Myanmar: Treatment of returning students
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 December 1991 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BUR9570 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Myanmar: Treatment of returning students, 1 December 1991, BUR9570, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac3e18.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to Human Rights Watch World Report 1990, 2000 Burmese students fled Rangoon and other towns after the 1988 crackdown in Myanmar (1991, 261). Thailand later repatriated at least 2000 of the 40000 Myanmar refugees (Ibid.) The report does not indicate how many of these returnees were students. It does say, however, that it is believed that many or all of the returned people were arrested by Burmese security forces and may then have been used as porters or human minesweepers during army operations (Ibid.)
Amnesty International alleges that student political prisoners were "arbitrarily sent to remote areas and forced to serve army units as porters on counter-insurgency operations" (Amnesty International, AI Index ASA 16/04/90, 9). It also gives unconfirmed reports of the murder or leaving for dead of "civilians who while on porterage duty proved incapable of continuing or who are found otherwise unsatisfactory by the army personnel" (Ibid.) More detailed information on the alleged treatment meted out to activist students is contained in the attached excerpts from Amnesty International documents.
A newspaper report from as recently as 7 November 1991 states that "inside Burma, the repression is as harsh as ever" (Ehrlich, 7 Nov. 1991) and goes on to list those imprisoned by the regime, including students.
Bibliography
Amnesty International. May 1990. (AI Index: ASA 16/04/90). "Myanmar: Prisoners of Conscience and Torture".
. 6 February 1991. (AI Index: ASA 16/02/91). Urgent Action. "Fear of Torture/Death in Detention".
Branigin, William. 14 October 1991. "Myanmar Said to Purge Civil Service; Opposition Leader's Candidacy for Nobel Focuses International Ire". The Washington Post.
Ehrlich, Richard. 7 November 1991. "Burma: No End of SLORC Nor Signs of Overt Opposition". Inter Press Service.
Human Rights Watch. January 1991. World Report 1990. New York: Human Rights Watch.
Attachments
Amnesty International. May 1990. (AI Index: ASA 16/04/90). "Myanmar: Prisoners of Conscience and Torture". pp. 9-10.
. 6 February 1991. (AI Index: ASA 16/02/91). Urgent Action. "Fear of Torture/Death in Detention".
Branigin, William. 14 October 1991. "Myanmar Said to Purge Civil Service; Opposition Leader's Candidacy for Nobel Focuses International Ire". The Washington Post.
Ehrlich, Richard. 7 November 1991. "Burma: No End of SLORC Nor Signs of Overt Opposition". Inter Press Service.
Human Rights Watch. January 1991. World Report 1990. New York: Human Rights Watch. pp. 260-261.
