Human Rights Watch has sent a letter to China accusing it of
violating international law by forcing thousands of Burmese to return to
their conflict-torn homeland.
The group says Beijing recently returned at least 4,000 ethnic
Kachins who had fled to China's Yunnan province. It said they were sent
home in late August after the government “summarily declared” they were
not refugees.
Tens of thousands of people have fled fighting in northern Burma
since June 2011, when a 17-year cease-fire between the military and the
Kachin Independence Army collapsed.
China has denied forcibly returning the Kachins, saying they
voluntarily crossed the border when the fighting ended. But Human Rights
Watch says the violence continues in Kachin state and that thousands
more are being displaced.
The group's letter to the Chinese foreign ministry said the up to
10,000 Kachin refugees who have been allowed to enter China have not
been provided humanitarian assistance and have been denied access to
U.N. human rights officials.
Bill Frelick, Refugee Program Director at Human Rights Watch, said
China is creating “its own refugee status determination process” rather
than honoring international law on refugees.
Last week, the U.S. State Department also called on China to give
temporary protection for Kachin refugees in Yunnan, saying they should
only return home by their own choice when it is safe to do so.
Burma's government has reached cease-fire deals with several ethnic
minority rebel groups in recent months. But negotiations with the Kachin
have so far been unsuccessful.
Source : VOA
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