UN Daily News For 30 June, 2009

UN Daily News For 30 June, 2009

UN DAILY NEWS from the
UNITED NATIONS NEWS SERVICE
30 June, 2009

GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONDEMNS COUP IN HONDURAS

The General Assembly today condemned this weekend’s coup d’état in Honduras, calling for the restoration of the democratically-elected President and constitutional Government.

According to media reports, President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales was ousted by the military on Sunday, hours before a referendum was slated to be held on changing the Honduran constitution.

Today’s Assembly resolution, which was adopted by acclamation, deplored the coup, which it stated has “interrupted the democratic and constitutional order and the legitimate exercise of power in Honduras.”

The resolution – sponsored by Bolivia, Venezuela, Mexico and the United States, among dozens of Member States – also stressed that it will not recognize any Government other than that of Mr. Zelaya’s.

“It is the participation of the citizenship that empowers democracy,” the Honduran leader said in the Assembly before the resolution was adopted, praising the United Nations for “[upholding] freedom and democracy.”

On Sunday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his deep concern over the takeover in Honduras and voiced his strong support for the Central American nation’s democratic institutions.

In a statement, Mr. Ban urged “the reinstatement of the democratically elected representatives of the country and full respect for human rights, including safeguards for the security of President Zelaya, members of his family and his government.”

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DESPITE MISSION’S WITHDRAWAL, UN TO CONTINUE ENGAGEMENT IN GEORGIA – BAN

In spite of the start of the withdrawal of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reaffirmed that the world body will remain engaged in the region.

Earlier this month, Russia vetoed a technical roll-over by the Security Council for the nearly 16-year-old operation, resulting in its functions ceasing as of 16 June.

In a statement issued today by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban expressed gratitude for the parties’ cooperation with UNOMIG – entrusted with overseeing the ceasefire accord between the Government and Abkhaz separatists in the country’s north-western region – since its creation in 1993.

He also welcomed the sides’ expressed readiness to continue supporting the Mission until it has fully withdrawn.

In addition, the Secretary-General underscored the Organization’s readiness to press ahead with its other key activities in the region, adding that he has asked his Special Representative Johan Verbeke “to continue to represent the United Nations at the ongoing Geneva international discussions on security and stability and on the return of internally displaced persons and refugees.”

In his most recent report to the Council on UNOMIG, Mr. Ban stated that the Mission has contributed to the overall security of the local population, while cautioning that an agreement on a revised security regime is needed for lasting stability.

UNOMIG’s area of responsibility in Abkhazia consisted of a security zone, where no military presence is permitted; a restricted weapons zone, where no heavy weapons can be introduced; and the Kodori Valley.

It had no jurisdiction in nearby South Ossetia, the scene of fighting last August which pitted Georgia against separatists and their Russian allies.

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MYANMAR SHOULD RELEASE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS, BAN SAYS AHEAD OF VISIT

Myanmar should release all political prisoners, including the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today ahead of a planned visit to the Asian country for talks with the leadership on key issues.

Mr. Ban, who is scheduled to visit Myanmar for two days starting on Friday, told journalists in Japan – where he has begun a five-country international tour – that he realized there were concerns about the timing of the visit given that the trial of Ms. Suu Kyi is pending.

“It may be the case that the trial may happen during my visit in Myanmar. I am very much conscious of that. At the same time, to find the most appropriate timing has been a challenge for me, too,” he said.

The Secretary-General said he would use the visit to try to “raise in the strongest possible terms” the concerns of the international community about the situation inside Myanmar.

Mr. Ban reiterated that the authorities should release all political prisoners, including Ms. Suu Kyi, immediately resume dialogue between the Government and opposition leaders, and create both a political atmosphere and a legal framework conducive to the holding of credible elections next year.

“This is the commitment and concerns and aspiration of the international community. I am going to convey this strongly to Senior General Than Shwe and other leaders,” he said, adding that he also hopes to have dialogue with grassroots groups during his visit.

He last visited Myanmar in May 2008 in the wake of the catastrophic impact of Cyclone Nargis, which killed almost 150,000 people, and he said today that he hopes to build on the joint humanitarian efforts that emerged following that disaster.

