Refugee groups slam Japan's struggling resettlement plan

By GIANNI SIMONE

Much fanfare greeted the arrival at Narita in September 2010 of the first Burmese refugees to take advantage of Japan's decision to join the U.N.'s third-country resettlement program. Japan was the first Asian country to join the program, it was emphasized, under which the country would take in "less than 100" refugees from camps along the Thai-Myanmar border each year. Some refugee advocates even dared to believe that the move might mark the start of a trend toward a more humanitarian approach to applications for refugee status by those fleeing conflict or poverty.

Yokoso Japan: Ethnic Karen refugees from the Mae La camp rest at a facility run by the International Organization for Migration in Mae Sot, northwestern Thailand, in September 2010 ahead of their departure for Japan. KYODO

Since then, however, the resettlement program has been widely criticized as ill-thought-out, half-hearted and even exploitative. After accepting an initial 30 ethnic Karen refugees from the Mae La camp in 2010 and another 17 in 2011, reports suggest the program is struggling to find families eager to relocate to Japan in the wake of all the bad press. Despite these teething troubles, the government announced in March it was extending the program for another three years.

At the beginning of the three-year pilot program, five families were brought over to Japan. After a six-month language and survival course, they were distributed between Chiba and Mie prefectures. Though living conditions were slightly better in Mie, all the families faced a number of problems.

The Japan Times recently talked to Myo Myint Swe, a Burmese refugee who has been closely following this issue. A 20-year resident of Japan, Myo is a graduate student at Tokyo University, where he is writing a thesis on the democratization movement in Myanmar and the relationship between the refugee community in Japan and their home country.

According to Myo, many of the problems the refugees have faced in Japan have their roots in a lack of communication and restrictions on the refugees' access to information.

"The two families living in Chiba, for instance, were assigned to work on a farm," he said. "At first they worked eight hours a day, five days a week, but after a while working hours became longer and longer, and they were forced to work on Saturdays as well, without anyone explaining the reason for this. Obviously they were upset by the situation, especially considering that their ¥120,000 monthly salary wasn't raised accordingly."

Apparently nobody explained how to do things properly, and they were scolded for doing things wrong.

"These people have lived for 10 to 20 years in refugee camps where they were never engaged in hard work," Myo said. "Suddenly they were relocated to a completely alien environment, and were asked to work long hours on a demanding, sometimes dangerous job. No wonder they did not react well to the situation."

Hiroka Shoji, Amnesty International Japan's refugee officer, pointed out some of the practical problems these people had to deal with on a daily basis. "These families settled in a very isolated area, quite far from many public services," she said. "The nearest kindergarten, for example, was one hour away. This was a considerable problem as the children's mothers were working in the fields too.

"The older child (of one family) began attending a night junior high school, but the round trip took about 2½ hours. So eventually he stopped going. In the end, the whole thing caused a lot of physical and mental stress. The refugee families keep living in a state of uncertainty and anxiety, and don't have a clear vision of their future life in Japan. Nobody even tells them what happens after the six-month training program is over."

For some reason, the semigovernmental Refugee Assistance Headquarters (RHQ), which has been managing the program, tried from the start to keep these people isolated from both the larger Burmese community in Japan and local people. When asked to comment on allegations leveled in this article at the resettlement program, RHQ said they were not allowed to discuss such matters before first consulting the Foreign Ministry, which is in charge of the program.

The Japan Times also tried to speak to some of the refugees but was told by the NGOs working on their behalf that they wanted to avoid further problems with the Japanese bureaucracy.

According to Myo, the first newcomers were urged not to get a telephone, a fax machine or an Internet connection. "RHQ failed to understand what the real needs of the refugees were."

In other countries that run the same program, refugees who have already settled down are involved in actively supporting the new arrivals. This contributes to a higher success rate.

"Currently the Burmese community in Japan numbers around 20,000 people, about half of them refugees. So it wouldn't be a problem to find volunteers," explained Myo. "And yet, the authorities don't understand how important it is to get help and advice from a support group. As things are now, I believe they should reconsider the whole support system."

However, the Foreign Ministry said that it had found some contradictions in the refugees' claims of wrongdoing. In particular, a spokesperson said that an investigation had revealed that RHQ had actually encouraged the families to set up Internet accounts in order to cut down on phone bills.

The resettlement plan debacle is even more puzzling considering the work the authorities apparently put into the project before the first arrivals.

"The government actually sent a study group to Europe in order to learn from their experience," said Shogo Watanabe, secretary general of the Japan Lawyers Network for Refugees, who also represents one of the families in Chiba. "Apparently they failed to follow their example."

Watanabe believes the government should be doing more to spread the word about the refugee issue.

"What is the ultimate purpose of this program? Why has this country joined the resettlement program? The authorities owe these answers to the Japanese people. Yet these questions remain largely unanswered.

"Without a clear explanation to the very people who are supposed to welcome the refugees, this project is bound to run into very big problems. You must convince everybody — both the refugees and the Japanese — that this is a win-win situation in which both sides are going to gain something," Watanabe said.

Another big problem has been the top-down system through which the refugee policy has been implemented.

"There are no concerted efforts to work in collaboration with the local governments, the NGOs, citizen's groups, scholars — and the refugees themselves," Watanabe added. "As long as RHQ keeps saying that the main problem is the refugees' negative attitude, I don't see a bright future for the program."

Myo believes that the single most important issue is communication. "The authorities should make sure that the refugees really learn Japanese, as this problem has negative effects on everyday life. Every piece of information they get is in Japanese. They can't understand the gas or electricity bills they get in the mail, or how the national health system works. In this respect, a single six-month language course is absolutely insufficient.

"For people who are relocated to an English-speaking country, that could be enough, because many people have at least a basic knowledge of the English language, but for someone who has to learn Japanese from scratch, I believe that two years are necessary if you want these people to become self-sufficient."

At the same time, Myo is opposed to complete assimilation. "Especially when you consider the children, they are going to forget their mother tongue and drift away from their roots. On the contrary, I think that one of the goals of the resettlement program should be to turn the youngsters into the seeds of a future intercultural society who are able to bridge the gap between Japan and other countries and cultures. In order to do this, the newcomers must be allowed to keep strong ties with the older refugee community."

