Burmsese refugees undergoing indefi

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Subject: Burmsese refugees undergoing indefinite strike held

10 Burmese refugees who have been on fast in front of UNHCR's Delhi office
since March 22 were arreseted here last night by the local police. The
protestors, all of who had fled Burma to escape the repressive Burmese
regime's persecution, began their fast after their calims to be refugees
were denied by UNHCR. They applied refugee status a year ago and are
eventually rejected. They were arrested last night by the local police and
loaded in a police truck and taken away to an unknown destination. The
arrest was subsequent to a warning called by the Chief of Mission of
UNHCR,saying that police would be called in unless the protesters called
off their strike. In a letter to the fasting Burmese refugees, UNHCR Chief
of Mission J.M Castro Magluff said " Firstly, UNHCR does not condone such
action and we ask you to call off your hungerstrike immediately. Secondly,
all of you have had your claims to refugee status determined by our office
or are waiting for a final result. In either case it is not acceptable that
you remain on protest at our office". " For those who have had ypour
applications for refugee status rejected, we regret that UNHCR will not be
able to assist you," the letter said.
The hungerstrikers were released after a brief detention at a nearby police
station and are now back to their fast in front of the UNHCR office.