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CWS Co-Hosts Oct. 26 Meeting on Burma Crisis, Policy Responses
"Main Street" in Tham Hin refugee camp, near the Thailand-Burma border and home to more than 9,000 Burmese refugees.
Photo: Thailand Burma Border Consortium
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Burma's internal problems are well known – a repressive military regime, a moribund economy, and a lack of even the most basic political and social rights. These problems threaten not only Burma but also the surrounding region.
Oct. 26 in Washington, D.C., the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement, the National Endowment for Democracy, and Church World Service are co-sponsoring a day-long conference, "Burma: Looking Forward," to consider the Burma crisis and international policy responses. Participants will include activists, government officials, researchers, and representatives of non-governmental organizations.
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, will participate in the morning's first panel, and the luncheon keynote speaker will be Paula Dobriansky, Undersecretary of State for International Affairs, U.S. Department of State. Other confirmed speakers and moderators are from the Century Foundation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Shan Women’s Action Network, United Nations Development Program, Human Rights Watch, Brookings Institution, Human Rights Foundation of Monland, Thailand Burma Border Consortium, Brookings Institution Bern Project on Internal Displacement, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations, Government of Singapore, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary USA LLP, and the National Endowment for Democracy.
Sessions will be held on "Why Burma Matters," "Responding to Critical Issues Facing Burma and the Region," "Displaced Persons," and "International Policy Responses."
Forced migration stemming from simmering conflict and continued human rights violations by the Burmese military has created between 550,000-800,000 internally displaced persons and nearly 700,000 refugees, according to the World Refugee Survey 2005. In addition, myriad humanitarian issues face Burma, including a general dearth of democracy, a growing HIV/AIDS pandemic, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, and land rights.
"Burma: Looking Ahead" is being held as part of the Thailand-Burma Border Consortium (TBBC)'s annual meeting. The consortium’s 10 members take turns hosting the meeting. Church World Service is a founding member and supporter of the 21-year-old TBBC, an alliance of non-governmental organizations working together with displaced people of Burma to respond to humanitarian needs, strengthen self-reliance and promote appropriate and lasting solutions in pursuit of their dignity, justice and peace.
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