(By Fighting Peacock)

It's paradoxical that a regional leader opting to fill in the shoes of Dr. Mahathir Mohammad and Lee Kwan Yew became blind because he was peck in the eye by a small chicken. He took his revenge by declaring war on all the fowls including the migratory birds and 30 million of them have been mercilessly slaughter. It was shocking to witness the hapless chickens thrown alive into plastic bags, living sentient beings, creatures capable of at least pain and suffering, buried alive like trash desperately struggling for air, the slow suffocation in the dark, the last moments of life filled with pain and terror. In the West where the cruelty of animals is punishable by law and where animal rights groups were active none of the Thai poultry farmers would be eligible to stand in the civilized society. Yet Thailand claims to be Buddhist country where compassion runs deep. Perhaps they have forgotten what Mahatma Gandhi has said that a culture of the people can be judged by the way it treats its animals.

Avian influenza, known as H5N1, had jumped onto other animals heightening the fears that the new strain is more widespread that could also jumps to humans and once mix with the human influenza virus, could be as unstoppable as the 1918 flu epidemic, where 40 million are killed. It is lamentable to see that some people those who are at the helm of the society are still trying their level best and working over time just to prevent the bad news from surfacing. Since November when a large number of chicken were dying it tries to hush up the matter and completely ignore it by blaming it on elements trying to discredit the government. The foul mouthed fellows t trying to highlight a negative feedback originating from its enemy's backyard seems to be their version Then it unleash a torrent of good and positive news to white wash the bad news and often than not, it work.

Now, a crisis of confidence seems to have emerged and the credibility gap has inevitably widened over the convoluted explanations for Thailand's future simply endeavouring to become a "First World Country" in the not too distant future. The EU, Japan and Asian countries have altogether all stop the Thai chicken loosing billions of dollars. Very lately it has painted impressive economic growth, the fantastic success of the Constructive Engagement Policy towards Burma and the seemingly unstoppable stock market surge. Thailand's diplomatic moves over the past year have elevated the country's regional standing to new heights, turning the Kingdom into a regional leader, a generous donor and a white knight riding in to help reduce its neighbors' troubles. It will assume the role of donor to its immediate neighbors Burma, Laos and Cambodia. Hundreds of projects were put forward for financial support however, the plan failed as the world community gave the proposed bonds a cold shoulder. His believe in "soft approach with silent pressure" could not yield a positive result with regards to democracy and national conciliation in Burma, as well as good cooperation from the Junta to help block the flood of drugs into the Kingdom" has proved to be a failure up to this day.

But what the world doesn't know about it is how the current Thai administration had treated the Burmese dissident and those who come begging for a livelihood from tyrannical Junta. Sometimes they are treated worst then they treat their own chickens. The Burmese dissidents are round it up and send back to Burma where the Junta's forces just put a hot lead through their head or a cold steel through heart. It cajoled and pressured the ethnic groups to make peace with the Junta's terms by pushing back most of the refugee's camps within a short distance of the marauding Burmese army. The arm-twisting method comes in the form of stopping medicines and essential supplies reaching the refugee camps. The Thaksin administration has done a good job in deceiving the Thai people and international community into thinking that the informal meeting on Burma recently was a triumph for democratic reform, when in fact was to legitimize the Junta and annihilate the opposition party led by Aung San Suu Kyi. If the Junta's charm offensive continues ASEAN will have to accept the fait accompli and host the annual foreign-ministerial meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum in July 2006.

Being not a signatory to the Geneva Convention for Refugees, the current administration was able to stop the UNHCR from screening new asylum seekers despite the horrendous conditions in Burma and continuing abuses such as forced labor, persecution of dissidents, conscription of child soldiers, rape of ethnic minority women and children by government troops, and forced relocation. Raison d'être being that Thailand's definition of refugees is a "persons fleeing armed conflict", rather than abiding by the broader and internationally accepted definition of refugees as persons having a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country. In a written statement to the fifty-eighth session of the Commission on Human Rights (E/CN.4/2002/NGO/85), the Asian Legal Resource Centre had deplored the lack of security for millions of people trying to survive as internally displaced persons (IDPs) and draws the attention of the Commission to the massive internal displacement of Burma and forced repatriation by Thailand. Current reliable estimates put the figure as 633,000 in Thailand from 2,500 villages and towns across Burma.

This will rule out protection and assistance for many exiled Burmese currently living in Thailand as well as newly arriving asylum seekers fleeing persecution for their pro-democracy activities. Those who are rejected will be classified as illegal immigrants and face the risk of being deported back to Burma. It appears that Thailand intends to ignore one of the most basic principles of international law: the principle of non-refoulement. Non-refoulement means that governments must not send people fleeing persecution back to countries where their lives or liberty would certainly be threatened. Under the terms of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) between Thailand and Burma signed in June 2003, the Thai government is now deporting 400 Burmese nationals a month directly into a holding center in Burma operated by Burmese military intelligence.

Even more worrisome is the fact that about 10,000 Burmese are expel each month in "informal deportations" on the grounds they are illegal migrant workers. Asylum seekers and refugees - many of whom are forced to support themselves by working as migrant laborers in Thailand - are caught up in these sweeps. Foreign Ministry spokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow stated in July that Burmese refugees and asylum seekers "are not supposed to be able to engage in political activities that would affect our relations with other countries." Now, the Thai government announced plans to move thousands of Burmese refugees and asylum seekers living in Bangkok and other urban areas to camps at the Thai-Burma border. The refugees will find it almost impossible to exercise their fundamental rights to freedom of __expression and association in the camps, where it will be difficult to publicly continue their campaign for democracy and reform in Burma. But the unkindest cut is a threat of the closing down the Mae Tao clinic that is serving 40,000 Burmese and ethnic minority patients annually. They treat all comers free of charge, and relieve part of the medical burden from local hospitals.

Sometimes one wonders whether the Thaksin administration had declared war on the refugees itself. Of course one cannot expect much sympathy from a blind person whose invisible weapons of mass destruction the "Avian Influenza" has now past Asia, Africa and already reached the United States. Perhaps if Osama bin Laden had copied from Thaksin it could be ore effective than 9/11.

(The views expressed here are solely the opinion of the author. Kao-Wao Editor)