China has forced refugees back to Myanmar conflict zone - group

[Holmes]

China has forced refugees back to Myanmar conflict zone - group

By Ben Blanchard

BEIJING | Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:04am BST

(Reuters) - Chinese authorities have forced back into Myanmar some ethnic Kachin refugees who have fled across the border to escape civil war, and China is denying basic care to many who remain, a human rights group said on Tuesday.

Myanmar's government is in talks with autonomy-seeking Kachin rebels, and more than a dozen other ethnic minority rebel groups, to try to end all its decades-old conflicts.

But despite several rounds of negotiations, the conflict in Myanmar's northernmost Kachin state has not ended.

The fighting, which flared up in the middle of 2011 after a 17-year truce, has pushed up to 10,000 people to seek refuge across the border in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said many of these people had little access to proper sanitation, shelter, healthcare or schools for their children.

Others had been detained, refused entry to China or even forced back into the conflict zone in their country, also known as Burma, the rights group said in a report.

"The Chinese government has generally tolerated Kachin refugees staying in Yunnan, but now needs to meet its international legal obligations to ensure refugees are not returned and that their basic needs are met," said Sophie Richardson, the group's China director.

"China has no legitimate reason to push them back to Burma or to leave them without food and shelter."

Human Rights Watch said it had documented two cases involving some 300 people who were ordered to return to Myanmar, and others who were sent back into the conflict zone after being turned away at the border.

China's Foreign Ministry denied the accusations, and said the people were not refugees.

"After the clashes abated they went back to Myanmar. While here, China provided help to them on humanitarian considerations," ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular news briefing.

UNSTABLE NEIGHBOUR

A Yunnan province official said in March that authorities had been providing humanitarian help to the displaced and had helped mediate talks between the rebels and Myanmar's government.

While China has strong business and trade ties with Myanmar, it has long looked with wariness at its poor and unstable southern neighbour, and has repeatedly called on the country to ensure stability along their vast and remote border.

Chinese media on Tuesday cited police minister Meng Jianzhu as saying poppy cultivation in northern Myanmar had bounced back and that drugs were flooding into China from that part of the world, with heroin seizures up 55 percent in 2011 compared with the previous year.

Diplomats say the conflict in Kachin state is one of the biggest tests for Myanmar's new civilian government's reform effort.

As a signatory to various international conventions on refugees, China has an obligation to properly protect refugees, but it has not even allowed in the United Nations or international aid groups, Human Rights Watch added.

"Many Kachin refugees have already endured terrible abuses and war in Burma, only to settle into a life of dire struggle in Yunnan," Richardson said.

"Until it is safe for the Kachin to return home, the Chinese government has a responsibility to ensure their safety and well-being."

China has forced refugees back to Myanmar conflict zone - group | Reuters
MOD EDIT

 

[skyknight]

It is time for them to go home，the conflict has ended，I think they are missing their homeland too。
BTW，your comment in the end is such a BS only a mental immaturity moron say out 。

Oh the great china, one that dwell in lands of inner mongolia(Měngg&#468, prince to (Munich)-Germany and Turkey, Persia, Sri Lanka Pakistan,,die

reported。

 

[Anees]

China create the problem , they fund Myanmar milter y , they make the problem , they make the people to be refugee in there country and throwing them out like a tissue paper when there motive finish .... Hope Pak should learn from this...

 

[shiv]

another example which shows China cares for none.. they are self centric people who doesn't care for any other things that grow !!

 

[bdslph]

China and Bangladesh Government have acted the same shame on them
Burma Muslims want is to live in peace

 

[skyknight]

China create the problem , they fund Myanmar milter y , they make the problem , they make the people to be refugee in there country and throwing them out like a tissue paper when there motive finish .... Hope Pak should learn from this...

You have to learn more about Myanmar，
the Kachin armed groups is funded by America。
The ethnics China supported such as the Wa federal has ceased fire with the Myanmar government for many years，they destroyed the
Khun sa Drug cartels and is now busy with banning drugs。

 

[Bombay Dude]

You have to learn more about Myanmar，
the Kachin armed groups is funded by America。
The ethnics China supported such as the Wa federal has ceased fire with the Myanmar government for many years，they destroyed the
Khun sa Drug cartels and is now busy with banning drugs。

The Kachins were Supported by India.

 

[skyknight]

The Kachins were Supported by India.

Thanks for your confession，India-the trouble maker in South-Asia。
BTW， China’s foreign ministry has denied that China is forcing them out in today’s news conference.
I hope the so-called Human Rights Watch provide us a reliable source or at least some photos.

 

[Ajaxpaul]

China has all the right to do whatever it wants.

Thanks for your confess，India-the trouble maker in South-Asia。

There is no bigger trouble maker than china...a dozen countries will vouch you guys for the coveted position.

 

[skyknight]

China has all the right to do whatever it wants.



There is no bigger trouble maker than china...a dozen countries will vouch you guys for the coveted position.

Do not try to represent the so-called dozen countries, your comment is as cheap as air.

 

[sweetgrape]

This thread will absorb many idiotic indians here!! Just see, let them go to orgasm!!
Or, Idiotic vietnamese also will come here, and "korean" idiot!

Do not try to represent the so-called dozen countries, your comment is as cheap as air.

They indian idiot and "korean" and Vietnamese all like representing other countries. They have many common "character", All had been kicked by China!! hehe, yes, their comments is cheap as air, but not important as air. not only these, they are cheap too. all want to beg or had begged or is begging help from the western.

 

[newdelhinsa]

Good job by China I hope/wish India would do the same. We already have enough of those stone pelting creatures swarming in our cities and bringing our development markers down exponentially.

Lessons should be learnt from history I can imagine when the same refugee influx problems were discussed in the courts of kings at the time of Alexander's expedition and there after which might have gone against those who opposed their entry into India and we thus did nothing to stop them entering.

 

[Ajaxpaul]

Do not try to represent the so-called dozen countries, your comment is as cheap as air.

I am not, those so called dozen countries represent themselves.

Maybe CPC will tax those people living in Beijing polluting free cheap Air.

This thread will absorb many idiotic indians here!! Just see, let them go to orgasm!!
Or, Idiotic vietnamese also will come here, and "korean" idiot!

This is put up in world affairs. What did you think only chinese are entitled to play merry-go-round here?

 

[kawaraj]

where's Aung San Suu Kyi? I think she's responsible for the problem as Myanmar's already in democracy. How could this peaceful and west backed women still treat her only citizen this rude? she need stopped his lecture in "free world" and go home to solve her state problem.

 

[Fanling Monk]

"The Chinese government has generally tolerated Kachin refugees staying in Yunnan, but now needs to meet its international legal obligations to ensure refugees are not returned and that their basic needs are met," said Sophie Richardson, the group's China director.

The Human Right Watch is a little pushy here and bases every thing in western standard. It's using 2 cases and the media here trying to urge the Chinese Government to order the local authorities to do more for the refugees. It probably will succeed.

For the local authorities, sometimes, when one camp is full or not enough supplies or personals to facilitate extra amount of refugees, they have no choices but to push them away, perhaps hoping, they'll go to another camp distance away. Maybe is because their attitudes of 'don't want to' explain to outsiders or language barriers, some misunderstands occurred.

Going by the past records China do have a strong tolerant of refugees in this area. I'll blame it more on personal misunderstandings rather than official policies.

where's Aung San Suu Kyi? I think she's responsible for the problem as Myanmar's already in democracy. How could this peaceful and west backed women still treat her only citizen this rude? she need stopped his lecture in "free world" and go home to solve her state problem.

Of course no one here would blame her because she's the darling of the west, China is more convenient to blame here.