While in Japan, Mr. Ban has held talks with the country’s Foreign Minister, Hirofumi Nakasone, with the two men discussing Myanmar, UN-Japanese cooperation and the implementation of the Security Council resolution on the recent nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

“I urge the North Korean authorities to refrain from taking any further measures which may deteriorate the already very serious situation,” the Secretary-General said to reporters. “These measures taken by the DPRK authorities run counter to the ongoing international community’s efforts to realize nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.”

Tomorrow Mr. Ban is slated to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, other political leaders, business figures, UN goodwill ambassadors, students and children.

After visiting Japan and Myanmar on this trip, the UN chief is scheduled to travel to Switzerland, Ireland and Italy

* * *

AFGHANISTAN: UN ENVOY SEES POTENTIAL TO END CONFLICT AMID ‘COMPLEX’ SITUATION

The current situation in Afghanistan – marked by the most intense fighting in years, and upcoming presidential polls – is extremely complex, but if managed well could also become a turning point in ending the conflict, the top United Nations envoy to the country said today.

“The situation in Afghanistan is certainly the most complex we have experienced for many years,” Kai Eide, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative, told the Security Council, noting that ensuring a credible election process leading up to the August elections is just one of the reasons.

“The August election is about more than choosing Afghanistan’s leaders,” he said. “It is about strengthening people’s confidence in the democratic process, and about strengthening Afghanistan’s institutions. It is not only about who will lead, but about the legitimacy of leadership.”

Mr. Eide, who heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), added that no one’s interests can be served by an election result which is disputed by the people and affects the legitimacy of a new government.

Presenting Mr. Ban’s latest report on Afghanistan, the Special Representative highlighted recent progress such as the strengthening of security institutions, and reforming agriculture and the private sector, noting a “totally new momentum” in these areas.

“My fear, however, is that the noise from the election campaign and the fighting season will absorb so much energy and attention that it will overshadow these positive trends and affect the momentum which has now developed,” Mr. Eide stated.

“If we do not succeed in maintaining this momentum, then I am afraid we will witness new stagnation and more disillusionment among the public.”

He added that more effective and coordinated development efforts that meet the concerns of the Afghan people and their demands for greater economic and social justice will also enhance their confidence in their own Government and in the international community.

Also crucial is to strengthen efforts to ensure that international military engagement continues to enjoy the support of the Afghan people, he noted, pointing to the call made in the Secretary-General’s report for a review of the operations of special forces – which by far account for the majority of civilian casualties caused by pro-Government forces.

“It is my view that the political costs of recent mistakes are simply disproportionate to military gains and that such reviews are urgently required.”

At the same time, he stressed that the clear majority of civilian casualties are caused by the insurgency. “For them, it is not a result of tragic mistakes, but of deliberate policy.”

Mr. Eide noted that the ongoing conflict is seriously undermining the prospects for peace. The number of security incidents rose beyond the 1,000-mark for the first time in May, and there are more incidents in parts of the country which have, up to now, been considered relatively stable. “This is the most intense fighting season we have experienced,” he said.

He added that a credible and successful peace process can only take place if there is a government that enjoys the support of the people and has confidence in itself. “And it can only take place if we have an international presence which enjoys the support of the people and has confidence in itself.”

* * *

DARFUR’S REBEL MOVEMENTS READY TO RESUME PEACE TALKS, UN-AU OFFICIAL SAYS

A number of armed rebel movements in Darfur say they are ready to resume peace talks with the Sudanese Government, the African Union-United Nations official tasked with promoting dialogue between the two sides says.

Djibril Yipènè Bassolé, the Joint AU-UN Chief Mediator, met yesterday with the leaders of some of the movements in Tripoli, Libya, to discuss the so-called Doha process of negotiations and define how the rebels can effectively participate in a resolution to the Darfur crisis.

In a statement issued by his office, Mr. Bassolé said that “at the end of frank and constructive exchanges, the movements declared themselves ready to engage in a constructive dialogue with the Government of National Unity” in Sudan.

