EDITORIAL: Shan mustn't be returned to Burma

Published on Jul 10, 2002

For the sake of humanity the Thaksin government must not forcibly repatriate the 498 ethnic Shan refugees who are residing in makeshift camps in Chiang Mai's Wieng Haeng district. In Burma, they would face great uncertainty. The displaced Shans, the vast majority of whom are women and children, had fled for their lives following the latest round of fighting between Shan rebels and Burmese government troops which erupted in late May. It does not take a genius to figure out why the Burmese government wants this particular group back. Some have family members who have joined the rebel Shan State Army to take up arms against the Burmese government .

Moreover, there have been reports that the Burmese would be willing to open the border if Thai authorities repatriated this particular group. Rangoon didn't say anything about the 120,000 Burmese nationals, most of them ethnic Karen, residing in other camps along the border.

Nevertheless, the idea of sending the 498 Shan in Wieng Haeng district back in return for the opening of the border was music to the ears of many people, especially those with vested economic interests with the junta. The idea is to resume cross-border trading, get local businessmen off the politicians' backs and return the border to normalcy.

But the Thai-Burmese border has never been normal. No matter what any government says, the fundamental problems - insurgencies, refugees, drug trafficking and overlapping claims - remain seemingly insoluble problems between the two sides.

What's appalling is that some Thai government officials agree with the idea of sending the refugees back as it would put Thai-Burmese relations back on track.

Never mind that fighting ended only a few days ago and never mind that the area is still considered unsafe.

Military intelligence officers on the front lines insist the conflict is far from over, saying the hiatus at the moment is due to the fact that the Burmese government has to rotate fresh new troops into the area following over six weeks of intensive battles with the SSA.

For the past four years or so, the Burmese government has purposely displaced ethnic villagers in Shan State as part of a move to systematically deny the rebels the support that they usually receive from them.

These internally displaced people are forced to relocate to a different area within the reach of Burmese government troops. Those unable to stand the pressure have crossed into Thailand to undertake menial work that most Thais refuse to touch.

But the idea of sending back the recently displaced Shan at Wieng |Haeng has prompted human rights activists and some leading members |of Parliament to call on the government to reconsider the plan for the |simple reason that it violates international norms and humanitarian practices.

Thailand's international standing is at stake here and the Thaksin administration knows that the prime minister cannot afford any more setbacks.

The government has already lost a great deal of its moral authority when it decided, even before taking power, to hold hands with of one of the world's most condemned regimes, the State Peace and Democracy |Council.

Perhaps the premier should know that the latest round of debate over the Rangoon regime is centred on a recently published report that documented the use of rape by Burmese troops in the war against the Shan.

If the Thaksin government decides it is in the best interest of the nation to repatriate the displaced Shan at Wieng Haeng, it must live with the fact that blood will be on its hands.

Perhaps Thaksin should be reminded of his Thai Rak Thai campaign promise to Thai citizens of Shan ethnicity that he would do his utmost to help those Shans who remain stateless.

Courtesy: The Nation

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