Lessons have been learned from the problems in the program's first year. The two families who had originally been posted to Chiba were moved to Tokyo because of the myriad logistical and practical obstacles they had faced. Now they are employed in cleaning jobs. The families who came the second year were based in Tokyo from the start. All the children are attending school, despite the fact that education is not compulsory for the children of foreigners under Japanese law.

Activists in both countries and Japanese NGOs who have joined to form the Forum for Refugees Japan are carefully studying the new political situation in Myanmar to see how it may affect the refugees' attitude towards resettlement. The April 1 by-elections, which resulted in a landslide victory for Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy, have created high expectations among many refugees, who are also excited by the economic reforms the government has been recently enacting and are now keen to return to their country.

"The big problem are the ethnic minorities who have lost everything — their land, their house," explained Myo. "The younger generations in particular don't want to go back to Myanmar. Some of them weren't even born there, and the rest have too many bad memories."

Myo, however, whose mother is ethnic Karen and father belongs to Myanmar's Indian community, is looking forward to returning to Myanmar (or Burma, as he still calls it). "I want to help my country's economic progress as a consultant. I'm particularly thinking about using my knowledge of Japan and the language to help Japanese enterprises to develop mutually fruitful relations with local companies. It's a great opportunity."

This newfound hope for the future of their homeland, coupled with disillusionment with the resettlement program, may be behind the recently reported drop in interest among refugees for resettlement in Japan. By February, only two families — a total of 10 people — had agreed to take part in the resettlement program this year, according to Amnesty's Shoji. The government recently extended the program to two more refugee camps on the Thai-Myanmar border.

"I heard from people who are working at the refugee camps in Thailand that the Japanese government is showing 'promotion videos' which depict Japan as a safe country where people can easily resettle with few problems," Shoji said. "This makes me wonder how bad Japan's image is among the refugee community."

Even if RHQ can fill the quota of 30 refugees this year, this figure pales into insignificance when compared with other countries' commitments under the U.N. program. In 2007 alone, 14 countries accepted a total of 75,000 refugees under the same program, with even Iceland — with a population of 300,000, hundreds of times smaller than Japan's 127 million — accepting 30 Palestinian refugees a year.

Although refugee advocates have welcomed Japan's commitment to continue with the resettlement program, there are no signs yet that it has affected Japan's infamously low intake of asylum-seekers. In fact, of a record-high 1,867 applications for refugee status in Japan in 2011, only 21 were approved — down from a paltry 39 a year earlier.

A Japanese-language online talk show on "Local Integration of Refugees into Japanese Society" was aired on April 26. You can watch it at www.ustream.tv/channel/nanmin-now. Amnesty International's refugee group is hosting a seminar (in Japanese only) on this subject on Saturday, July 21, in Tokyo. Details can be found at www.amnesty.or.jp/get-involved/event/2012/0721_255.html. Send comments on this issue and story ideas to community@japantimes.co.jp

UN refugee chief sees a silver lining on clouds over Myanmar

Jim Pollard
The Nation July 16

Guterres, UNHCR chief

A storm of criticism has flared again over Myanmar's treatment of ethnic Rohingya - and its request to the United Nations refugee agency last week to resettle more than half a million of them to countries overseas.

But Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) - who told Myanmar's President Thein Sein it was not possible to deport the Rohingya - tried to play down the affair in an exclusive interview in Bangkok on Friday.

Guterres agreed that the Rohingya - Muslims of Bangladeshi ethnic origin at the centre of repeated crises in western Rakhine State - have endured "dramatic discrimination" and that their plight "deserves a message of humanity from the international community".

But he had only words of encouragement for Thein Sein's reformist regime.

"We have witnessed recently an eruption of some dramatic forms of violence - inter-community violence [in Rakhine State] - and this has led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people; and to a dramatic humanitarian situation for many of them.

"There is still high tension on the ground. And I believe it's important to help calm things down - to urgently deliver humanitarian aid without discrimination to the two communities, and at the same time to seriously promote a true reconciliation process.

"I had the opportunity in my visit to also suggest that, independently of the improvements that the Nationality Law might deserve, it would be important to effectively grant Myanmarese nationality to all those members of the Muslim community that have the right to it according to the law. And to find for the other members of the community a legal status allowing them to enjoy fully the rights that are necessary to lead a normal life."

The Rohingya have been denied citizenship amid claims they are "Bengalis" from Bangladesh. The request was rejected, with the UNHCR chief and staff at pains to explain it was impossible to do this, because the Rohingya were not refugees - they had not fled conflict or persecution across borders.

Treatment of the Rohingya has been condemned by some as ethnic cleansing and a state-sanctioned pogrom. Denied citizenship by Ne Win's government in 1982, tens of thousands have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh and taken to boats in recent years in search of a new life in Malaysia and other lands because of despair at their lack of rights - an inability to travel for work, or simply to marry - and a suffocating cycle of extortion and abuse by officials in Rakhine State.

Last month, at least 80 people were killed in riots between Buddhist and Muslim communities, which caused a state of emergency to be declared. Thousands saw their homes burnt and have been forced to shift to temporary shelters.

Guterres said: "It's important to realise that Myanmar is now leading a very important and positive period of transition that many people would not have thought possible just a few years ago. In this visit, to both Myanmar and Thailand, I had the opportunity to discuss perspectives of closing the chapter in a dignified way … of the Myanmarese refugees in Thailand. And this is possible today thanks to the determined way in which the Myanmar government is conducting a peace process.

"Ten ceasefires have been established. One ceasefire is being negotiated for Kachin State and there is a very clear commitment to not only peace building, which deserves the support of the international community."

Speaking after a meeting with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the UNHCR chief called on Western governments not to cut support for refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border, saying it is of "vital importance" funding be maintained till the 140,000 people in nine border camps can return.

Guterres was "very grateful" to the Thai government for hosting the refugees for nearly three decades and the fact it "recognises that no push should be made - that the voluntary character of the return should be respected, and that the safety and dignity of the refugees in that return should be a paramount concern".

He gave no indication of when the refugees may be able to return - that depended on establishing conditions on the other side "to allow all people to feel that it's safe to go back, and that they can rebuild their lives in a sustainable way".

