Page 30 - bon-dia-aruba-20220408

A30 world news
Diabierna 8 aPriL 2022

Despite risk of death, Thailand sends Myanmar refugees back

tries. The Associated Press is food, shelter and other sup- ties facilitated their volun-
withholding Hay’s full name, port to Myanmar refugees tary return to the Myanmar
along with the full names of in Thailand. “You can’t keep side,” says Thailand Ministry
other refugees in this story, to going back and forth across of Foreign Affairs spokesper-
protect them from retaliation the border. You’ve got to be son Tanee Sangrat. “Thailand
by authorities. “Sometimes somewhere where it’s sta- remains committed and will
we cross back to the Myan- ble.....And there is absolutely continue to uphold its long-
mar side of the river. But I no stability in Myanmar at held humanitarian tradition,
have not returned to the vil- the moment.” including the principle of
lage at all.” non-refoulement, in assisting
Since its takeover last year, those in need.”
Though international refugee Myanmar’s military has killed
laws forbid the return of peo- more than 1,700 people, ar- Somchai Kitcharoenrungroj,
ple to countries where their rested more than 13,000 and governor of Thailand’s Tak
lives may be in danger, Thai- systematically tortured chil- province, where thousands of
land has nonetheless sent dren, women and men. people from Myanmar have
thousands of people who fled sought refuge, said many
(AP) — The young wom- safe haven that does not ex- escalating violence by Myan- Thailand, which is not a sig- crossed illegally when there
an from Myanmar and ist. Returning to Myanmar mar’s military back home, natory to the United Nations was no fighting.
her family now live amid would place her and her fam- according to interviews with Refugee Convention, insists
the tall grasses of a river- ily at risk of death. And yet refugees, aid groups and Thai Myanmar’s refugees return “We had to send them back as
bank on the Thai border, that is precisely what Thai authorities themselves. That to their embattled homeland the laws said,” Somchai says.
trapped in limbo between authorities — wary of jeopar- has forced Hay and other voluntarily. Thailand also in- “When they faced the threats
a country that does not dizing their relationship with Myanmar refugees to rico- sists it has complied with all and crossed here, we never
want them and a country Myanmar’s ruling military — chet between both sides of international non-refoule- refused to help them. We
whose military could kill tell them to do at least once a the river as the fighting in ment laws, which dictate that provided them all basic needs
them. week, she says. their home villages rages and people must not be returned according to the international
briefly recedes. to a country where they human rights principle.”
Like thousands of others “When they told us to go would face torture, punish-
fleeing mounting violence back, we cried and explained “It is this game of ping-pong,” ment or harm. “For example,” he added,
after a military takeover in why we can’t go back home,” says Sally Thompson, execu- “last week we also found
Myanmar last February, Hay says Hay, who lives in a flim- tive director of The Border “As the situation on the some crossing here illegally
left her village for neighbor- sy tent on the Moei River, Consortium, which has long Myanmar side of the border and we sent them back.”
ing Thailand in search of a which divides the two coun- been the main provider of improved, the Thai authori-

Pakistan’s top court blocks PM’s move to stay in power

(AP) — Pakistan’s Su- warned that “instability will Chaudhry’s allegation to Khan said the U.S. wants terror, which is deeply con-
preme Court on Thursday increase and I see no end to toss out the no-confidence him gone because of what he troversial in Pakistan.”
blocked Prime Minister the crisis.” resolution, but the Supreme describes as his independent
Imran Khan’s bid to stay Court ruled that Suri had no foreign policy, which often She warned the anti-U.S.
in power, ruling that his Dozens of heavily armed po- grounds to do so. favors China and Russia. He rhetoric could further com-
move to dissolve Parlia- lice backed by paramilitary also has been a strident critic plicate Pakistan’s relationship
ment and call early elec- Rangers surrounded Paki- Chaudhry did not say what of Washington’s war on ter- with Washington
tions was illegal. That set stan’s stately white marble Khan’s next step might be. rorism and was criticized for
the stage for a no-confi- Supreme Court building. Khan previously had called a visit to Moscow on Feb. 24, Pakistan’s top court or its
dence vote by opposition Roads leading to the court for nationwide demonstra- hours after Russia invaded powerful military have con-
lawmakers, who say they were blocked and a heavily tions to protest what he called Ukraine. sistently stepped in whenever
have enough support to armed contingent of police Washington’s interference in turmoil engulfs a democrati-
oust him. also encircled the nearby Pakistan’s affairs. The U.S. State Department cally elected government.
Parliamentary Lodges where has denied any involvement The army has seized power
The decision followed four opposition and government During the week, the Su- in Pakistan’s internal politics. and ruled for more than half
days of hearings by the top lawmakers stay when Parlia- preme Court heard argu- of Pakistan’s 75-year history.
court on the political crisis. ment is in session. ments from Khan’s law- “Khan tapped into a po-
Khan had tried to sidestep the yers, the opposition and the tent vein of anti-American The military has remained
no-confidence vote by accus- Opposition leader Shahbaz country’s president before sentiment in Pakistan that quiet in the latest crisis, al-
ing his political opponents of Sharif, who heads the Paki- handing down the decision is unlikely to dissipate any though army chief Gen. Qa-
colluding with the United stan Muslim League and is Thursday night, after iftar, time soon,” said Elizabeth mar Javed Bajwa told a secu-
States to unseat him. the likely candidate for prime the meal that breaks the day- Threlkeld, Pakistan expert rity summit in Islamabad last
minister if the no-confidence long fast during the Muslim at the U.S.-based The Stim- weekend that Pakistan wants
Lawmakers will probably vote succeeds, welcomed the holy month of Ramadan. son Center. “Young people good relations with China, a
convene Saturday for the ruling as a victory for “justice make up the majority in the major investor, and also with
vote, and the opposition says and the supremacy of law.” “This is the unfortunate fact country and grew up during the U.S., the country’s larg-
it has the 172 votes in the about Pakistani politics — the the two-decades-long war on est export market.
342-seat house needed to The political crisis began political issues, which should
oust Khan after several mem- Sunday when an embattled be settled in the parliament
bers of his own party and a Khan dissolved Parliament are instead brought to the
key coalition partner defect- and set the stage for early elec- Supreme Court to settle,”
ed. tions. Chaudhry had stood in said analyst Zahid Hussain,
Parliament and accused the who has authored several
“It’s an unfortunate deci- opposition of “disloyalty to books on militancy in the re-
sion,” Khan’s ally and In- the state” by working with a gion and Islamabad’s compli-
formation Minister Fawad foreign power to bring about cated relationship with Wash-
Chaudhry told The Associat- a “regime change.” ington.
ed Press following the unani-
mous ruling by the five- The deputy parliamentary “It is just a weakness of the
member Supreme Court. He speaker Qasim Suri cited system,” Hussain added.