UN agrees to continue refugee aid

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

June 25, 1999 

NAPHO CAMP

UN agrees to continue refugee aid

Hopes talks withLaos will resume

Bhanravee Tansubhapol

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has agreed to extend funding
for the Napho camp for Laotian refugees in Nakhon Phanom province, which was
due to expire on June 30.
"I will continue providing assistance, but for how long beyond June 30 I don't
know yet," UNHCR representative Jahanshah Assadi said yesterday.

"I look forward to helping the Thai government find a solution to the refugee
situation, which is the UNHCR's primary responsibility."The matter of funding
had been discussed and he expected to receive a formal letter of request from
Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan during his courtesy visit today.
The UNHCR budgeted 15 million baht from January-June to help the government
meet the cost of the Napho camp.

This did not include the repatriation grant, a UNHCR official said.

There were still 1,345 Laotian refugees living at Ban Napho camp on April 30,
according to a UN report.

Mr Assadi agreed the Laotian refugee issue was deadlocked, but he hoped to get
voluntary repatriation back on track.

Vientiane will accept only voluntary returnees, but the refugees say they fear
for their lives if they return.

He hoped there would be another meeting between Laos, Thailand and the UNHCR,
at decision-making level, as soon as possible.

Relations between the two countries were much improved now, and he was
optimistic the issue could be resolved soon.

"One message we have to keep sending to the Laotians in the camp is: if you
are
a refugee you can be resettled, but if you're not a refugee, you're going
home," Mr Assadi said.

Current Issues 
in Thailand


Bangkok Post
Year-end
Economic Review

NEW! 
Database 10 yrs 

Classifieds

Jobs
Property
Entertainment
Investment
Education
Travel
Sales

Learn English



Weekly 

Database
Horizons
NiteOwl
Student Weekly
Real Time



Special

We Care

Back Issues




Company Servcies
Subscriptions
Advertising
Annual Report
© Copyright The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 1999
Last Modified: Fri, Jun 25, 1999
For comments and letters to the editor see : notes

Comments to: Webmaster
Advertisng enquiries to Internet Marketing