Refugees Daily - Internal Global Press Review

KABUL – It was both a historic moment and a bizarre spectacle. There was the fugitive Afghan militia leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, with a black turban and a beard much whiter than anyone remembered, speaking Thursday via video link from a secret location and then signing a peace agreement as the camera zoomed in on his hands.

There was President Ashraf Ghani, dressed in traditional robes, beaming as he watched the images on a giant screen in his palace and then signed his copy of the accord, which he said would go "fully in force" immediately. "This day starts the subsiding of war in Afghanistan and the beginning of rebuilding it," he said, speaking in Dari.

Seated behind him were aging former mujahideen leaders – including allies and enemies of Hekmatyar's – who fought the Soviet Union and then one another in a civil war three decades ago.

Making his first public appearance in years, Hekmatyar, who is in his late 60s, was soft-spoken and statesmanlike but vague on details. He said he hoped the agreement would "bring an end to the crisis in this country" and that "no single bullet will be fired, no drop of blood shed" in the transition of power. "I ask all opponents of this government to join this process and pursue their goals through peaceful ways," he said.

Hekmatyar, who has been in hiding for years, did not mention whether and when he would return to Afghanistan, which would require his removal from international terrorist blacklists. But his public appearance seemed to put to rest rumors about whether he actually supported the deal, and his conciliatory rhetoric appeared likely to bolster Ghani's credibility as a peacemaker as he heads to a crucial conference of foreign donors in Brussels on Tuesday. Ghani and his aides have been negotiating for months with Hekmatyar's representatives, hoping to persuade Taliban leaders to lay down their weapons.

"The current generation of Afghans did not start this war. It is up to our older generation to finish it," Ghani said. "This is a grand jihad that Afghanistan desperately needs."

But the flowery words and ritual did not impress members of the Mehrabi family, who were watching the event from their home several miles away. In 1993, at the peak of the civil war, Zarghona Mehrabi was in labor with her first child when the rockets came, exploding among the mud-walled houses in their west Kabul neighborhood.

The shelling came from the south, where Hekmatyar and his Hezb-i-Islami fighters were waging a battle with other militias. Mehrabi delivered her baby in the basement, listening to the sounds until night fell and her husband – since deceased – could get them to safety in another part of the city.

"When the war was over, we went back and found our house. Only the foundations were left," said brother-in-law Madat Ali, 55, a retired police officer. "Hekmatyar made soft promises today, but we have no hope for this agreement," he said. During the civil war, Hekmatyar and other militia bosses "swore on the Koran that they would stop fighting, and a few days later they started again," Ali recounted. "How can we trust him now?"

Last week, after officials signed a preliminary agreement with Hekmatyar's representatives, other Kabul residents responded with skepticism and weary hope. Many told similar stories of fleeing bombardment, spending years as refugees, and returning after the overthrow of the Taliban regime in 2001 to find the city in ruins and many of the same brutal militia leaders enjoying positions of wealth and political power.

A few activists have openly protested the agreement, denouncing Hekmatyar as the "Butcher of Kabul" and calling it an insult to justice for officials to pardon a wanted terrorist. Other analysts worry that his return could revive old ethnic enmities.

But Hezb-i-Islami, like most of the other Islamist parties that once fought one another, has many officials in the government and representatives in parliament. Supporters say these militia groups have changed with the times, prospered under civilian rule and now have a stake in peace instead of conflict.
 

China will make countering the Dalai Lama's influence the "highest priority" in its work on ethnic affairs in Tibet, the region's Communist Party boss has said, vowing to uproot the monk's "separatist and subversive" activities.

Beijing says its Communist troops peacefully liberated Tibet in 1950 and regards the 80-year-old, Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist monk as a separatist.

The self-exiled Dalai Lama says he merely seeks genuine autonomy for his Himalayan homeland.

China's Foreign Ministry expressed anger and threatened countermeasures this month after the Tibetan spiritual leader spoke at the European Parliament in France.

"First, we must deepen the struggle against the Dalai Lama clique, make it the highest priority in carrying out our ethnic affairs, and the long-term mission of strengthening ethnic unity," Tibet party secretary Wu Yingjie said in a speech published on Friday in the official Tibet Daily.

