Repatriation

Earlier this July, 157 refugees more from camps along the Thai-Burma border returned to Burma. This was the fourth group officially to voluntarily return facilitated by UNHCR and government officials from Burma and Thailand. As with previous returnees, the new group went to the Kyauk Lone Gyi reception center located in the Burma border town Myawaddy and welcomed by government…

A third batch of refugees from camps along the Thai-Burma border who wishes to voluntarily want to return to Burma are being processed by officials from the UN refugee agency and Burma and Thailand. In Mae La camp, the largest camp on the Thai Burma border, fewer people showed up at the processing center. Officials from the Royal Thai Government…

The Thai government has transferred 93 Myanmar refugees from five refugee camps to Burma government on May 7 under the bilateral agreement on the voluntary repatriation of the refugees from Thailand. The refugees living in Mae La, Umpiem, Nu Po, Ban Don Yang, and Mai Nai Soi refugee camps have returned under the arrangement of the Thai Ministry of Interior,…

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has finalized voluntary repatriation for 161 refugees that will begin on May 7th from five refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border. UNHCR sources stated that this is the second batch of refugees that will be voluntary repatriated under an agreement between the Royal Thai Government and the Government of the Union of…

Refugees from Burma are finding it difficult to stay, difficult to go home. In Thailand, funding cuts to refugee camps have left over 100,000 displaced people from Burma to choose between trying to survive in deteriorating conditions and returning to a country not ready to receive them. The refugees are spread throughout 9 camps perched on Thailand’s southwest border with…

The Karen State government is now making arrangements for the first return of 96 residents – 19 families – who have been living in refugee camps on the Thai border. The families are set to cross the Thai-Burma Friendship Bridge tomorrow. Nan Khin Htwe Myint, Chief Minister of Karen State on October 25, visited temporary accommodation for the returning refugees,…

Representatives of the Karen National Union are holding a series of meetings with refugees at the nine Thai border camps to inform them about the peace process taking place inside the country. The KNU team, led by Padoh Naw Zipporah Sein, vice chairperson, held a series of public meetings on September 20 and 21 at Mae La refugee camp, the…

Thailand’s Prime Minister, General Prayut Chan-o-cha was reported as saying that Burma’s government refugees needed more time to put in place a process to repatriate its refugees. General Prayut was quoted by The Bangkok Post and before the three-day visit of Aung San Suu Kyi’s, the head of Burma’s National League for Democracy government. General Prayut said discussions between Thailand…

Following a statement issued by the Karen Women Organization calling for Burma government and international community to respect the right of refugees on World Refugees’ Day, representatives of the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees met with Karen community based organization on June 23, to discuss repatriation issues. The meeting’s included presentation of the UNHCR’s roadmap on refugee repatriation and…