Supang Chantavanich Bücher

This book is one of four volumes on a major empirical migration study by leading Thai migration specialists from Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok) for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This volume examines the protracted refugee situation at the Thai–Myanmar border. Displaced persons are kept in closed settlements, and this has limited their self-reliance. A resettlement program has been implemented and many refugees have been accepted in resettlement countries. Repatriation is not recommended as a durable solution unless Myanmar becomes a safe place for return. Funding and intervention policies of international organizations and NGOs vary. Donors prefer to switch humanitarian assistance to development aid. The book provides realistic policy recommendations for a durable solution for refugees at the borders. Practitioners and policymakers from governments, international organizations and NGOs will benefit from its findings. The volume is also helpful for anyone studying forced migration and its denouement in the globalized age.

This book provides essential background information on the protracted displacement of several ethnic groups along the Thai-Myanmar border before turning to an examination of whether Myanmar has now shifted into a post-conflict society, the expected challenges involved in reintegrating returnees to Myanmar, and the possibility of voluntary and sustainable repatriation. The authors conclude that, given the current, ongoing security challenges and the lack of job opportunities in Myanmar, voluntary repatriation is not yet feasible as a long-term solution. After more than 60 years of conflict and displacement, Myanmar is now in the midst of political reform. A new nominally civilian government and the promise of elections in 2015 have raised hopes of a lasting democratic transition after years of military rule. For the first time in decades, repatriation of refugees in Thailand is being discussed as a real and imminent possibility