"(We must) thoroughly expose the reactionary nature of the fourteenth Dalai Lama, crack down on separatist and subversive activities, and strive to eliminate at their roots harmful elements that damage ethnic unity," Wu said.

Public veneration of the Dalai Lama, who fled China in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule, is prohibited in Tibet, though in private, many Tibetans revere the monk and display his picture.

Identifying the effort to crack down on his influence the top task in the region's ethnic affairs suggests Wu will ratchet up the government's already hardline approach in the devoutly Buddhist region, which is prone to anti-Chinese unrest.

Wu was appointed Tibet's top official in late August, and has vowed stronger criticism of the Dalai Lama.

The government rejects criticism from rights groups and exiles who accuse it of trampling on the religious and cultural rights of the Tibetan people, saying instead that its rule has brought prosperity to a once-backward region.

Nonetheless, China faces no shortage of problems in the region, including those stemming from poverty, language barriers, and development that has at times clashed with a traditional herding lifestyle.

Tibetans, one of China's 56 officially recognized minority groups, are guaranteed legal protection for their languages and cultures. But they are often marginalized and treated with suspicion by Beijing, which views them as potential separatists.

Officials see ethnic affairs work, such as improving Mandarin proficiency among minorities, as key to ensuring national cohesion and creating economic opportunity.

There has been resistance to greater Mandarin education in schools in Tibet, with people fearing the government wants to culturally assimilate them. The government denies that.

(Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Robert Birsel)
 

Indian villagers living close to the border with Pakistan are fleeing, one day after India said it launched strikes targeting militants in Kashmir.

India said it conducted "surgical strikes" along the de facto border. Pakistan denied that, saying two of its soldiers died in cross-border shelling.

People from a number of villages in Punjab state were leaving amid fears the confrontation might escalate.

Disputed Kashmir has been a flashpoint for decades and has sparked two wars.

Analysts say India has previously conducted more substantial strikes without any serious escalation of hostilities.

India 'launches Kashmir border strikes'

Relations between India and Pakistan have sharply deteriorated since earlier this month, when militants carried out the deadliest attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir in years. India blamed the attack on Pakistan, which denied the claim.

What is happening now?

The war of words is certainly escalating. After India said it launched the strikes, Pakistan reported that it had an Indian soldier in custody. The Indian army said he had inadvertently crossed the Line of Control which divides disputed Kashmir.

Meanwhile in neighbouring Punjab state on the Indian side, media reports claimed six border districts and thousands of villagers were being evacuated. Reports said people will be housed in Sikh temples and banquet halls.

However, BBC Hindi's Robin Singh, who visited several villages near the border in Punjab, said most people had opted to stay behind and there had been no official order to leave.

What kicked all this off?

The 18 September attack on the army base in Uri in Indian-administered Kashmir where 18 soldiers died was the deadliest of its kind for years.

Narendra Modi's BJP government, which came to power promising a tough line on Pakistan, has been been under tremendous pressure to retaliate for what many in India believe is state-backed terrorism.

Many observers say the latest move is aimed at placating an angry domestic constituency and sending out the message that Mr Modi is a strong leader.

And many throughout the country hailed the assault as a powerful message to Pakistan.

What does Pakistan say?

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif criticised the "unprovoked and naked aggression of Indian forces" and said his military was capable of thwarting "any evil design to undermine the sovereignty of Pakistan".

Islamabad says India's stance is a "blatant attempt" to deflect attention from human rights abuses in the region.

More than 80 people, nearly all anti-government protesters, have died in more than two months of violence against Indian rule.

Why is Kashmir so dangerous?

Both India and Pakistan claim Muslim-majority Kashmir in its entirety but control only parts of it.

The territorial dispute between the two countries has been running for over six decades, and two out of the three wars fought between the nuclear-armed rivals have been over Kashmir.

As with every stand-off in Kashmir, many people fear that this could eventually escalate into a major clash between two nuclear-armed states.

But most analysts still believe that is unlikely to happen and that sporadic clashes and diplomatic sabre-rattling are likely to continue.
 

The UNHCR has formally inaugurated its second Voluntary Repatriation Centre (VRC) at Azakhel in Nowshera district on Wednesday to facilitate safe and dignified return of Afghan refugees.

The opening of new centre would enable UNHCR to facilitate return of up to 10,000 refugees every day through Torkham border crossing.

