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Several humanitarian organizations on Friday urged the Thai government to adopt a set of measures to address the needs of refugees fleeing from neighbouring Myanmar, which is rocked by hostilities between the country's military and rebel troops.
Sputnik reported that signatories to the appeal are Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Asylum Access Thailand, Coalition for the Rights of Refugees and Stateless Persons, COEER Foundation, Handicap International, International Rescue Committee, Jesuit Refugee Service, Right to Play, Ruammit Foundation-DARE Network, Save the Children, Pestalozzi Children's Foundation, Stateless Children Projection Project III, Terre des Hommes Germany, the Border Consortium, and WEAVE Foundation. "We, the undersigned organisations, call on the Royal Thai Government to protect and assist thousands of people fleeing violence in Myanmar," Sputnik citing a joint statement of the group reported. The confrontation between ethnic minority separatists from the Karen National Union and forces of Myanmar's military junta, in power since the February 1 coup, broke out on December 15 after soldiers raided the country's Kayin State, Sputnik reported. Clashes have so far displaced some 10,000 people in the area, with 3,900 of them crossing the Thai border, according to the NGOs. People are living in makeshift camps lacking adequate living conditions. The groups also recalled that Thailand banned access to its territory to 1,000 refugees from Myanmar, including children. In this regard, the NGOs asked the Thai government to take a set of measures to improve the situation of asylum seekers, including non-prevention of crossings to Thailand, the provision of humanitarian aid under the five-point statement of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), adopted in spring. Other requests made by groups to the Thai government include a systematic screening tool at the common border and the opportunity for humanitarian organizations to conduct independent screening of refugees. Besides, the authorities should allow special agencies to access camping sites of asylum seekers and maintain them in livable conditions, as per Sputnik. In addition, the statement urged Thailand to cooperate with ASEAN nations, of which it and Myanmar are members, to coordinate efforts to resolve the crisis in the southeastern Asian country, it added. (ANI)
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