Thailand plans to eventually send h

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Thailand plans to eventually send home 100,000 refugees


      Thailand plans to eventually send home 100,000 refugees
      March 12, 1997
      8.57 p.m. EST (0157 GMT)

      BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Despite an international outcry over the
forced return of
      refugees to a war zone in Burma, Thailand intends to send home more than
      100,000 people when the fighting subsides. 

      If carried out, the repatriation could cement a rapprochement between
Thailand
      and Burma and end decades of Thailand using the rebellious ethnic
minorities as a
      buffer against Burma's military government. 

      The Nation newspaper reported Wednesday that a decision was taken at a
      National Security Council meeting to send the refugees back when they
can safely
      return home. 

      "The meeting reached a final decision that it is necessary to push all
these people
      out,'' Interior Minister Snoh Thienthong was quoted as saying. 

      The Burmese army's offensive against Karen National Union rebels has
driven
      about 15,000 refugees into Thailand, where they joined an estimated
90,000 Karen
      and other minority people who have lived in camps along the border for
a decade. 

      The United States, the European Union and human rights groups have
criticized
      Thailand for denying entry to fighting-age Karen males, and forcing
hundreds of
      men, women and children back across the border. 

      The Thais claimed the refugees were being sent back to safe areas,
though the
      rebels and relief workers said they were being sent back into the path
of the
      Burmese offensive. 

      Khachadpai Burusapatona, deputy director of the Security Council, said
that Thai
      policy was to assist refugees seeking safety. 

      "When the situation in their country gets better, we will help send
them back to safe
      areas in their country,'' Khachadpai said. "It is the policy we have
been using for a
      long time and we continue to maintain it.'' 

      Thai Army Commander Gen. Chetta Thanajaro, meanwhile, met Wednesday with
      his Burmese counterpart, Gen. Maung Aye, in the Burmese border town of
      Myawaddy. It was the second time in the past three weeks the men had met. 

      Burmese state television reported the generals discussed regional
security matters
      and the resumption of the construction of a bridge separating the two
countries. 

      The Burmese had called a halt to the construction to protest what they
felt were
      territorial encroachments by Thais. 

      The Karen National Union has fought for more autonomy for the ethnic
Karens
      since 1949 and is the last major ethnic army still battling Burma's
ruling State Law
      and Order Restoration Council. 

      Thailand long granted shelter to the Karens and other groups, but the
rebels
      believe Thailand and the Burmese government now wish to secure the
long border
      to improve trade and build lucrative infrastructure projects.