Press Release
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For Immediate Release |
Contact: (202) 225-3965 |
| Crowley Calls on Thailand to Halt Deportation of Burmese Refugees |
| Washington, D.C. — Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx) called on Thailand to halt the repatriation of ethnic Karen refugees to a dangerous conflict zone in eastern Burma, where the ruling military regime has destroyed over 3,300 ethnic minority villages. The Burmese refugees fled to Thailand following a brutal, renewed summer military offensive by the military junta and could suffer horrific human rights abuses –including rape, torture, and executions – if repatriated. “I strongly urge the government of Thailand to halt the deportation of ethnic Karen refugees back to the Burmese conflict zone. If this decision isn't reversed, thousands of Burmese refugees will be forced to live in grave danger,” said Congressman Joe Crowley. “The brutal Burmese junta has shown no mercy in the past, and the international community is very concerned for the safety of the Karen who are returned to Burma.” Congressman Crowley joined Congressman Joe Pitts and 25 other members, including Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Howard Berman and Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, to express these serious concerns to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjaviva in a letter dated February 4, 2010. Full text of the Pitts-Crowley letter included below. More information on Burmese refugee repatriation can be found at: http://www.irrawaddy.org/highlight.php?art_id=17743 Congressman Crowley is a six-term member on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs and a member of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia. Congressman Crowley has a long track-record advocating for human rights in Burma, and most recently spearheaded the effort to award Aung San Suu Kyi the Congressional Gold Medal. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FULL TEXT OF PITTS-CROWLEY LETTER ON BURMESE REFUGEES February 4, 2010 His Excellency Abhisit Vejjajiva Prime Minister Kingdom of Thailand Bangkok Thailand Dear Mr. Prime Minister: The relationship between Thailand and the United States is important for both of our nations. In light of this friendship, we are writing today to share our serious concerns regarding reported plans by Thai officials to force thousands of ethnic Karen refugees back to Burma. In June 2009, approximately 4,000 refugees fled to Thailand, following a brutal military offensive by the Burmese military regime and its allies, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), on Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps in Karen State, Eastern Burma. Until now, these refugees have remained in temporary shelters in the Nong Bua, Mae U Su, and Mae Salit villages, close to the Thailand-Burma border. Many of these refugees have already been forced to flee their homes four or more times, due to the ongoing violence carried out by Burma’s military regime and unsafe conditions. The area in Karen State to which they would be made to return is home to dangerous landmines and is controlled by the notorious DKBA. On January 18, 2010, a pregnant woman who had returned to the region stepped on a landmine, incurring serious injuries. This serves as a brutal reminder of the conditions the Karen refugees would be forced to endure upon their repatriation. If forced to return, these refugees will suffer horrific human rights abuses. They will undoubtedly be subject to forced labor, executions, torture and mutilations, forced recruitment as soldiers, including child soldiers, and theft and extortion, making their survival very difficult. In addition, the regime continues to use rape as a weapon of terror. More than half of the refugees facing repatriation are women and children who will be forced to live in fear of rape and sexual violence. Historically, Thailand has developed a reputation as a country that provides refuge to those fleeing serious persecution, but actions like this will undermine and tarnish this reputation. The United States understands the burden placed on Thailand and has helped resettle tens of thousands of Burmese refugees from Thailand over the last 4 years. We urgently request that you halt the repatriation of refugees back to Burma’s conflict zone and continue to offer them protection in Thailand. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to hearing from you. ### |