But he was encouraged by the Thai government's "very open attitude in relation to a number of proposals to improve the conditions of the refugees" and "constructive attitude in preparation for what we hope will be a solution for one of the most protracted refugee situations in the world".

The Thailand Burma Border Consortium, which raises more than $30 million a year to supply food and materials to the camps, has been forced to cut rations for the refugees as European nations scale back donations amid a push to support projects inside Myanmar.

Guterres said: "I'd like to make a very strong appeal to the international community to maintain the support to humanitarian action in the camps … until the process is concluded.

"I want people to go back when conditions are met for them to return, to be reunifying. I don't want people to go back fleeing any aggravation if their conditions are intolerable. So the support of the international community to members of the consortium that has been operating in the area should be maintained at the present moment. That is of vital importance to the success of this whole operation."

With acute crises in Syria, South Sudan, Mali and the Congo, the world badly needed good news. The peaceful "evolution" in Myanmar, thus, "very encouraging".

"That evolution should be cherished and supported by the international community, not only in a humanitarian dimension but all things that relate to the empowerment of the country and the welfare of the people, allowing for democracy to emerge and to consolidate.

"What I hope is that these excellent signals - signs - that I have described will also, with time, allow for a positive development of the situation in Rakhine state."

Source : http://www.nationmultimedia.com

URBAN REFUGEES IN MALAYSIA

Managing Urban Refugees in Malaysia

Displaced- the numbers
•10.5 million refugees
•14.7 million internally displaced
•Stateless – lack of definitive statistics- est. 3.5 million
•Only one third of refugees in camps
•More than half are in urban areas

URBAN REFUGEES IN MALAYSIA

As of end May 2012, there are 98,644 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia.

 92%, 90,326 are from Myanmar. 

The remaining numbers are refugees and asylum-seekers from other countries, including refugees from:
- Sri Lanka (4,529)
- Somalia (1,093)
- Iraq (782)
- Afghanistan (437)

WHERE DO REFUGEES LIVE IN MALAYSIA?

Refugees live in cities and small towns in low-cost flats or housing areas.

Due to high cost, and for security, refugees often share living spaces in groups of sometimes up to 20 people or more.

Many also live near the construction sites or plantations where they seek employment.

LIVING AS REFUGEES IN MALAYSIA

Malaysia has not ratified the 1951 Refugee convention
No legal framework
Malaysian laws, in particular the Immigration Act 1959/1063, do not make a formal distinction between a refugee and an economic migrant.

The situation of refugees is complex as a result of their unofficial status in Malaysia.

They have no access to formal, legal employment.

Their children have no access to formal education.

REFUGEES AND HEALTHCARE

Refugees face challenges in accessing healthcare due to factors such as:

Costs of medical care

Language barriers

Difficulties in physically accessing hospitals and clinics. In Malaysia, refugees access public healthcare services at a discounted foreigner’s rate and clinics run by NGOs.

Public health facilities
•Access to emergency services
•Second line care and deliveries
•MCH clinics- antenatal care and vaccinations
•Primary care services

Urban refugees health programming

Advocacy for integration into the national health system Advocacy for inclusion into country national programmes (e.g. TB, HIV, )

Urban refugees health programming
Support access to services and health information

• primary care services
• security issues
• financial assistance
• interpreter
• health education
• mental health services
• referral care support

Monitoring 

• monitoring access public health services- hospitals, MCH clinics
• monitoring communicable diseases

Summary of Approaches

•Where possible – entry into existing health systems
•Access to emergency services
•Provision for vulnerable groups
•Provision of services
•Community based approach – Help refugees help themselves

Second line treatment
•Requests for assistance for hospital admissions are mainly due to trauma related cases- Road accidents and industrial accidents

Tuberculosis
•Malaysia- Intermediate burden
•Incidence of 82/100,000
•MDR TB - % of new TB – 0.1 %
•Myanmar – 4 %
•IOM screening- 8.7%. ( 0.59 % active)

MOH and UNHCR Collaboration

• MOH and UNHCR collaborates
in resource sharing for refugees
with TB as shown in the flow
chart .
• UNHCR provides TB awareness,
screening, care, and support
directly through UNHCR staff
and refugee community
workers, and through
implementing partners.
• MOH provides TB diagnostic
and treatment, including
hospitalization.

HIV

•422 refugees living with HIV . 258 on HAART.
•Adherence support program
•Cross sectional survey 2010 -Adherence is comparable to host population
•Risk groups

Vaccination

•Survey – 2010- 271 children
•75 % vaccinated in Malaysia , 12 % had vaccination in Myanmar
•Main barriers- knowledge, cost (for transport) , no documentation

Family Planning Baseline Study

•FP – Baseline study- household survey 2011- 422 respondents
•Contraceptive prevalence rate – 34.2 % for modern methods and 42.2 % for any methods
•Commonly used – OCPs and injectables

Pregnancy and Childbirth

•93.5% respondents had more than four antenatal care visits with the mean 9.97 ± 3.64 visits
•But most are still accessing care only in 2nd trimester- usually around 4 – 5 months.
•New refugees – sought care later, and less visits. – non familiarity, language and financial barriers

Nutrition

•IOM screening- 2011 (under 5s)
•12% wasting,8% stunting
•Assessment 54 homes - In-depth interviews during house visits
−socio economic (housing, employment, schooling)
−health ( birth, diseases, vaccines, growth monitoring)
−Feeding practices past and present (24 hours recall, food frequency)
−Family eating habits

Main problem areas

•Traditional eating habits are two soup based low energy dense meals
•Families are very traditional in the choice of food
•Food budget is kept to a minimum
•Almost half of parents are young and inexperienced without support
•No access to nutrition education messages because of language barrier

Main direct causes of nutritional status of child

•Energy density and feeding frequency
•Child with acceptance problems of food
•Breast feeding problems: inefficient suckling, breast problems
•Health problems : LBW, long sickness, teeth, allergies

Underlying causes of nutritional status

•Young and inexperienced parents: isolated mothers, no family support, little outings, language barriers
•Economic problems: no room for extras
•Caring problems: siblings, no interest in trying to adapt to specific needs

Substance Abuse

•Survey 2011 – 138 Chins
•Semi structured interviews
•Alcohol and tobacco
•‘Social norm’ ‘cultural habit (46)
•‘to suffer less from stress’ (42)
•45.9% of the substance users did have sexual intercourse while they had been using substances
92.3% had unprotected sex

Mental Health

•Survey by Health Equity Initiatives- 1,074 persons
•DASS -21 >60% had symptoms of Depression, Anxiety and Stress
•About half had moderate to severe levels of Depression & Anxiety
•Asylum Seekers – Higher anxiety levels than refugees
•Depression and Stress no difference.
•Unemployed- higher levels.
•Coping strategies – restraint, emotion focused, problem focused, mental disengagement.

