On 20 – 22 February 2019, the Governments of Thailand and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar cooperated on the return of the third batch of 565 displaced persons to Myanmar in a voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable manner. The third batch consisted of 506 Myanmar displaced persons from 3 temporary shelters in Tak Province comprising (1) Maela, (2) Umpium, and (3) Nupo temporary shelters, and from the Ban Don Yong temporary shelter in Kanchanaburi province. The displaced persons were returned to Myanmar through the Mae Sot – Myawaddy international border crossing in Tak province while a group of 59 displaced persons from Ban Mai Nai Soi temporary shelter in Mae Hong Son province returned to Myanmar through the Ban Huay Ton Nun – Me Se border area in Mae Hong Son province. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) assisted in their return especially during the preparation process and arranging their transportation.

 

On 20 February 2019, General Wanlop Rugsanaoh, Secretary-General of the National Security Council of Thailand, and H.E. U Myo Myint Than, Ambassador of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to Thailand, together with Mr. Giuseppe de Vincentiis, UNHCR’s representative in Thailand, and high-level representatives from the Royal Thai Government consisting of the Immigration Bureau, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Royal Thai Army, oversaw the return of displaced persons at Tak Immigration. In addition, Mr. Pichit Boonsud, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the reception ceremony of the displaced persons at the Kyawklonegyi Transit Center in Myawaddy and presented Certificates of Identity (CI) to Colonel Myo Min Naung, Regional Minister for Security and Border Affairs.

 

The Royal Thai Government has sheltered displaced persons since 1984. Currently, there are approximately 100,000 displaced persons from Myanmar residing in 9 temporary shelters in Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kanchanaburi, and Ratchaburi Provinces waiting for their return to Myanmar when the situation warrants. Prior to the latest group, two batches have already returned to Myanmar, including the first group of 71 persons in October 2016 and the second group of 93 persons in May 2018. The third group is the biggest number of Myanmar displaced persons returned so far.

 

To generate momentum and encourage systematic return, Thailand and Myanmar have set up a Joint Working Group on the Preparation for the Return of Myanmar Displaced Persons, co-chaired by the Permanent Secretaries for Foreign Affairs of Thailand and Myanmar. Thailand hosted the 1st Meeting of the Joint Working Group on 28 March 2018 in Bangkok while Myanmar hosted the 2nd Meeting on 24 August 2018 in Nay Pyi Taw. The 3rd Meeting of the Thailand – Myanmar Joint Working Group will be held on 5 – 6 March in 2019 Chiang Rai Province.