Army wants refugees sent home

Bangkokpost, Published: 29/05/2012 at 05:29 PM    ... 

The army wants the government to hold talks with Myanmar on returning home nearly 200,000 refugees staying in nine camps along the Thai border, a defence source said.

According to the source, Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat last week met army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha and talked about preparations to send the refugees who fled fighting in Myanmar and live in camps along the Thai border, back to their home country.

After the refugees have been repatriated, Thailand would close down all the nine camps.
The army plans to ask the government to hold talks with Myanmar on this matter, the source said.

Lt Gen Hla Min (L) meets ACM Sukumpol Suwanatat (R) discuss bilateral issues during the 6th Asean Defence Ministers Meeting in Phnom Penh on May 28, 2012. (Photo by Wassana Nanuam)

The source said ACM Sukumpol met Lt Gen Hla Min, the Myanmar defence minister, on Monday night for talks on bilateral issues during the 6th Asean Defence Ministers Meeting in Phnom Penh.

ACM Sukumpol, however, did not raise this matter for discussion with his Myanmar counterpart because it was not on the meeting agenda.

During the meeting, ACM Sukumpol congratulated Lt Gen Hla Min on changes toward democracy in Myanmar.   He expressed the hope Myanmar would send officers from its three armed forces to attend schools for staff officers in Thailand, beginning with the army's school.

Concerning the planned repatriation of Myanmar refugees, the source said coordination would be necessary with various agencies, particularly the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).  Repatriation would be voluntary.

The source said the army had instructed its units overseeing the nine camps along the border in Kanchanaburi, Tak, Ratchaburi and Mae Hong Son provinces to survey the refugees to find out whether they want to return  home.

The official figure of the Myanmar refugees at the nine camps is 150,000, but the actual number is believed to be closer to 200,000.

The source believed a large number of the refugees do not want to return to Myanmar beause they have no confidence in the situation there.

However, the planned visit by Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar opposition leader, to the Mae La refugee holding centre in Tak province may help convince them to think about going home, the source said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/295599/talks-planned-to-send-refugees-home