Disabled

•WHO estimates 2.3-3.3 million displaced persons are disabled and one third are children
•Improving identification and referral mechanisms
•Engaging more service providers

Source : UNHCR Malaysia

 

Indonesia asks Australia to increase refugee intake

The Indonesian government has today issued a plea to their Australian counterparts to increase the number of refugees the country is willing to take. This comes at a time when relations between the two countries are becoming strained because of Australia’s difficulty in putting together a long-term and acceptable refugee intake policy. The situation is likely to get very much worse before it gets better and the Indonesian government is demanding further help from overseas counterparts.

What is the problem in Indonesia?

The problem within Indonesia is that many of the refugees who have been forced to remain in the country were initially looking to move to Australia. There are in excess of 5,000 refugees who have officially signed up within Indonesia but the authorities believe there could be an additional 10,000 living there without the relevant paperwork. This is a problem which has been getting very much worse over the years and official estimates suggest there may be around 100,000 people in Malaysia waiting for the green light to go to Australia – via Indonesia.

Religion

While the Indonesian government is unwilling to admit there are religious issues at stake there is no doubt that Shi’ite Muslims from Afghanistan and Iran are causing friction within the predominantly Sunni country of Indonesia. There is well documented friction between these factions back in Iran, Iraq, etc and this is now transferring into other countries around the world.

Cultural differences

The Indonesian authorities have also highlighted issues regarding culture and the friction which this is causing between the local community and the refugee community. Indeed there have been suggestions of drugs and various other crimes being committed by the refugees and this is not going down well with the local population. There is also growing concern that the sovereignty of Indonesia may well be at risk in the medium to longer term unless the issue is resolved as soon as possible.

What can Australia do?

Australia recognises refugee status as much as any other nation around the world although it is the way in which these refugee applications are to be processed which seems to be causing most problems. The government tried to push through various pieces of legislation but these were either blocked in the High Court of the Australian Senate. There seems to be in a cross-party agreement to rectify the issue as soon as possible but so far nothing has been placed upon the statute books.

Is it Australia’s problem?

There are many in Australia questioning exactly why they should need to increase their refugee intake purely and simply to relieve pressures in other countries such as Indonesia. While this would seem to be a fair argument from any point of view, the fact is that the vast majority of refugees making their way to Indonesia are doing so with the intention of going to Australia. The Indonesian government is being swamped by the ever-growing intake and finances are being stretched not to mention cultural and religious friction.

Alternatively the Indonesian authorities, and indeed other authorities in the region, are concerned that Australia was giving the impression it was looking to take on more refugees only for the proposed changes and laws to be held up. When you consider that Indonesian government also estimates that around 100,000 people are waiting to leave Malaysia for Australia, via Indonesia, this situation is now becoming critical.

Increased cost of immigration

Even though the Australian authorities have admitted it is not acceptable to see refugees attempting to land in Australia using boats which are not seaworthy there is an underlying cost to an increase in immigration numbers. However, what price do you put on the life of a refugee as we see more and more boats capsizing and literally hundreds of refugees dying on route to the country?

This is starting to become a major problem for the Australian authorities and they are very much stuck in the middle. On one hand we have Australian taxpayers who are wondering when the ongoing investment in the immigration system will halt, after billions of dollars have already been invested, while on the other side we have close overseas partners placing more pressure on the government. Each refugee boat which sinks places more and more pressure upon the authorities and it is now getting to a situation where it cannot go on for much longer.

Future meeting

The Indonesian government has requested a meeting between Australia, Indonesia and Malaysian officials in October or November this year. The idea is that they can map out the future of the immigration and refugee system in the region and no doubt more pressure will be placed upon Australia to play a more active role in the situation. If the authorities are unable to agree a deal going forward then quite literally where do we go from here?

On one hand the Australian government is looking to control the refugee situation while on the other the merest chance of entry into Australia has seen tens of thousands of people flocking from all areas of the world. Is there a solution?

Immigration

The immigration system in Australia is starting to creak and despite the investment of billions upon billions of dollars there are real problems under the surface. The Australian government seems determined to do the “right thing” although every attempt to control the situation seems to lead to further controversy, friction and various laws and regulations being blocked. Quite literally the government of Australia cannot do right for doing wrong!

Conclusion

The comments from the Indonesian authorities have further highlighted the ever-growing problem of immigration and in particular refugees in Australia. This is a situation which has been ongoing for some time now and one which the authorities have tried time and time again to rectify. However, the situation is now reaching boiling point and the previously strong relationship with the Indonesian government is under threat.

While increasing the number refugees accepted into Australia would help the situation in the short term it would also likely need to a massive increase in the number of refugees coming from all areas of the world. However, if the authorities continue to resist demands to increase the refugee intake then there will be further problems for Indonesia as the number of refugees looking to Australia is still growing. Is there really a simple solution?

Source : http://www.australiaforum.com

IRT at the London 10K 2012

Monday, July 9, 2012

 

IRT's CEO Adrian on the left and Ryan and Shilpa at the finish of the race. Well done guys!IRT supporters ran the British 10K London Run yesterday to help raise funds for our projects on the Thai-Burma border.
 The route runs through the heart of London past lots of famous sites such as Trafalgar Square, Houses of Parliament and the London Eye. About 20,000 people took part in the run this year, so it really was a major event!
We are so grateful to our runners who all made excellent times and whose support and commitment to IRT and our work is truly wonderful.
Although in other years we tend to run for all of IRT's projects, we wanted to highlight the plight of Burmese refugees in Thailand this year. We want to make sure that we do not forget that although there are some positive changes happening in Burma, such as the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the problems for the ethnic minority Burmese refugees in Thailand is far from  

One of our runners, Paul, at Trafalgar Square.over. Thank you to our runners and everyone who supported them for making sure that these refugees are not forgotten. 
Katherine and Kate cheering on our runners at Trafalgar Square. 
Paul and Gemma at the finish, both with very impressive finishing times!  
Gianna putting on her race number before the race, at Piccadilly Circus.