The Mediator encouraged the movements to pursue their contacts with other groups, including the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Abdel Wahid faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), to ensure that division among the rebels does not obstruct the peace process.

He further encouraged them to negotiate a framework agreement with Khartoum that will define the contents and modalities of what are hoped to be the final and inclusive peace talks resulting in an eventual peace agreement.

While in Tripoli, Mr. Bassolé also met with a civil society group, led by General Ibrahim Suleiman, that is working towards the reconciliation and unification of all Darfurian armed movements

He stressed the need for all sides to the conflict to agree to a cessation of hostilities so that the humanitarian situation inside Darfur can improve and those civilians who have sought refuge in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) can return homes and rebuild their regular lives with dignity.

Meanwhile, the joint AU-UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur, known as UNAMID, reports that a contingent of blue helmets came under attack yesterday near their base in the West Darfur capital of El Geneina. One peacekeeper was shot in the leg and is now in hospital in a stable condition. The attackers remain unidentified.

In a related development, the advance party of a group of Ethiopian peacekeepers has arrived in the region by road after an 1800-kilometre journey from their homeland.

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DEPARTING TOP UN ENVOY CONGRATULATES IRAQ ON GAINS IN CONSOLIDATING DEMOCRACY

On his last day as the top United Nations envoy to Iraq, Staffan de Mistura today congratulated the country’s Government on strides made towards the consolidation of democracy and the restoration of sovereignty.

Iraq is celebrating today’s withdrawal from its cities, towns and villages of the United States-led Multinational Forces in IRAQ (MNF-I), he said, cautioning that many challenges – including providing better services to the people, greater inclusiveness and improving security for all – remain.

In a statement issued yesterday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke out against recent attacks, calling on the people of the strife-torn nation to reject attempts to incite further violence as it takes full responsibility for security in its cities.

“The Secretary-General notes that Iraq has been benefiting from an improving security environment, and appeals to the people of Iraq to continue to reject these attempts to incite further violence in the country,” according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.

Mr. de Mistura, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, underscored today that “significant progress has been achieved on many fronts” in areas such as boosting stability.

“The primary responsibility for putting Iraq on an irreversible path towards lasting peace and development rests with the people of this great country, who are relying on their political leaders to put the needs of the State and of the people above all other interests,” he said.

After nearly two years on the job, Mr. de Mistura, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), will be taking up the post of Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP).

Also in Iraq, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is joining forces with the Government to implement a $10 million initiative, funded by the European Community (EC), aimed at improving water and sanitation services for more than 100,000 people.

The new project also seeks to support the Iraqi authorities’ efforts to improve the delivery of water and sanitation services to millions more people.

“We aspire to enhance the quality of water and sanitation coverage to all Iraqi children and families, which will ensure the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing by half the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015 is attained,” said Sikander Khan, UNICEF’s Iraq Representative.

Years of conflict have resulted in under-investment and inadequate maintenance, leaving some 6 million people – mostly in rural areas – unable to access clean water.

Over the next year, the new project will train hundreds of Government staff, support the creation of a Knowledge and Training Centre and conduct a survey to identify areas in the greatest need of investment.

* * *

UN HEALTH AGENCY URGES GREATER FUNDING FOR DISPLACED IN PAKISTAN

Extra funding is urgently needed to strengthen disease control efforts, re-stock rapidly dwindling supplies of essential drugs and improve access to reproductive health services in north-western Pakistan, where some 2 million people have been uprooted by violence, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) says.

Eric Laroche, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Action in Crises, warned today that the agency could run out of supplies of some key drugs within two or three weeks without an injection of funding.

Dr. Laroche is currently in Pakistan to assess the situation and support the agency’s efforts to bring relief to civilians in North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

Fierce fighting between Government forces and armed militants, especially in the Swat Valley, have displaced waves of people this year, and left UN agencies scrambling to assist.

Dr. Laroche said that while he has been impressed by the level of services he has seen inside camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), he remains concerns about the vast majority of displaced who are now living with host communities in Pakistani towns and villages.

“The problem is, how we can reach these people,” Dr. Laroche said in an interview with UN Radio. “How can we make sure these people are going to be served the proper way?”

