World Refugee Day

Yesterday 20-6-2010 was World Refugee Day. A day before, 19-6-2010 was the 65th birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma.

World leaders and thousands of supporters honored Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi on her 65th birthday, June 19 according to exiled media Democratic Voice of Burma. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest in Burma for nearly 15 years. Burma under Junta has been one of the largest exporter of refugee and source of IDP in Asia. Let us remember Burma and Aung San on World Refugee Day 2010, a call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, and return to democracy for Burma.



As World Refugee Day gets under way, UNHCR appeals for the displaced

News Stories, 20 June 2010

GENEVA, June 20 (UNHCR) – As millions of people around the globe were marking World Refugee Day on Sunday, UNHCR chief António Guterres called on the international community to do more for the forcibly displaced.

High Commissioner made his call during a press conference in Syria – broadcast on a live video link – where he met earlier in the day with President Bashar Assad and other top leaders. Syria hosts about 1 million mainly Iraqi refugees, according to the government.

"I appeal to the international community to do more to host refugees," Guterres said just two days after the UN refugee agency announced that 100,000 Iraqi refugees have been referred for resettlement from the Middle East to third countries since 2007, a major milestone for one of the world's largest refugee populations.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, meanwhile, also made an appeal on behalf of refugees in a special World Refugee Day (WRD) message. "Refugees have been deprived of their homes, but they must not be deprived of their futures," he said, while calling for working with host governments to deliver services and for intensified efforts to resolve conflicts so that refugees can return home.

With "Home," as this year's global theme, UNHCR and its partners, including governments, donors, non-governmental organizations, goodwill ambassadors and refugees themselves, have been taking part over the past week in awareness-raising, cultural, educational, environmental and sport activities, especially football tournaments in this year of the World Cup finals in South Africa.

Special messages from Guterres and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie, who met Colombian refugees in northern Ecuador last week, have been broadcast around the world. Jolie, Guterres and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took part in a global live event on Friday linking four countries.

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UNHCR's main event in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur literally stopped traffic at KL Sentral, the largest train station in Southeast Asia. Huge crowds came to watch and take part in the activities, including a simulated refugee experience in a maze-like structure. Visitors faced the same difficult choices as refugees fleeing persecution or violence as they tried to find a way out.

The event included other reality experiences aimed at raising awareness about the life of a refugee. There was also a handicrafts bazaar and cultural performances. Local celebrities and performers lent their support to the event.

By Leo Dobbs in Geneva

(extract from http://www.unhcr.org/4c1e47006.html)

Personally I remember my refugee friends in Burma/Thai border, especially the children .....this is another Refugee Day, 65th birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi, another year has gone, and no sign of returning to democracy in their homeland. The date for returning to their home land is still unknown. What happen to the international voices and their political power? the degree of their concern is lesser than Tibet or Iraq? or will it be facing the same fate as like Nagaland or East Timor? Burma has no strategic oil deposit, nor political advantage to be used for international political game?.....

Poor Burma.....How long must they wait ....

Ironically during my visit to USA, I have opportunity to meet some ex-Vietnamese refugee in USA. Most of them have built their life in the new country, many will not return to their home country. They have been staying in their host country(now their home country) longer than their original home country, Vietnam.

Will the tribal refugee in Burma/Thai border having the opportunity as the former Vietnamese refugee? or forever remain as IDP?......

Nobody know, only God know....