Source : http://www.irt.org.uk

High Commissioner for Refugees wraps up mission to Myanmar, Thailand

Source: Content partner // UNHCR 

BANGKOK, Thailand, July 13 (UNHCR) - UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ant�nio Guterres has concluded a five-day trip to South-east Asia with agreements in both Thailand and Myanmar that refugees should only return home voluntarily, in safety and in dignity - and should be able to stay home when they do go.

"We don't want the refugees of today to become the irregular migrants of tomorrow," he said.

Meeting Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, he thanked Thailand for its generosity in hosting tens of thousands of Myanmar refugees for more than two decades. The two reached "a solid agreement" that refugees should only go home when they choose to do so.

Earlier in Myanmar, Guterres told President Thein Sein and other senior officials that UNHCR supports peace-building in the south-east (the area from which refugees fled to Thailand) through assistance to displaced people.

"We are ready to help prepare for returns, which should be voluntary and carried out in safety and dignity, both of those displaced within the country and from the nine refugee camps in Thailand," he told the president and other authorities.

Both in Myanmar and in his meeting in Bangkok with the secretary general of Thailand's National Security Council, Wichean Potephosree, all sides agreed that the return of many of the 150,000 refugees now in nine camps in Thailand must be sustainable.

All sides also agreed to work together to create security, economic and social conditions on the ground to make returns successful and ensure that refugees will be able to make a living when they go back. "No one wants refugees to go home, only to have to flee again," Guterres said, "Or, worse yet, become displaced within their own country."

Less encouraging were recent disturbances in Myanmar's western Rakhine state, but there UNHCR has been delivering - and will continue to deliver - humanitarian aid to both displaced communities, Rakhine and Muslim, without discrimination.

"We believe that this can be a factor for reconciliation between communities and we hope that a situation will be established in Rakhine state with the rule of law prevailing, with a human rights-based approach," Guterres said.

The High Commissioner also expressed concerned for the status of the 800,000 stateless Muslims of northern Rakhine state.

He told President Thein Sein and the Myanmar government he hoped that - independently of possible improvements in the nationality law - nationality would be granted to the members of the Muslim community who are entitled to it under the present legislation.

"Others should receive a legal status that would grant them the full enjoyment of rights required to develop a normal life in the country," he added.

On Friday night, the High Commissioner was to travel to Ethiopia for the Africa Union summit and for a field mission on Monday to see conditions for refugees from Sudan's Blue Nile State.

By Kitty McKinsey in Bangkok, Thailand

Top UN Official Offers Ideas to Quell Ethnic Strife in Burma

Lisa Schlein

GENEVA — The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, is offering to help the Burmese government reconcile the Buddhist and Muslim groups in sectarian-torn Rakhine State.

Guterres, who is on a mission to Thailand and Burma, also known as Myanmar, has presented proposals to the Burmese president and other officials for bringing the two communities closer together.

The U.N. refugee agency reports a tense calm has returned to Rakhine State, a remote region in western Burma.  In May, violence between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine flared after three Muslims were detained following the rape and killing of a Buddhist woman.  More than 60 people were killed and thousands of homes destroyed in sectarian clashes that followed.

U.N. refugee spokeswoman Melissa Fleming says the UNHCR continues to view the unstable situation in Rakhine with concern.  She says Guterres conveyed these concerns to Burmese officials along with his offers of help.

“We would like to state that in Rakhine State we remain absolutely committed to delivering humanitarian assistance to both populations, the Rakhine and the Muslim without any discrimination," Fleming said. "We believe that this can be a factor for reconciliation -- this aid between the communities -- and we hope that the situation will be established there, with the rule of law prevailing and a human-rights based approach.”

At the peak of the ethnic fighting, hundreds of Rakhine Muslims fled across the Naf River to Bangladesh. Their efforts to seek refuge were frustrated when Bangladesh closed its borders.

Security forces reportedly pushed back refugee boats when they arrived on their territory, leaving hundreds of people adrift in the Naf River.

UNHCR spokeswoman Fleming said the situation of people fleeing across the border is no longer acute.

“We are absolutely monitoring this and hopeful that things will return back to normal and that relations between the two communities can be re-established," she said. "But, one of the festering problems is, of course, the statelessness situation, As the nationality law stands, it is based on ethnicity and it does exclude certain groups including the Muslim Rohingya population.”

Fleming says the UNHCR believes nationality should be granted to members of the Muslim community who are entitled to have it according to the present legislation.  And, others, she says should receive a legal status that would grant them the rights required to develop a normal life in the country.

On another issue, she says Guterres asked Burmese officials to clarify why 10 local U.N. and non-governmental aid workers were arrested last month, allegedly on criminal charges. The high commissioner also asked for access to three UNHCR staff being detained. 

 

Source : http://www.voanews.com

UNHCR Rejects Rohingya Resettlement Suggestion

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Rohingya Muslims carry their belongings as they move after recent violence in Sittwe. (PHOTO: Reuters)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has rejected an offer by Burmese President Thein Sein that the UN agency take responsibility for resettling Burma’s Rohingya community in third countries.

On Wednesday, Burma’s presidential office released a statement, citing that it will hand over responsibility for the Rohingya minority to the UN’s refugee agency in Arakan State, adding that it is also “willing to send the Rohingyas to any third country that will accept them.”

UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres, who met Thein Sein in Naypyidaw on Wednesday, told reporters at a press conference in Rangoon the following day that the UN’s resettlement program is totally unrelated to the situation in Arakan State.

Guterres said, “The resettlement programs organized by UNHCR are for refugees who are fleeing a country to another, in very specific circumstances. Obviously, it’s not related to this situation.”

The Portuguese diplomat said that the UNHCR does not discriminate and will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to both communities—Rohingya Muslims and Arakanese Buddhists—who have been affected by the recent sectarian violence in Arakan State.