Dr. Laroche said it was vital to reinforce existing support structures and therefore to increase the number of health-care and other workers who can help the displaced, particularly women.

The Assistant Director-General noted that ethnic Pashtun women prefer not to be treated by male doctors or medical staff.

“Therefore we need to have other women, Pashtun women doctors, Pashtun women workers, health workers, to be taking care of them… This is a major challenge.”

But he stressed that a lack of donor support for the health response to the situation in north-western Pakistan is particularly worrying.

“We have gotten only 27 per cent of what we were asking for. And what we are asking for is not even 10 per cent of the overall [total]. We are asking for $4 million.”

* * *

MARKING 60 YEARS OF UN ASSISTANCE, BAN HONOURS COURAGE OF PALESTINIANS

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid tribute today to Palestinian refugees, who he said had shown great courage in the face of conflict, as well as to the efforts over the past 60 years of the United Nations agency tasked with assisting them.

When the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was set up in 1949, no on anticipated that its humanitarian and human development work would be needed for this long, Mr. Ban said in a video message to a concert in Vienna to mark the agency’s 60th anniversary.

“But, until there is a final settlement of the conflict, I am confident that UNRWA will continue to be a source of strength and support for millions of Palestinian refugees,” he told the gathering, which included Austrian President Heinz Fischer and UNRWA Commissioner-General Karen AbuZayd.

Established by the General Assembly following the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, UNRWA is the main provider of basic services – education, health, relief and social services – to over 4.6 million registered Palestine refugees in the Middle East.

In marking the agency’s anniversary, “we also honour a people who have shown great courage in the face of conflict,” said Mr. Ban. “A people who have strived to better their lives and those of their children, in particular through education.

“That effort will gain new support with a scholarship fund for Palestinian refugee students to be launched here in Vienna – and generously supported by the OPEC Fund for International Development.”

UNRWA kicked off a series of worldwide events on 14 May to commemorate its anniversary, beginning with the release of 60 blue balloons over Ramallah as a symbol of hope rising over obstacles and uniting those who have been separated and scattered.

* * *

IMPLEMENTATION OF PEACE PROCESS IN EASTERN DR CONGO A ‘MIXED BAG’ – UN ENVOY

Although strides have been made in implementing the peace process in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – ending the deadly conflict there between the Government and a militia – the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region said today that progress remains slow.

The implementation of the pact, signed on 23 March between the Government and the National Congress for People’s Defence (CNDP), has been a “mixed bag,” Olusegun Obasanjo, who is in New York to brief senior UN officials on the situation in the region, told reporters.

The amnesty law has been promulgated, with some prisoners having been released, he said. Further, the CNDP, formerly the main rebel group, has been formed into a political party.

The joint operation by the DRC and Rwanda against another group, known as the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR), has strengthened ties between the neighbouring nations, Mr. Obasanjo, the former leader of Nigeria, said, adding that they are now exploring economic collaboration in methane gas exploitation and other areas.

But he cautioned that “integration can still be unravelled and break at the seams, especially when the integrated soldiers have not been paid.”

Additionally, although some 300,000 people uprooted by violence in North and South Kivu provinces have returned to their homes, the Envoy noted that due to the military operations against rebels by Government forces (FARDC) and the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUC), another 150,000 civilians have been uprooted.

* * *

AFRICA’S FOOD CRISIS MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN AMID GLOBAL ECONOMIC WOES – UN TRADE BODY

The governing body of the United Nations trade and development agency has convened a meeting today in Geneva to highlight the need to keep the food crisis affecting Africa from being forgotten as governments focus on tackling the global economic downturn.

While the food crisis may not be making the headlines it did last year, food security is still a major concern in many African countries, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The prices of staple foods remain above their long-term averages and over 300 million Africans – about a third of the continent’s population – continue to face chronic hunger, the agency said in an information note. Ensuring food security in the region will require improving productivity and rural livelihoods, as well as addressing global market imbalances.

UNCTAD said that decades of neglect, both national and international, of the African agricultural sector has transformed many countries from net food exporters to net food importers, leaving them vulnerable to price swings and variations in global crop yields. African countries currently import about 25 per cent of their food.