In this connection, a high-level delegation including Dr Omar Zakhilwal, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, Jan Fury, Czech Ambassador, Jean-Francois Cautain, European Union Ambassador, Dr Brigitta Blaha, Austrian Ambassador, Ole Thonke, Danish Ambassador, Renate Theodora, Charge d'Affaires of the Netherlands, Olivier Rousselle, head of ECHO, and Representative of UNHCR to Pakistan Indrika Ratwatte, and Dr Imran Zeb Khan, Chief Commissioner Afghan Refugees in Islamabad attended the inauguration ceremony.

On this occasion, the UNHCR Representative in Pakistan, Indrika Ratwatte commended the government of Pakistan for extending the stay of Afghans refugee in Pakistan until 31 March 2017. Ratwatte said, "The extension is an important decision by the government of Pakistan which recognises the importance of policies to manage the legal stay of registered Afghans in Pakistan."

Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Dr Imran Zeb Khan said, "The Government of Pakistan has ensured that the repatriation remains voluntary and that returns are conducted in safety and dignity." Dr Zeb also acknowledged the commitment and ownership of Afghanistan to facilitate the repatriation of Afghans and the steps taken to enable their sustainable reintegration.

Welcoming the returnees to Afghanistan, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Omar Zakhilwal encouraged Afghan refugees to return to their homeland despite the challenges and to join the nation-building process."

Zakhilwal also said, "The repatriation remains voluntary and the fact that Afghan refugees are returning of their free will demonstrates confidence in the efforts of the national unity government."

He lauded the role of Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees for decades and added the ongoing repatriation process of Afghan refugees would help in establishment of peace in Afghanistan.

The visiting delegation visited Chamkani in Peshawar and the newly operational Azakhel centres and met with elders of the Afghan Refugee Shura.

The repatriation centres in Azakhel and Chamkani are supported by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO). UNHCR has acquired additional land for the increased numbers of vehicles onsite and has also established dedicated spaces for children in both locations.

Since 2002, UNHCR's voluntary repatriation programme has helped nearly 3.9 million Afghans return home from Pakistan.

Around 167,228 registered Afghan refugees have returned home from Pakistan so far in 2016. UNHCR has now three voluntary repatriation centres operational in Chamkani and Azakhel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baleli, Quetta in Balochistan.

Since July 2016 there has been an increase in the number of Afghans voluntarily repatriating to Afghanistan. There are a number of related factors which have led to this increase.

The spike in returns coincides with the introduction of tighter border management controls at the Torkham border between Pakistan and Afghanistan on 1st June. Afghans now need valid passports and visas in order to enter Pakistan. The increase in UNHCR's voluntary repatriation and reintegration cash grant has significantly contributed to the increase in number of people opting to return.

The cash grant was doubled from $200 to $400 per individual in June, which is approximately $2,800 for a family of seven.

The Government of Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation's campaign launched in July 2016 in Pakistan to encourage Afghans to return home called Khpal Watan, Gul Watan ("My country, my beautiful country") is also linked with an increase in the numbers of people opting to return home.

The wider security context has also contributed to an increase in the numbers of registered Afghan refugees opting to return since July. The increase in the number of security operations against undocumented foreigners, including undocumented Afghans, has also impacted refugees' decision-making.

Pakistan remains the second largest refugee hosting country with some 1.4 million Afghans still residing in the country.

In addition to the registered Afghan refugee population, the government of Pakistan estimates that another 600,000 Afghans reside irregularly in the country.

On 9 September, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif announced an extension of the stay of registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan until 31 March 2017.

This extension will bring much needed relief to Afghan refugees.
 

The United National High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Wednesday inaugurated its second voluntary repatriation centre in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to facilitate the return of Afghan refugees to Afghanistan.

With the opening of the new centre in Azakhel in Nowshera, about 40 kilometres east of Peshawar, UNHCR now has the capacity to facilitate the return of up to 10,000 refugees every day through the Torkham border crossing.

A high-level delegation comprising the ambassadors of Afghanistan, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, European Union, Charge d'Affaires of the Netherlands, head of ECHO Pakistan, Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Dr Imran Zeb Khan and UNHCR Representative, Indrika Ratwatte attended the inauguration ceremony held at Azakhel Repatriation Centre.