The UN refugee agency estimates that 91,000 people have been affected by the violence and says 82 temporary camps have been set up to accommodate the displaced.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday, Kitty McKinsey, the regional spokesperson for the UNHCR in Asia, said, “Resettlement under the UHNCR program is only for recognized refugees. And people cannot be refugees in their own country. So it is not logical to talk about resettlement for people who are in their own country,” said McKinsey.

She also said that the UNHCR has no policy to register people as refugees if they are domestically displaced in their own country.

Apart from Rohingya issue, Thein Sein and Guterres also discussed plans for bilateral cooperation in handling the affairs of Burmese refugees at the Thai-Burmese border, as well as Kachin war refugees in northern Burma.

Guterres is planned to leave for Bangkok on Friday to meet with Thai Premier Yingluck Shinawatra to discuss the return of more than 150,000 Burmese refugees who are currently sheltered at nine camps along the Thai-Burmese border.

Source :http://www.irrawaddy.org

Refugees on road to a new life

Soe Mymnt Omtlang passed his driving test with the help of instructor Belinda Berthaly, a volunteer with SCARF, a community group which helps refugees in the Illawarra. Picture: ROBERT PEET

Burmese refugee Soe Mymnt Omtlang once ran away at the sound of a car horn but is now confident of getting behind the wheel after passing his driving test.

Mr Omtlang, 32, said his provisional driving licence had given him a new sense of freedom, thanks to help from volunteer driving instructor Belinda Berthaly.

Before moving to Australia in 2007, Mr Omtlang lived on a farm. He didn’t have a licence and was not used to seeing cars, let alone driving one.

‘‘Learning road rules and how to be a pedestrian was a whole new experience for him,’’ said Mrs Berthaly who works at the NRMA and is a volunteer with Strategic Community Assistance to Refugee Families (SCARF).

With an unwavering smile, Mr Omtlang said that getting his P-plates would open many new work opportunities.

He first obtained his learner’s permit in 2008 but put off driving lessons because he couldn’t afford them.

Now, having to provide for his wife and six-month-old baby, he is optimistic he will get a job and car with his new licence.

‘‘I feel free,’’ he said.

SCARF helps the resettlement process for permanent resident refugees in the region. Mrs Berthaly said: ‘‘I was absolutely ecstatic because I know it’s going to be a big change for his life.’’

Source : http://www.illawarramercury.com.au

New Role for Americans to Promote Human Rights in Burma

On Wednesday, President Obama lifted the ban on U.S. investment in Burma without putting any safeguards in place. President Obama ignored the advice of the human rights community, who implored his Administration to ensure only responsible investment was permitted and human rights were respected. For the first time since 1997, U.S companies will now be allowed to do business in Burma, including with Burmese government owned businesses, an actual requirement all foreign companies are subjected to by the Burmese government.

What this means for human rights in Burma and your role in promoting human rights and democracy for the people of Burma.

A) Sanctions against the Burmese regime and its cronies are leverage to push for democracy and human rights. By lifting the investment ban, the United States loses leverage to bring about more reform, while the people of Burma are still suffering human rights abuses and mass atrocities at the hands of the Burmese regime. There is now only one sanction left–the import ban–which must be renewed by Congress before the end of July. Call your Senators to support the renewal of the import ban.

Burma’s military still commits heinous human rights abuses against Burma’s ethnic civilians, particularly in Kachin State, where their military won't allow international humanitarian aid into the region. The Burmese regime refuses to admit there are still hundreds of political prisoners behind bars. In an extremely worrying move, President Thein Sein told the UN on Wednesday, he wants the Rohingya put in camps or deported, a request the UN immediately refused. Something must be done to end these abuses!

We must send a strong signal that real reform respects human rights, not profits. The Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act is the ONLY influence the United States has left to pressure the Burmese regime to move forward with genuine democratic change.

B) Investment without safeguards will contribute to human rights abuses and profits for the Burmese military.  More and more farms have been confiscated and some farmers have been arrested for refusing to leave their land. In addition to the most egregious human rights abuses in conflict zones, throughout the country the regime carries out forced labor, forced relocation, extortion, land confiscation and burning of civilians’ crops and farms, some of it in the name of making way for foreign investment. American Oil and Gas companies are now allowed to partner with the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), a Burmese government company who generates billions of dollars in profits for the Burmese military. The money our corporations will invest can fuel this murderous machine. For a more detailed explanation of the dangers of investment without safeguards, check out our blog, the LA Times and IPS. 

In the months ahead, as American companies enter Burma, we will need our supporters, like you, to help ensure their activities and investments do not involve land confiscation, human rights abuses and money to those who obstruct political reform and commit human rights abuses.

The people of Burma will need our help—will you speak out to for the people of Burma? Right now, you have the power to keep the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act (S.J.RES 43) in place by calling your Senators to cosponsor the bill, but time is running out. The bill expires in less than 3 weeks, you have to call your Senators now!

Click here for calling instruction, congressional scorecards to check where your Senators stand and the background of the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act.

Thank you for speaking out for the people of Burma.

Myra and USCB team

Supermodel Alek Wek Returns to South Sudan

Right now, supermodel and refugee advocate Alek Wek is making her first journey to her homeland, South Sudan, since the country gained independence last year.

As a teenager, Alek and her family fled the country when civil war erupted. "I left my hometown on foot to find safety -- fleeing chaos and destruction. I didn't know where I was going. The road was jam packed with families, all soon to be refugees, headed into the bush," Alek says.

Partnering with UNHCR, Alek is visiting home to bring messages of peace, hope and inspiration for a young nation facing monumental challenges in its early years.

She is deeply aware that people have returned to communities that have long endured hardship; communities that barely have the facilities or means to provide for even the most basic needs.

"I've just been back to Wau this week and was thrilled to see UNHCR supporting education, job training, helping women get on their feet, building homes! Like the rest of South Sudan, I have a strong hope for the future," she notes.

Alek also aims to draw attention to the need for international support for the massive humanitarian emergency that continues to unfold in remote regions in the north and north-west of the country. Despite facing enormous responsibilities related to critical needs of its own people, South Sudan has generously opened its borders to 170,000 Sudanese refugees during its first year of independence.

