A social activist group established by Shan (Tai) migrant workers in Thailand held a press conference concerning the difficulties faced by Shan IDP camps at the Thai border after funding cut.
The Shan Nationals Community-based Group and the Refugee Assistance Thailand jointly held the press conference at the Christian Students Center in Bangkok, Thailand on January 27.
“The aim is to provide information on difficult circumstances of the refugees at the refugee camps at Thai border, especially to the organizations and donors from foreign countries who want to give their assistance. It also aims for the western country to advice Myanmar government concerning freedom of speech and freedom to work for the ethnic people,” said Sai Non Hak Tai, who organized the press conference.
Over 6,000 refugees are living at six Shan refugee camps along the Thai-Shan border and they are unable to return home due to the fighting in the Shan State. These refugees are struggling after foreign organizations cut off aids to the refugee camps since last October.
“Although we, the Shan migrant workers, are living and working abroad, we want to let the Shan State residents know that we are working for our people’s issue as much as we can. I want to tell the Shan State residents to be united and to love each other,” said Sai Non Hak Tai.
Shan human rights organizations and representatives of border refugees requested aids for the refugees during a meeting with the UN human right envoy Ms. Yanghee Lee in Thailand on January 28.
Over 300,000 residents from central Shan State fled after the Tatmadaw forced them to evacuate in 1997-98. Some of them are working in Thailand while others are living as refugees at the border area and they are still waiting for the day they can return home. However, they have not been recognized as authorized refugees status by the Thai government.
