난민들의 귀환

며칠전 KNU장군과 만나 난민재정착에 대한 이야기를 나누었다.

미야와디 공단에 한국공장을 유치하여 태국난민촌에 있는 미얀마난민을 재교육시켜 취업시키자는 제안이었는데

힘닫는데로 도와드리겠다고 하며 맺었다.

오늘 신문을 보다 난민관련기사가 았다.

미얀마 난민촌에 관한 짧은기사이다.

태국국경 메솟지역에는 약 20여만명의 난민들이 있다. 이들은 세계에서 가장 오래된 내전이라는 미얀마와 소수민족전쟁의 피해자들이다. 3년전 평화협정을 맺고 중앙정부와 스테이트 정부가 종전을 하였다.

태국의 국경에 있는 다섯개의 난민촌들도 폐쇄를 준비하고 있다. 난민들이 다시 미얀마로 돌아오기 위해서는 

땅과 집이 필요한데 이미 다른사람이 경작하거나 집은 없어졌다.

대부분은 외국으로 이주를 원하고 있고 상당히(5만명정도)  많은 난민들이 카나다 미국 유럽 호주등으로 이주를 하였다.  그러나 작년에 공식적으로 외국이주프로그램이 종료를 하고 태국정부 역시 정치적 경제적이유로 난민촌의 지원을

줄이고 최종적으로는 종료를 준비하고 있다.

미얀마 정부에서는 바고 근처에 재 정착지을 시키려고 하지만  20여년간의 난민촌 생활로카렌어와 영어밖에 하지 못하는 미얀마 사람도 아니고 태국사람도 아닌 그렇다고 서양사람도 아닌 이들이  미얀마는 더 낮선외국이다.

바고에 정착하려 하였던 난민들이 다시 국경미야와디로 돌아오며 벌이진 최근의 사건이다.

More than 200 villagers whose homes were bulldozed by the Burmese military in Rangoon Division in February have been blocked from traveling to rebel-controlled territory where an ethnic Karen armed group has offered them land.

After they were evicted from military-owned land in Hlegu Township, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) offered the ethnic Karen former residents of Thameegalay village a place to stay.

But on Wednesday, as the villagers were making their way in cars and trucks toward the DKBA’s area, they were blocked at the border of Karen and Mon states, villagers and officials told The Irrawaddy.

One of the villagers, Win Soe, said by telephone from near Durinseik village, where the group had been stopped, that about 50 border police and government army troops blocked their way and told them to stay put.

“We are still at a border checkpoint at Donethami bridge. We’ve been here more than two hours,” Win Soe told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday afternoon. The villagers were told they were only being stopped while authorities attempted to negotiate with the DKBA, but they feared they will be stranded at least overnight. The situation had not changed at about 5:30 pm.

Hpa-an District Administrator Ye Naing insisted the villagers were not being detained, but said their journey had to be delayed while Karen State officials attempt to discuss the move of the villagers with DKBA leader Maj. San Aung.

“The Karen State government asks the DKBA for negotiations, for the sake of the displaced villagers’ future,” he said, adding that the rebel leadership had declined to travel from Durinseik village to the Karen State capital of Hpa-an to discuss the issue.

“They said the government must come to them if they want to discuss. Therefore, we are in a dispute,” Ye Naing said, adding that hoped-for return of tens of thousands of Karen displaced over the Thai border during years of civil war complicated land issues in Karen State.

“If they relocate the displaced people without consulting with the state government and local groups, land problems could arise. Therefore, we want to talk first. Then, the relocation can happen.”

Win Soe said 79 households from the Thameegalay, Innpatee and Pawkali villages in Rangoon Division left their temporary shelter at Aungtheikhti monastery in Pegu Division—where they had been living with the support of the DKBA since February—at 5:30 am. Their destination was a village in Myawaddy Township, Karen State, where the DKBA has promised to provide each household with a 40-by-60-feet plot of land.

Despite the hold-up, he said he was still hopeful about the move to DKBA territory.

“We have nothing left from our old villages, so we are ready to confront any challenges ahead at our new home,” Win Soe said.

“Maj. San Aung will provide us short-term basic assistance while we build our own houses as well as help looking for jobs for us.”