(Photo courtesy of Vision Beyond Borders)
Burma (VBB) — [EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an update posted from Vision Beyond Borders’ weekly newsletter. To learn more about how this organization is equipping the worldwide church for ministry, click here. Or, click here for ways to pray, give financially, or find other ways to get involved.]
As a result of the positive changes in Burma due to the elections, Thailand has discussed sending all the refugees back to Burma in 2017. There are currently five refugee camps located on the Thai/Burma border, which hold over 100,000 people altogether.
Despite these positive changes, the Free Burma Rangers ministry reports that attacks have increased since the elections, and 10,000 more people were displaced in Burma within the past two months.
Our contact who works with the refugees has purchased a piece of land inside Burma, located in a peaceful area that has not experienced the war prevalent in other parts of the country. This contact plans to build a children’s home on the land and move one of the children’s homes to this location in March 2016 in order to avoid the mass exodus. The children are incredibly scared about the move, considering many of them lost their parents and other family members in their flight from the country.
Please pray that God would show Himself mighty, a stronghold and refuge on behalf of these people who have endured so much! Pray that His peace and comfort would reign in their hearts despite these circumstances and that the Gospel would go forth in their midst. Pray that the positive changes in Burma would lead to a decrease in persecution and a long-awaited peace.
What do you mean “Thailand has discussed sending all the refugees back to Burma in 2017”? Discussed with who? RTG’s external policy position is that any refugee return should adhere to international (UNHCR-based) standards. Please don’t disclose internal RTG considerations and put more pressure on the refugees and their leaders. You’re not doing anyone a favour.
There are currently NINE, not five, refugee camps located on the Thai/Burma border, which hold over 100,000 people altogether.
Get your facts right.
Miles,
This article was posted directly from Vision Beyond Borders’ weekly newsletter. You can contact this organization with your questions by email at [email protected] or by phone at (406) 587-2321.
That doesn’t admonish your organisation from disseminating misleading articles.
My original response didn’t contain a question. Instead, may I suggest Mission Network reviews its publishing protocols to weed out irresponsible reporting.
Miles,
Thailand’s deportation of refugees doesn’t always take place under “official” guidelines/standards. Here’s an example from Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-rohingya-special-report-idUSBRE9B400320131205