UNHCR Representative in Pakistan, Indrika Ratwatte commended the government of Pakistan for extending the stay of Afghans refugee in Pakistan until March 31, 2017. "The extension is an important decision by the Government of Pakistan, which recognises the importance of policies to manage the legal stay of registered Afghans in Pakistan," Ratwatte added.

Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Dr Imran Zeb Khan said: "The Government of Pakistan has ensured that the repatriation remains voluntary and that returns are conducted in safety and dignity."

Dr. Zeb acknowledged the commitment and ownership of Afghanistan to facilitate the repatriation of Afghans and the steps taken to enable their sustainable reintegration.

Welcoming the returnees to Afghanistan, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Omar Zakhilwal encouraged Afghan refugees to return to their homeland despite the challenges and to join the nation-building process.

Zakhilwal said: "The repatriation remains voluntary and the fact that Afghan refugees are returning of their free will demonstrates confidence in the efforts of the unity government in Afghanistan."The delegation visited Chamkani in Peshawar and the newly operational Azakhel centres and met elders of the Afghan refugees.

The repatriation centres in Azakhel and Chamkani are supported by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO). The UNHCR has acquired additional land for the increased numbers of vehicles onsite and has also established dedicated spaces for children in both locations.
 

BANGKOK

Thailand is cracking down on migrant workers from neighboring countries, saying they are "stealing jobs from Thais", amid fears that anti-immigrant sentiment is rising as Southeast Asia's second-largest economy stagnates.

In an operation led by the Thai labor department, police and troops on Wednesday raided a fresh produce market in Bangkok and arrested 14 people, most of them from neighboring Myanmar.

"We have received many complaints about illegal immigrants working in markets including Vietnamese and even South Asians who were stealing jobs from Thais," Thai immigration police chief Nathorn Phrosunthorn told Reuters.

"They should be doing the jobs that Thais don't want to do like work as house cleaners," he said.

Under the terms of a 2015 memorandum of understanding Vietnamese citizens are restricted in their employment in Thailand and can work only as manual laborers in Thailand's fishing or construction sectors.

Cambodians also have been nabbed in the raids, along with people from Myanmar and Vietnam.

ANTI-IMMIGRATION FEELINGS

More than 3 million migrants work in Thailand, the vast majority from neighboring Myanmar, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Thailand became wealthy compared to its neighbors when its economy boasted annual growth rates of over 7 percent in the 1980s and 1990s, drawing migrant workers from across the Greater Mekong Delta region and other parts of Asia. They mostly did jobs Thais tend to spurn, including backbreaking work in the fishing and construction sectors.

But, more than two years after the military government seized power and with Thailand's economy on shaky ground, rights groups also see rising resentment against immigrants in Thailand, mirroring such sentiment elsewhere in the world.

"There seems to be a surge of national sentiment in Thai immigration policy claiming migrants from Vietnam, for example, are taking jobs that are reserved for Thai nationals," Sunai Phasuk from Human Rights Watch told Reuters.

"We haven't seen this kind of rise in anti-immigrant sentiment for decades. This has a lot to do economic concerns."

Sanit Choklamlert, a shop keeper in Bangkok's Silom business district, said migrants are seen as competitors for some Thais.

"There are too many Myanmar people here now and they're fighting for the same jobs as us," he said. "We need to send some back."

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Thailand's economy is on course to grow 3.0 percent in 2016 after expanding 2.8 percent in 2015 and only 0.7 percent in 2014.

Nathorn said the crackdown was not driven by an anti-immigrant policy. "We still need migrant labor. We just want to keep some order," he said.

The raids have targeted fresh markets, restaurants, supermarkets and shopping malls. Around 153 immigrants were rounded up between Sept. 1 and Sept. 26, according to labor department figures. Those caught face up to five years in prison, a fine of up to 3,000 baht ($100) or deportation.

Migrants are often at risk of falling into the hands of human trafficking rings, who sell them into virtual slavery on plantations, timber mills and fishing boats, human rights groups say.

Thailand was removed from the bottom rung of the U.S. State Department's annual list of worst human trafficking offenders this year despite what the department described as "widespread forced labor" in the country's vital seafood industry.

(Additional reporting by Jutarat Skulpichetrat; Editing by Bill Tarrant)