"I am desperately worried about the many children and families who are at risk of having to leave their homes to find safety.We need peace, hope and the international community's assistance to mobilize support for the future of South Sudan," 

Source : USA for UNHCR

Zoo outing for Myanmar refugees

By Lydia Lohshini

 KUALA LUMPUR (Herald Malaysia): June 3 proved to be a memorable date for 110 Myanmar Refugees who were taken on a trip to the National Zoo. The outing was organized by the PIHD of Christ the Light Chapel, Desa Jaya Kepong. At 7.30am all the participants along with the 11 volunteers said a short prayer to ensure the day went on without a hitch.

The participants were divided into eight groups and a volunteer was assigned to each group.

Upon arrival at the National Zoo at 8.30am, the excitement of both the children and adults was hard to conceal. Everyone was thrilled when they were treated to the Multi Animal Show at the Zoo Amphitheatre at 11.00am.

After the show, lunch was provided at the Wild Cafe in the Zoo premises. After that the group went to the reptile centre and the aquarium. By 2.00pm, although tired from a long day under the sun, the volunteers and participants agreed that it had been an enjoyable day.

Refugee’s first school year ends, future uncertain

Teen made friends and built English skills but faces a long road ahead.

By lisa schencker

The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Jun 30 2012 09:49 pm • Last Updated Jul 03 2012 10:11 am

Heber City » When KaPaw Htoo arrived in this country, he wanted to be a singer.

After a few months in Utah schools, the Karen refugee aspired to become a doctor. 

By the end of his first school year in the U.S., he had a different outlook.

"I think I will work in the meat company," the 17-year-old said in Karen, a language spoken by his people nearly 8,000 miles from here. KaPaw Htoo was born in a Thai refugee camp to parents who, like many Karen, fled oppression and violence in their nearby home country of Burma, now known as Myanmar. He and his family were among more than 800 refugees, including many children, who moved to Utah between the falls of 2010 and 2011.

The Wasatch High student was lucky to leave the Thai refugee camp, where he and his family relied on food rations and weren’t allowed to work or come and go as they pleased. They had little hope for a better future there.

It hasn’t been easy here either. KaPaw Htoo (pronounced CAW-paw TOO) — a quiet teen who exudes a cool confidence, smiling often and changing his hairstyle daily — has more opportunity now, but his future remains uncertain.

Learning English has been a daily struggle for KaPaw Htoo, who just finished his junior year.

He still speaks very little. He reads and writes at about a kindergarten level. The teen, who arrived in Utah with only a third-grade education from Thailand, probably won’t graduate with his class next year.

KaPaw Htoo also has spent the last year watching his dad struggle to support him, his mother, and four younger siblings with a job at a Heber City laundry company.

KaPaw Htoo’s father, Ka Myee, wants better for his son. 

 

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) KaPaw Htoo tries to correctly pronounce individual words from the novel “Where the Red Fern Grows,” without full comprehension of what he is reading in an English class with instructor Brent Price. KaPaw Htoo, 17, a Karen refugee whose family fled oppression and violence in their home country of Burma, arrived in Utah from a refugee camp in Thailand about a year ago. KaPaw Htoo just completed his first year of school as a junior at Wasatch High, although he speaks very little English and reads and writes on a kindergarten level. Wednesday, May 30 2012

"We came here [but] it is not for us," Ka Myee, 41, said through an interpreter of himself and his wife. "It is for our children."

But those dreams can sometimes seem frustratingly distant.

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Bridging a chasm » On a recent day near the end of the school year, KaPaw Htoo sat in art class, quietly scratching away at an etching of a gargoyle, as the conversations of other students swirled around him. The ear buds he wore whenever he had a free moment at school were in place, delivering tunes from a playlist that included Katy Perry, Rhianna and rap.

Art teacher Liz Sprackland stood behind him as he worked.

"Beautiful," she said, tapping a finger to his creation. Minutes later, she hung his etching on the board, an example of exceptional work.

The chasm between KaPaw Htoo and his classmates seemed to temporarily disappear. It was ever present in his other courses.

Nursing Fellow Burmese in Thailand Against Many Odds

GENEVA -- Dr. Cynthia Maung doesn't care that much about the high-level Rio+20 United Nations conference on sustainability this week. And it doesn't matter to her that the country she lives in, Thailand, is advancing a green agenda. Dr. Maung, a general practitioner, prefers to see action on the ground to help the refugee and migrant communities living on the border with Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Dr. Cynthia, as her team calls her, is 52 years old, a mother of four and lives in Mae Sot, a Thai border town that is home to one of the largest populations of Burmese refugees displaced in Thailand. She has been running the Mae Tao clinic for the refugees for more than 20 years. The longtime Myanmar opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is now a Parliament member, visited Mae Sot earlier this month to address the many challenges in providing adequate health services for these vulnerable populations.

Recent natural disasters, which some experts attribute to global climate change, have plagued the region, worsening the situation for the refugees by increasing food insecurity and the spread of malaria and other diseases as well as limiting access to medical facilities.

The United Nations is working daily to provide life-saving assistance in the areas of reproductive and child health, immunizations, infectious diseases and trauma in partnership with a number of community-based health groups in the region, including Dr. Cynthia's clinic.

"I live just five kilometers from the border with Burma," Dr. Cynthia said in a phone interview with PassBlue. "We work with the displaced to provide health services, pre-natal care and to protect children from severe malnutrition. Many young people are separated from their families and have unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions."

Dr. Cynthia also runs several orphanages to help combat the threat of back-street abortions and child trafficking, which run rampant in Mae Sot. Many young migrant workers are coerced into prostitution without condom use and forced to leave their families -- victims of traffickers who take drugs and children across borders for sale.

Born to the Karen ethnic minority group in Myanmar, Dr. Cynthia fled to Thailand in her 30's, in 1988, to escape religious persecution as a Baptist and detention by the military junta during pro-democracy movements in the country. When the military made a concerted push against the Karen, many of her fellow Burmese also fled the country or went into hiding, moving quickly and without possessions. After her escape into Thailand, Dr. Cynthia remained on the border. Though she struggled to survive, she was often asked to provide medical help to the local indigenous communities and began by offering treatments for malaria and pre-natal services for pregnant women.

