From: "Ken and Visakha Kawasaki" <brel...@gol.

com>
Subject: Urgent- Impending Release of San Naing (Ye Thi Ha) and call for
protection
Date: 1998/02/24
Message-ID: <01bd4110$568b64e0$f771d8cb@default>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 328137488
Organization: Global OnLine Japan
Newsgroups: soc.culture.burma,soc.culture.thai,soc.culture.asean

From: ta...@ksc.th.com

Subject: Urgent- Impending Release of San Naing (Ye Thi Ha) and call for
pro

Ye Thi Ha aka San Naing, is due to be released from Bangkhen Special

Prison, Ngam Wong Wan road, Bangkok on Friday the 27th of February,
sometime in the afternoon. We are urging as many people as possible including
human rights defenders, Burma supporters, and other interested persons to
send URGENT FAXES to UNHCR in both Geneva and Bangkok concerning his
case. Please find a copy of a letter from Asian Forum on Human Rights and
Development (FORUM-ASIA), based in Bangkok- it may help you in writing your
own urgent appeals for San Naing. We feel that UNHCR should be taking a pro
active role in achieving protection fro San Naing, given the dangers he will
face on Friday. SLORC represetative last year threatened to pick him up outside
of the jail. The Thai authorities have given no indication of their plans for San
Naing even at this late stage. We are all very concerned about what is going to
happen on Friday.

# UNCHR Geneva (Attention Dennis MacNamara, Division of International

Protection): fax +41 22 739 7353 # UNHCR Bangkok (Attention Amelia
Bonaficio, Legal Section): fax +662 280 0555

Regards,
TACDB in conjunction with friends for the protection of Burmese in
Thailand.
________________________________________________________________

20th February, 1998

Ms Ameilia Bonafacio,
Legal Section,
Regional Office for Thailand and Cambodia,
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
PO Box 2-121,
Rajdamnern,
Bangkok 10200,
THAILAND.

To whom it may concern,

RE: UNHCR Protection of Ye Thi Ha (aka) San Naing

We would like to take this opportunity to draw your urgent and immediate
attention to the situation of Ye Thi Ha (aka) San Naing, who is currently due to
be released from Bangkhen Special Prison into an uncertain future. We
believe that UNHCR has already had some manner of contact with San Naing
over the past six months and is familiar with the particulars of his case.

We urge UNHCR to make an undertaking on behalf of San Naing, and ensure

that he is offered all manner of appropriate protection from UNHCR as a
Burmese refugee at risk of being returned to Burma, and as a person at risk of
further imprisonment at the hands of the Burmese military for a long period of
involvement in pro-democracy and opposition politics.

Many human rights NGO's throughout the region have cause for concern over
the safety of Mr. San Naing after his release from prison on Friday the 27th
February, 1998. Threats from the Burmese 'government' (refer to SLORC
Sect-1, Lt Gen. Khin Nyunt's Special News Briefing in the New Light of Myanmar
on the 27/6/97) and a variety of conflicting statements from relevant Thai
government agencies over the future of Mr. San Naing (see attached
documents) have given us great cause for concern.

We would like to highlight two points in your consideration of our request.

Firstly, Mr. San Naing has renounced all previous actions that he has made.
Please refer to an attached document signed by San Naing on the 7th July
1995 in which he renounces his former actions.

Secondly, under the general principles of 'rule of law', San Naing has now made
all appropriate retribution for his actions and should no longer be considered a
criminal case from the date of his release. From the date of his release he is a
matter for immigration authorities in Thailand, who additionally, has a very
strong case for UNHCR protection in the manner of many Burmese refugees
who have fled their home country during the course of recent Burmese history.

We look forward to speedy confirmation of receipt of this letter and UNHCR's

response. We also urge that a representative from UNHCR be present during
San Naing's release on the 27th February, 1998 at Bangkhen prison and that
UNHCR seek assurances from the Thai government concerning San Naing's
release and consequent safety.

Yours Sincerely,

Somchai Homlaor,
Secretary General,
Asian Forum on Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia).

Boonthan Thansuthepveeravongse
Coordinator,
Asian Cultural Forum on Development (ACFOD).

cc Mr. Dennis McNamara, Head of Protection, Division of

International Protection, UNHCR, Geneva.
The Director, Human Rights Watch, New York.
The Director, Amnesty International, London.
***************************************************
Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB)
328 Phayathai Road
Rajthevee
Bangkok 10400
THAILAND
tel/fax: (+662) 216 4463
email: ta...@ksc.th.com
***************************************************
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