“The vulnerability of the continent to serious food shortages and hunger remains, since the root causes have not been resolved, and a repeat of the 2008 food crisis can recur if prices for such staples as rice, wheat, corn, and cooking oil climb again on world markets,” said the agency.

Among those addressing the meeting convened by the Trade and Development Board on the issue were UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi, and David Nabarro, Coordinator for the Global Food Security Crisis and Avian and Pandemic Influenza, as well as several experts.

* * *

ENSURING QUALITY EDUCATION AMONG CHALLENGES FOR SYRIA, UNICEF CHIEF SAYS

Syria has made advances in achieving globally agreed development targets related to women and children, but still faces challenges in ensuring quality education, according to the head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“Syria is recognizing the critical importance of investing in children and adolescents,” Ann M. Veneman said during the first-ever visit of a UNICEF Executive Director to the country.

“Yet challenges remain including ensuring quality education, providing opportunities for youth and addressing the impact of drought,” she added.

According to UNICEF, Syria has made significant progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the set of anti-poverty targets world leaders have pledged to try to achieve by 2015.

For example, under-five mortality decreased from 37 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 17 in 2007, and more than 90 per cent of primary age children are now attending school.

At the same time, a number of challenges remain. Some 4 per cent of children aged five to 14 are involved in child labour and 13 per cent of women between the ages of 20 and 24 were married before they reached 18.

In addition, malnutrition is a concern, with 22 per cent of children less than five years old suffering from stunting. Many children also face violence in homes and schools.

While in Damascus, Ms. Veneman met with President Bashar Al Assad, First Lady Asma Akhras Al Assad, Government ministers and representatives of key non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

During the trip, she visited water projects, programmes promoting entrepreneurship among children and young people, and a UNICEF-supported community health centre for women serving Iraqi refugees.

Syria hosts over 1 million refugees from neighbouring Iraq, according to estimates by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). UNICEF is working with its partners to help the country meet the needs of Iraqi refugee women and children, including by setting up adolescent and child-friendly spaces to provide psycho-social support, learning opportunities and life skills.

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TIMOR-LESTE POLICE TAKE OVER DUTIES FROM UN IN SECOND DISTRICT

Police in another district in Timor-Leste have taken over law enforcement duties from the United Nations, it was announced today.

At a ceremony in Dili, the capital of the fledgling nation, the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) resumed the primary responsibility for the District of Oecussi, an 800-square-kilometre coastal enclave with a population of nearly 60,000 people.

On 14 May, the PNTL took over in the District of Lautém after the UN peacekeeping mission (UNMIT) and the Government agreed on a resumption process which lays out the roles of the PNTL and UN Police.

“Resumption means more than just a transition of primary policing responsibility,” Luis Carrilho, UN Police Commissioner in Timor-Leste, said at today’s ceremony. “You will be responsible for ensuring and promoting respect for human rights and the rule of law.”

The Timorese police commander for Oecussi District, Mateus Mendes, has already served abroad as a UN peacekeeper, which is “evidence that the relationship between PNTL and the UN Police is a true partnership,” said Atul Khare, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative.

The District of Manatuto will be the next to have its policing duties taken over by the PNTL.

In UNMIT’s most recent mandate extension, the Security Council supported the phased transfer of policing responsibilities now performed by UNMIT to the PNTL starting this year, stressing however that the police must first meet all required criteria.

The mission was set up to help stabilize the country and provide intensified police re-training in late April 2006, after fighting – attributed to differences between eastern and western regions – erupted following the firing of 600 striking soldiers, or one-third of the armed forces.

Ensuing violence claimed dozens of lives and drove 155,000 people, or about 15 per cent of the total population, from their homes.

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OVER 170,000 SOMALIS UPROOTED BY CLASHES IN CAPITAL SINCE MAY, UN REPORTS

More than 170,000 people have been displaced from the Somali capital, Mogadishu, since early May when fresh fighting broke out began between Government forces and insurgents, the United Nations humanitarian wing reported today.

