong Kongchanteuk, a Human Rights Committee member of Thailand’s Lawyer’s Council told Mizzima on Wednesday that the Thai Army has sent soldiers into the area to talk to villagers and to persuade them to go back home.

“However, Thai officials insisted on sending them back to Burma ‘voluntarily’ which still needs to be inspected by the related rights body. We are discussing the case with the Human Rights Committee of the Thai Senate,” he said.

“Besides, there are some refugees, who returned to Burma, but stepped on landmines, which are still found in the area. So, we are trying to urge the [Thai] government to postpone the repatriation,” he added.