Japan to accept 32 Myanmar refugees from Thailand

TOKYO (AFP) -- Japan will resettle 32 ethnic minority refugees from military-ruled Myanmar who are now living in a Thai refugee camp, a justice ministry official said Wednesday.

Japan, by accepting the six ethnic Karen families, will be the first Asian country to take in Myanmar nationals from Thailand under a pilot programme for third-country refugee resettlement, the official said.

"This is the first trial in Asia. We hope this will be a contribution to the international community," the official told AFP, adding that the families were expected to arrive in September.

Tens of thousands of ethnic minority people have fled the hilly border regions in the east of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, to escape conflict with the junta's armed forces.

Over the next three years, Japan -- which places tight restrictions on the number of immigrants and asylum seekers it takes in -- plans to accept about 90 Myanmar refugees living in Thailand, including the 32 Karen.

Western countries including the United States and some European nations have accepted refugees under their third-country resettlement programmes, designed for refugees denied asylum by a second country.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-07-28

And Thailand?????

And Thailand?????

Thailand is for Thais, I guess.

Good on Japan! But I fear the refugees will have a hard time adapting to life in Japan, Japanese customs and being accepted by the Japanese people.

And Thailand?????

Thailand is for Thais, I guess.

Hill tribe people ARE refugees ; they were given right of stay in bits of land the Thaï could have used for themselves. There is no right of soil in LOS, the kid of a farang couple doesn't get Thaï citizenship, same for the Lahu etc.

How I wish my country adopted such a nationality code.

(The Chinese seem to have been luckier than the Lisu etc)

Thanks japs