In addition to those uprooted from their homes, the fighting between Government forces and the Al-Shabaab and Hisb-ul-Islam groups have also led to some 250 deaths, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Despite the ongoing fighting and insecurity, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said humanitarian agencies, including UNHCR, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), have continued to provide urgently needed life-saving assistance to the affected population.

Most of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) have moved to safer areas within Mogadishu or to makeshift camps on the capital’s outskirts. UNHCR reported last week that an additional 45,000 people have fled towards the Afgooye corridor, 30 kilometres south-east of Mogadishu, joining 400,000 other IDPs who have been displaced since 2007.

In a related development, WFP reported that since late 2007, when naval escorts started protecting ships loaded with WFP food heading to Somalia, not a single ship carrying the agency’s food has been attacked by pirates. This has helped to ensure that a vital lifeline to some 3.5 million need people in need is kept open.

Under the European Union’s Atalanta operation, which started in December last year, WFP has been able to deliver more than 240,000 metric tons of food into Somalia, through Mogadishu, Merka, Bossaso, and Berbera ports.

WFP said it remains extremely grateful to the EU for committing itself to escorting ships carrying the agency’s food for this year.

However, WFP is worried about any rise in Somali piracy attacks against ships carrying humanitarian assistance and commercial cargoes to the port of Mombasa in neighbouring Kenya.

Meanwhile, OCHA is also warning that drought is endangering the livelihoods of more than 700,000 pastoralists in Somalia

* * *

UN LAUDS TANZANIA’S DECISION TO GIVE REFUGEES MORE TIME TO RETURN HOME

The United Nations refugee agency has welcomed Tanzania’s decision to allow more time for some 36,000 Burundian refugees who have been living in the country since the 1990s to make their way back to their homeland.

The Mtabila camp in Kasulu district in north-western Tanzania – the last remaining camp hosting Burundian refugees in the country – was scheduled to close on 30 June and all of its residents were expected to voluntarily repatriate, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

But the Government announced on 20 June that the Burundians will have more time to go back home, and that no refugee will be forcibly returned.

“The refugees will now have the chance to plan their return home during the traditional high season for repatriation, which runs to the end of September,” UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler told reporters in Geneva.

UNHCR has assisted over 485,000 Burundian refugees from Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda to return home voluntarily since 2002.

In addition to those in the Mtabila camp, who fled to Tanzania to escape the ethnic violence in Burundi in the last 16 years, the country is also hosting the so-called “1972” Burundian refugees in western Tanzania.

The Tanzanian Government decided in 2008 to give the latter group a choice to return home or apply for Tanzanian citizenship. Some 165,000 of them decided to stay and applied for naturalization, while another 55,000 opted to return to Burundi.

UNHCR has assisted some 40,000 of them to return so far and the remaining 15,000 are registered to repatriate before the end of the year.

* * *

50,000TH MYANMAR REFUGEE LEAVES THAILAND FOR NEW LIFE IN US, UN REPORTS

An ethnic Karenni schoolteacher is the 50,000th refugee from Myanmar sheltering in Thailand who has left to begin a new life in the United States, marking a milestone for the world’s largest resettlement operation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) announced today.

Since 1996, Plu Reh had been living in the Ban Mai Nai Soi camp – where he had taught primary school – in northern Thailand since 1996. Along with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, he left Bangkok this morning on a 28-hour journey that will ultimately take him to Camden, New Jersey.

Before departing, he “spoke optimistically to our staff about the opportunities in the United States for a good education for his daughter and for further education for himself and his wife,” UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler said.

Resettlement from the nine refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border began in 2004, but picked up pace in early 2005 when the US offered homes to the uprooted.

“For refugees around the world, return to their home country is usually the preferred option,” Mr. Spindler said.

But most of the Myanmar refugees, most of whom had been for over two decades in Thailand where they are not allowed to settle permanently, do not see any chance of returning to their home country.

“So for them, resettlement in a third country is the best option,” the UNHCR spokesperson said, expressing gratitude to countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden for offering refugees a chance to restart their lives.

Currently, 112,000 registered Myanmar refugees live in the nine camps, and the agency expects to resettle a further 6,000-7,000 this year.

ENDS