Asia Focus

The Asia Pacific Refugee Research Network (APRRN) now has an official web site. The aim of the network is to "advance the rights of refugees in the Asia Pacific region." Working groups focus on different geographic regions (South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Australia/Pacific) and different thematic issues (detention, legal aid and advocacy, women and girls at risk, right to health, and international advocacy).

One focus of the APRRN's has been the treatment of refugees from Myanmar, the largest populations of which are in Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India, and include ethnic Rohingya, Chin and Karen. Several reports have been issued recently that look more closely at their situation, particularly that of the Rohingya in Bangladesh:

• Burma: Rohingya A Year Later (World Bridge Blog, Jan. 2010) [text]
  
• Burmese border refugee sites with population figures: December 2009 (TBBC, Jan. 2010) [text]
• In-Depth: Myanmar’s refugees still on the run (IRIN, Feb. 2010) [access]
• Myanmar: Increasing displacement as fighting resumes in the east (IDMC, Jan. 2010) [access]
  
• Thailand - Cease Intimidation of Karen Refugees: Push-backs to Burma into Heavily Mined Areas Threaten Lives (HRW, Feb. 2010) [text]
  
• Unregistered Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: Crackdown, forced displacement and hunger (Arakan Project, Feb. 2010) [text]
• Violent crackdown fuels humanitarian crisis for unrecognised Rohingya refugees Bangladesh (MSF, Feb. 2010) [text]

[Map credit: 2010 UNHCR country operations profile - Myanmar]

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