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Thailand: Resettlement of Myanmar refugees hits 50,000 mark

Briefing Notes, 30 June 2009

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 30 June 2009, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The world's largest resettlement program today passed a new milestone when the 50,000th Myanmar refugee left a camp in Thailand to begin a new life in the United States. Resettlement from the nine refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border has been going on since 2004, but got an enormous boost in early 2005 when the United States made a very generous offer to give new homes to refugees from the camps.

For refugees around the world, return to their home country is usually the preferred option. But these refugees, most of whom have been in Thailand for more than 20 years, see little realistic prospect of returning to Myanmar any time soon. They also are not able to settle permanently in Thailand.

So for them, resettlement in a third country is the best option. For this reason we are very grateful to countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden for offering refugees a chance to begin new lives.

The man who was precisely the 50,000th person to depart is an ethnic Karenni school teacher who had been in Ban Mai Nai Soi refugee camp in Mae Hong Son province in northern Thailand since 1996. He and his wife and 2-year-old daughter left Bangkok this morning at the start of a 28-hour plane journey – their first time on a plane – that will bring them to their new home in Camden, New Jersey.

The man, Plu Reh, who had taught primary school in the camp, spoke optimistically to our staff about the opportunities in the United States for a good education for his daughter and for further education for himself and his wife.

Some 112,000 registered Myanmar refugees remain in the nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border. UNHCR expects to resettle a further 6,000 to 7,000 of them this year.

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UNHCR Relief Items Pour into Myanmar

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With eight relief flights and an earlier truck convoy from nearby Thailand, UNHCR had by June 6, 2008 moved 430 tonnes of shelter and basic household supplies into Myanmar to help as many as 130,000 victims of Cyclone Nargis. The aid includes plastic sheeting, plastic rolls, mosquito nets, blankets and kitchen sets. Once the aid arrives in the country it is quickly distributed.

On the outskirts of the city of Yangon – which was also hit by the cyclone – and in the Irrawady delta, some families have been erecting temporary shelters made out of palm leaf thatching. But they desperately need plastic sheeting to keep out the monsoon rains.

Posted on 12 June 2008

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Aid To Myanmar Cyclone VictimsPlay video

Aid To Myanmar Cyclone Victims

UNHCR has sent in almost 120 tonnes of aid to help more than 10,000 victims in Myanmar of Cyclone Nargis.
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Through ninemillion.org Paw Wah, a young refugee living in a refugee camp in Thailand is able to share with you a glimps of her life. To learn more about the ninemillion.org campaign visit the website.