Visit with Burmese Refugees on the Thai-Burma Border

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Visit with Burmese Refugees on the Thai-Burma Border


Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

June 25, 2010




Dear Friends and Colleagues:
I wanted to report to you on a recent trip to Thailand and Laos. It was a long trip, so I will provide two separate notes. The first will focus on the Thailand portion of the visit from June 10-12 and, in particular, the situation of Burmese refugees in Thailand.
As you may know, political repression in Burma has resulted in a decades-long exodus of Burmese, including ethnic minorities, to Thailand and elsewhere in the region. There are now roughly 140,000 refugees in nine camps along the Thai-Burma border, primarily from the Karen and Karenni communities, but also including smaller numbers of Mon, Chin, Kachin, Shan and other ethnic groups. In addition, there are an estimated two million vulnerable Burmese residing elsewhere in Thailand. And while the Thai authorities have made clear that local integration is not an option for this community and have occasionally pushed back border crossers, the Thai Government has generally maintained a policy of tolerance and refuge for the Burmese. The United States strongly supports such an approach, and it is therefore incumbent upon us to provide financial assistance to the many organizations that are assisting Burmese communities in Thailand.
On my first day in Thailand, June 10th, I met with a range of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organization (IO) representatives, as well as senior Thai officials, including Tawin Pleansri, the Secretary General of the National Security Council, and Theerakun Niyom, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I first emphasized our strong view that the elections in Burma, whenever they do occur, are not likely to create safe conditions for return of Burmese who are now in Thailand. I stressed that judgments on the feasibility of return must be made based on the reality of conditions on the ground, and not on whether or not an election has taken place. I also encouraged Thai officials to work with donors in exploring increased livelihood opportunities for Burmese refugees in Thailand. On all these issues, my Thai interlocutors clearly understood and appreciated our concerns, and we will sustain an intensive dialogue on these issues in the months to come.