Myanmar refugee repatriation sparks concern

Lack of infrastructure could prevent returnees from rebuilding their lives

Thailand's military government said on Monday it will send home 120,000 refugees who have been living in camps for two decades along the border with Myanmar. Rights groups said the move would create chaos at a tense time for both nations.

Thailand's military overthrew the remnants of an elected government in May after months of sometimes violent street protests. Its National Council for Peace and Order has rolled out a raft of tough measures it says are needed to restore order and has promised a return to democracy next year.

Meanwhile, Myanmar is emerging from nearly five decades of isolation under military rule.

The Myanmar government has talked about repatriating the refugees, but non-governmental organizations say they are concerned by a lack of infrastructure to help returnees rebuild their lives.

"We are not at the stage where we will deport people because we must first verify the nationality of those in the camps," army deputy spokesman Veerachon Sukhontapatipak said.

"Once that is done, we will find ways to send them back. There are about 100,000 people who have been living in the camps for many years without freedom. Thailand and Myanmar will help facilitate their smooth return."

Last month, comments made by a Thai junta spokeswoman threatening to arrest and deport undocumented migrant workers sparked the departure of more than 200,000 Cambodians, a key component of the workforce in fishing, construction and other sectors. Thailand scrambled to reverse that exodus by opening service centers to help migrant workers secure work permits.

There are also an estimated 2 million Myanmar migrant workers, the largest contingent of such laborers in the country. But without any legal status or marketable skills, the refugees have long been viewed by the Thai government as a burden.

An estimated 120,000 Myanmar refugees live in 10 camps along the Thailand-Myanmar border, according to The Border Consortium, which coordinates NGO activity in the camps.

Many fled persecution and ethnic wars as well as poverty and have lived in the camps with no legal means of making an income.

An aid worker who has been helping the refugees said the Thai army appeared serious about its repatriation push.

"The authorities said this time they are going to be very strict. It seems like they're really pushing for repatriation," said the aid worker, who asked not to be identified.

"The situation in the camps is very tense because people don't know what's going to happen."

The refugees fear economic and logistical difficulties in returning as well as sporadic fighting in parts of north and northeast Myanmar.

In his weekly televised speech last Friday, junta leader General Prayuth Chanocha said Myanmar and Thailand would oversee a smooth return home of refugees.

"Thailand and Myanmar will facilitate the safe return to their homeland in accordance with human rights principles," he said.

But rights groups said a lack of transparency surrounds any plan to send refugees back.

"When Prayuth spoke on Friday, he left out what the conditions for the return would be," said Sunai Phasuk of Human Rights Watch.