Intense fighting between the Myanmar military and rebel factions in the key border town of Myawaddy has driven scores of Myanmar citizens to seek refuge in Mae Sot, Tak province. As such, the state needs to proactively act in order to safeguard the basic human rights of the refugees and national security.
While the government has repeatedly promised to provide humanitarian aid to those affected by the fighting without discrimination, doubts about the government's commitment emerged when over 2,000 vulnerable refugees from Myanmar were sent back to the conflict-stricken country following news that Myawaddy had fallen to rebel forces.
The premature repatriations highlight the gap between official rhetoric and action.
Despite the losses, the Myanmar military is showing no signs of giving up control over Myawaddy due to its strategic importance as a border trade hub. Last week, the junta deployed jets to flush out rebel fighters in the area out of hiding. But the conflict is unlikely to end any time soon, and until then, the refugees will continue to flock to Mae Sot in search of safety.
The fighting in Myanmar has undergone a significant change since it started. Initially, violent conflict was sporadic, so refugees could return as soon as the fighting died down. These days, the battles are intense and prolonged, with no end in sight. As a result, the economy has collapsed, and the education system is in ruins.
Consequently, hundreds of thousands of people are looking toward Thailand for safety, employment, and education.
However, Thailand has just five designated temporary shelters, which are only able to accommodate about 3,000 refugees.
The influx of refugees has also overwhelmed Mae Sot Hospital, triggering a medical emergency response and prompting Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to form a special committee to oversee the situation.
The committee needs to acknowledge the reality of the situation and refrain from sweeping the problem under the carpet.
These refugees know they will be here for a while, so they brought their family members over, along with whatever resources they could scrabble together to invest in their future. Outside the shelters, many are staying with relatives who came earlier to Mae Sot as they search for employment.
As a result, the economy in Mae Sot is thriving despite the national economic downturn.
The government must stop pretending that these refugees do not exist. If their goal is ensuring national security, forcing hundreds of thousands of refugees underground definitely won't do them any good. Instead, these refugees need to be registered so they can access support while they wait for the situation in Myanmar to improve or move on to another country.
Working-age refugees should be permitted to work, while children and youths should be allowed to enrol in Thai schools because, under Thai law, all children have the right to education, regardless of nationality.
Despite being in effect since 2005, the law still faces numerous barriers due to ethnic prejudice. Many schools, including those in Mae Sot, still refuse to accept the children of migrants and refugees. They must face disciplinary action for violating the law and children's rights.
Only by acknowledging the hundreds of thousands of refugees will the government be able to achieve its goal of protecting national security.