Many of the people she assisted were fellow Burmese who had crossed into Thailand to seek refuge in towns and villages nearby over decades.The Women's Refugee Commission, an international advocacy group based in New York, estimates that more than half a million Burmese refugees and asylum seekers have gone to live in neighboring countries. Hundreds of thousands of Burmese exist in refugee-like circumstances throughout Thailand, with at least a quarter of a million of them said to have fled human rights violations, though most if not all are treated as illegal immigrants by the Thai government.

Environmental degradation is increasing the plight of the displaced people. "We must protect human rights by monitoring rights as they are linked with the environment," Dr. Cynthia said. "Governments have to listen to the people and make them feel stronger and healthier. Human rights are affected on both sides of the border. Without human rights, there is no such thing as sustainability. The international community should engage with the Burmese and Thai governments to consider border security for the local populations instead of promoting economic needs through dam projects, which are causing environmental harm and spreading disease."

Thailand's prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, has agreed to increase investment in green technology and emphasized her country's promotion of environmental protection programs, which include conservation and integrated coastal management. Nevertheless, big business from China seems to be trumping these interests. China, in partnership with Myanmar and Thailand, is aiming to build up Southeast Asia's hydropower capacity in the next few years with billions of dollars souping up hydro dams.

Eager to please their powerful Chinese investors, the Thai government has allowed the building of dams to go unchecked to a point of ruin for many local people. Hydrodam projects on the Thanlwin River, which runs along the border between Thailand and Myanmar, have been widely criticized by Burmese migrant rights groups and environmental activists for forcing changes in water levels and causing downstream erosion.

The World Health Organization has also released studies focused on the links between water resource development projects, like hydro dams, and the frequency and transmission of malaria.

"Local town people are continuously displaced from their homes because the government is coming to make new hydro dam projects. It is a great vulnerability for women and children with no access to health services," Dr. Cynthia said. Man-made reservoirs associated with the dam projects also severely degrade water quality, damage fisheries and create environments suitable for breeding mosquitoes and other disease carriers. In May, The Lancet medical journal published a study on a deadly strain of malaria that appeared to be drug resistant spreading rapidly from the rivers in Cambodia into Thailand and Myanmar. The infection has affected many migrant workers employed on the dam projects.

Dr. Cynthia's clinic and the staff worked day and night to treat patients with the malaria symptoms. She said many cases could have been prevented if there were better systems in place to provide medical facilities for timely treatment as migrants traveled from job to job.

"There needs be a policy to protect indigenous people and the local community," Dr. Cynthia said, "because big projects for hydropower force people to leave their home and be displaced. People can preserve local knowledge and culture and make sustainable agriculture. The government can promote and preserve the environment and empower the people to be sustainable developers of their own community."

By Tala Dowlatshahi

Originally posted on passblue at the UN.

A Hand from Celebrities in Support of Refugees on World Refugee Day

    

   

                                             

Malaysian celebrities have come forth to support the refugee cause, in the latest public awareness-raising effort by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in conjunction with World Refugee Day on 20 June 2012. Five Malaysian celebrities are photographed with refugees, calling for the public to help refugees as they help themselves rebuild their lives.
The Malaysian celebrities involved in the awareness-raising initiative are Miss Universe Malaysia and refugee rights activist Deborah Henry, TV personality Aishah Sinclair, TV anchor and journalist Daphne Iking, entrepreneur and singer Reshmonu, and singer-songwriter Reza Salleh.

They are featured in a series of five posters that carry the central messages of compassion and empathy for refugees who have been forced to flee their countries due to armed conflict and human rights abuses. Each poster appeals for support from the public for these refugees who work tirelessly to help their own communities while they are in Malaysia in areas such as education, livelihoods and healthcare.

These posters will be displayed at the concourse area of Bangsar Village One from Wednesday, 20 June till Sunday, 1 July 2012.

This awareness-raising initiative highlights the many areas where refugees work to help their own communities including in livelihood and education, and the celebrities call on Malaysians to help refugees' own efforts by donating, volunteering their time, or speaking about the issue to others. The campaign aims to mobilise support for refugee-run projects, while creating a positive perception of refugees as empowered and hard-working individuals.
The posters were developed through the pro bono services of advertising agency Leo Burnett Malaysia and photographer Ted Adnan Asmadi.

Aishah Sinclair visited a refugee women’s empowerment centre called Mang Tha, run by a group of refugee women from Myanmar. In the poster, she is photographed with a refugee woman who teaches other refugees how to weave fabric with a traditional loom.
Aishah’s message is “Many refugee women do not have livelihood skills, but are willing to learn so that they can provide for their families. Just do one thing to help them as they help themselves.”

Daphne Iking sits with a group of refugee children of pre-school ages from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan and Iran at a centre called Sahabat Centre. The children are eager for her attention, and she patiently interacts with each one. As a mother, her passion for protecting children’s rights is apparent.
Daphne says “Refugee kids deserve a normal childhood, free of fear. We can help make a safer environment for refugee children to play, and just be children.”

In a cramped classroom of an informal learning centre run by a Myanmar refugee group, Reza Salleh graciously obliges the crowd’s request for a sing-a-long session. Several songs later, he is photographed with refugee children from Myanmar, as he shows the chords to a refugee youth who is eager to learn music.
Reza says in his poster “Refugee youths need to survive in a modern world. If we can do one thing to help refugee youths, give them a chance at a better future.”

Reshmonu visited a refugee family of Rohingya ethnicity, from Myanmar. The family of 13 share a small terrace house, where there is only one main breadwinner in the family. The women are at home when he visits, getting ready for their midday meal. In spite of their difficult circumstances, they are happy to be able to be together and safe.
Reshmonu’s message is “Refugees left their homes because of war and human rights abuses. What they need now is space to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity. Surely we can help them.”

Deborah Henry is no stranger to advocating for the rights of refugees. She helped set up Fugee School in 2009, a learning centre for Somali refugees in Malaysia which recently expanded to include skills-building classes for Somali women also. She is photographed with some of the older students who are learning how to sew so that they can be self-sustaining.
Deborah’s message is “Refugees are not looking for charity. Like us, they do not want to be a burden. Let them work legally, and they can provide for themselves.”

  

Source : UNHCR Malaysia