"Only 17 out of 55 countries in the Asia Pacific region have acceded to the international legal instruments for refugee protection, and there are no related regional conventions or mechanisms." (source)
Various developments have taken place recently to raise the profile of refugees in Asia and to promote greater protection of their rights, including the following:
Asia Pacific Consultation on Refugee Rights, Kuala Lumpur, 20-21 November 2008 [site]
- The presentations included overviews of refugee situations in different sub-regions and advocacy strategies.
Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN)
- One outcome of the Asia Pacific Consultation was the establishment of the APRRN. A recent example of its advocacy focus is the statement it issued calling for a regional solution for the Rohingyas.
Researchers present at the consultation and involved in the network will also be presenting at the upcoming IASFM meeting in Cyprus. At least two panels will focus on Asia: The Protection of Forced Migrants in South-East Asia and Protection Gaps in Asia.
Finally, the UNHCR Global Appeal 2009 Update indicates that two Asian countries are preparing to accede to the refugee convention: Indonesia and Mongolia.
For additional information relating to forced migration in Asia, visit:
- Asian Research Center for Migration (ARCM) [access]
- Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) [access]
- IDMC, "Internal Displacement in Asia and the Pacific" [access]
- Online Burma/Myanmar Library [access]
- Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) [access]
- Refugee Watch Online [access]
- Refworld, "Asia" [access]
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