DATE=1/28/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-S / BURMA REFUGEES (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-258521
BYLINE=GARY THOMAS
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
TEXT: Thailand is asking the United Nations to speed up
sending Burmese asylum seekers to Western countries. The
United States says it agrees to take more Burmese exiles.
As V-O-A correspondent Gary Thomas reports from Bangkok,
the move comes after two hostage incidents in Thailand
involving Burmese refugees.
TEXT: Following meetings with Thai and U-N officials, the
United States Friday said it would admit additional Burmese
exiles. A U-S Embassy spokeswoman said no numbers have
been agreed upon, but at least 600 Burmese -- perhaps more
-- will be allowed entry to the United States.
United Nations officials say Canada, Australia and some
other Western nations have agreed to take in Burmese
students -- many of whom have been living in Thailand since
the abortive pro-democracy uprising of 1988.
The United Nations will also close the Maneeloy refugee
holding center, near the border.
The Thai request to expedite resettlement comes three days
after Thai commandos stormed a hospital in Ratchaburi to
end a hostage crisis by ethnic Burmese insurgents. In
October, another group took over the Burmese Embassy in
Bangkok.
Jahanshah Assadi -- regional representative for the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Bangkok -- says
the push by Thailand for faster resettlement of the Burmese
exiles came after the embassy siege.
// ASSADI ACTUALITY //
With the first October takeover of the Burmese Embassy in
Bangkok and the fallout from that, the Thai government
called on us to become more active in promoting
resettlement. To which we said, fine, as long as people
are interested in being resettled and as long as the
resettlement countries are interested in taking them, U-N-
H-C-R will be prepared to be the go-between here.
// END ACTUALITY //
Mr. Assadi says most of the nearly three thousand exiled
Burmese students who have registered with the U-N-H-C-R
want to be resettled elsewhere.
But there also are those who want to stay. A spokesman for
the All Burmese Students' Democratic Front says its 700
members are not interested in resettling in third
countries. The A-B-S-D-F is the main organization of
exiled students and is active in promoting an end to the
military government in Rangoon. (signed)
Neb/gpt/wd
28-Jan-2000 05:51 AM EDT (28-Jan-2000 1051 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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