UN Officials to Visit Chin State for Chin Refugee Issue

Khonumthung News / BNI Online | August 27, 2018

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Chief of Mission has postponed the plan to interview Chin refugees in September and October as part of the repatriation program and will visit the Chin State to carry out detailed inspections.

New Delhi-based Chin Refugee Committee’s chair Remmawi said the UNHCR Chief of Mission told this to them on August 24 during the meeting with six leaders from the Chin Refugee Committee.

“We are at the wit’s end when we think about the Chin refugee issue. No matter what it is, the interview issue for the refugees’ repatriation, which has been scheduled for September and October, has been postponed. The Chin refugee issue has been sent to Geneva. So, they (the UN) will come to Myanmar and meet with the officials. Then, they will go to the Chin State and carry out an inspection in detail. That’ why the UN official told us that the Chin refugee issue can only be confirmed in December,” she said.

The CRC chair said the UN officials will visit the Chin State and carry out inspections based on the recommendations submitted by the Chin Refugee Community and the committee will send a representative on its behalf to accompany the UN representative.

“The postponement of the interview is great news

[for us]. [The UN official] will come to inspect whether our recommendations match with the actual situation in the Chin State. The outcome of the inspection will reveal our situation,” she said.

“This issue can end if it leads towards the way we want, the positive side. But, this issue would become more complicated if the heads and the public tell [the UN officials] that the Chin State is leading towards the positive side and situations have improved in the state. That’s why it depends largely on the people in the Chin State,” she added.

Although the detailed date for the UN representatives’ visit to Myanmar has not been revealed yet, Khonumthung has learned that they will visit within this year.

The Chin Refugee Community held a meeting on August 25 to select the delegate who will be going to Myanmar. The delegate’s name has to be submitted to the UN officials on the first week of September.

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This article originally appeared on BNI Online on August 28, 2018.