US Legislators Urge Thai PM to Halt Karen Refugee Repatriation

WASHINGTON — Twenty nine US congressmen and women, including the chairman of the powerful House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, have issued an eleventh-hour appeal to Thailand's prime minister to halt plans to repatriate some 3,000 Karen refugees.

The first party of refugees was due to be sent back to Burma on Friday, despite appeals by human rights groups and non-governmental organizations. The refugees fled fighting between the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and the Karen National Liberation Army in June 2009.

In their appeal to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, the US legislators said: “We urgently request that you halt the repatriation of refugees back to Burma’s conflict zone and continue to offer them protection in Thailand.

They also warned the Thai premier: “Historically, Thailand has developed a reputation as a country that provides refuge to those fleeing serious persecution, but actions like this will undermine and tarnish this reputation.”

Among the signatories of the letter are Howard Berman, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ileane Ros-Lehtinen, ranking member of the committee, James P McGovern and Frank Wolf, co-chairmen of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

In their letter, the group said: “The United States understands the burden placed on Thailand and has helped resettle tens of thousands of Burmese refugees from Thailand over the last four years.”  If forced to return, the refugees would suffer horrific human rights abuses, they warned.

“They will undoubtedly be subject to forced labor, executions, torture and mutilations, forced recruitment as soldiers, including child soldiers, and theft and extortion, making their survival very difficult.”

More than half the refugees facing repatriation were women and children, “who will live in fear of rape and sexual violence,” the US group said.