By Warangkana Tempati, FNF Communications Manager
Thailand and Malaysia remain among the top rankings of countries with the worst refugee treatment, according to the latest report by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI).
Other “worst places for refugees,” include South Africa, Gaza, Kenya, Egypt and Turkey.
According to the report, “Malaysian immigration officials continued to sell deportees to gangs that operate along the Malaysia-Thailand border. The gang members extort bribes from the deportees in exchange for smuggling them back into Malaysia and sell those who cannot pay into slavery. Men frequently end up on Thai fishing boats, women in brothels, and children with gangs who exploit child beggars.”
It also says that “when Thailand’s navy intercepted boats carrying a reported 992 Myanmarese Rohingya in December, they detained the already weak and hungry refugees and reportedly kicked and beat them. They then forced them back onto their unseaworthy boats, towed them out to sea, and abandoned them without engines and scant food or water.”
The report “World Refugee Survey 2009” provides country-by-country grading of refugee treatment in four areas: 1) refoulement/physical protection, 2) detention/access to courts, 3) freedom of movement and residence, and 4) the right to earn a livelihood.
Countries under the survey were given a grade ranging from A to F for each area. Both Thailand and Malaysia received the same grades that they received last year. Thailand received ‘F’ in three areas except for “the right to earn a livelihood” which it received a ‘D’. Malaysia got an ‘F’ in three areas except in “the freedom of movement and residence” which it received a ‘D’.
USCRI is campaigning against the worldwide practice of warehousing refugees, and is inviting members of the general public to sign their signatures in support of the campaign. The NGO believes that keeping refugees in camps for years after years benefits neither the host country nor the refugees. For the host countries as well as the donor countries, the cost of providing aid is indefinite. For the refugees, it is the crushing of fundamental human rights to which they have no where to escape. Living in a refugee camp, they are subject to poor living conditions, substandard healthcare and sanitation, lack of educational opportunities and restriction of movement.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugee, worldwide there are 42 million people who have been forcibly uprooted by conflict and persecution.
In Thailand, many Burmese refugees have been kept in camps for as long as 24 years. In Malaysia, the longest staying refugees are Filipinos who have lived in camps for 35 years. Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon have kept refugees in camps for as long as 60 years.
“It’s a generation lost,” said Dr. Veerawit Tianchainan, head of USCRI Thailand. Commenting on the photo of weary Rohingya on the cover of the report, he said “You couldn’t imagine anything worse than being thrown into a disabled engine boat when you are seeking asylum.”
However, Dr. Veerawit said there was a glimpse of hope for refugees in Thailand. The Thai government is considering a proposal to allow refugees who meet certain criteria to work and earn a living. His organisation is also seeking permission to visit refugee camps.
“Burmese refugees living in nine camps along the border are our priority,” he said. There are well over 100,000 Burmese refugees in Thailand and at least 100,000 more working illegally in the country.
In Brazil, refugees are eligible for the same work permits as nationals and can live and travel within the country as they wish. They also have equal access to government-funded assistance programmes. The country is ranked among the “best places for refugees” along with Ecuador and Costa Rica where refugees are allowed to work and free to travel within the country.
At the launch of the report in Bangkok on 19 June, USCRI Thailand introduced to the press an actress who volunteered to serve as its first Thai ambassador for its refugee rights campaign. Ms. Diana Jongjintanakarn admitted at the press conference that she had no idea who the refugees were and why they were in Thailand until the USCRI approached her.
“Too many people are caught up in their own things,” said Ms. Diana. “I have no idea that while I’m shopping or maxing out my credit card, some people somewhere are waiting for opportunities that never seem to come.”
“Or when I complain about my stomach sticking out or that I don’t have the right colour of lipstick to wear, there are people out there who waiting for a miracle to happen…who are waiting to be given a chance,” the 28-year-old actress said.
The Hong Kong-born soap opera star appeared realistic about her first unpaid NGO job. “We may not be able to change their lives in a big way, but I’m sure we can make a difference,” she said.
The press conference was held at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand one day ahead of the World Refugee Day.
To support the anti-warehousing campaign or obtain a copy of the report, please visit www.refugees.org.
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