By LAWI WENG & LYI HTAW – All Mon Regions Democracy Party (AMDP) chairman, Nai Ngwe Thein, stated that it is not yet time to repatriate the 140,000 Burmese refugees staying at the nine different refugee camps along the Thai-Burmese border.
Speaking to Independent Mon News Agency, Nai Ngwe Thein said, “The new government just set up. We have not yet seen the light of democracy here yet.
This is why it is too early to make the decision to repatriate refugees as everyone knows what the situation is like here.”
TIME magazine quoted Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn on April 18 as saying that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had instructed security officials to prepare an evaluation of the situation before he decides whether or not to close the refugee camps.
There are nine Burmese refugee camps based on the Thai-Burmese border. The majority of refugees living in these camps are Karen due to ongoing fighting in eastern Karen State.
Rights groups such as the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) and the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), repeat the sentiment that it is too early to decide on the repatriation and the Thai government needs to do an assessment before making such a decision.
Nai Kasauh Mon, the director of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland, reiterated the view of human rights groups. He said, “They should not send them back because although the new government has set up in the country, the new government has not talked with the armed ethnic groups yet.
“There should be signs of peace in the country to let them go back and the repatriation should be voluntary,” he said.
The Thai government has a history of repatriating refugees. Amidst the international community complaints, the Thai government repatriated over 4,000 ethnic Hmong refugees to Laos in 2009.
Burma has undergone the longest running civil war in Southeast Asia due to fighting between armed ethnic groups and the Burmese government troops. Each Burmese state has at least one armed ethnic group fighting for its autonomy.
Ceasefire agreements between the armed ethnic groups and the Burmese government broke in April 2010 when many of the armed ethnic groups refused to become part of the Burmese ruled Border Guard Force (BGF). The instability caused by the failing of the ceasefire agreements has caused many to war that conflicts will break out throughout the border areas and that more refugees will flee to Thailand.
Meanwhile, armed ethnic groups, such as the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA) have begun preparations for the possibility of an attack by government troops in the ethnic group control areas.
