First group of displaced persons voluntarily return to Myanmar

BANGKOK, October 27 (TNA) - Myanmar and Thailand have joined forces in assisting the first group of 71 displaced Myanmar nationals to return to their homeland voluntarily as the pilot batch, after they had stayed in Thailand for more than 30 years. According to a report posted on the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website, the returnees comprise of 65 displaced persons from Nupo Temporary Shelter in Tak Province in the Lower Thai North and six others from Tham Hin Temporary Shelter in the central Ratchaburi Province. The historic move during October 25-26 was supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Thailand had provided shelters for the displaced group from Myanmar since 1984, while there are more than 103,000 displaced persons still living in nine temporary shelters in the country, including those in Mae Hong Son Province in the Upper North, Tak, Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi Provinces. Humanitarian assistance provided to the displaced groups of people includes shelters, facilitations for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to render additional aid to them and cooperation with foreign governments and international organizations for their resettlement in third countries. Positive political development and the Peace Process in Myanmar in recent years encouraged the displaced Myanmar nationals to voluntarily return to their homeland. The Myanmar and the Thai governments have worked closely on the issue and agreed to further discuss on sending the remaining displaced Myanmar nationals in Thailand back to their homeland under the Joint Working Group (JWG) on the Return of the Displaced Persons from Myanmar, jointly chaired by the permanent secretaries for foreign affairs of both sides. Thailand has, meanwhile, proposed to host the first meeting on the issue by the end of this year. (TNA)