Santiago moots regional humanitarian fund for Myanmar refugees
Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights co-chair Charles Santiago said the funds should be channelled towards supporting Myanmar refugee populations in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. (EPA Images)
KUALA LUMPUR : Asean must urgently establish a regional humanitarian fund to support Myanmar refugees as the Southeast Asian nation's crisis is no longer confined to its borders, says Charles Santiago.
Santiago, co-chair of the Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, said this fund could be supported by Asean member states and also key partners such as Japan and South Korea.
He added that the funds should be channelled towards supporting Myanmar refugee populations in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The former Klang MP said Asean must step up support for Myanmar as the number of citizens fleeing the country has reached an 'enormous' scale.
'This is no longer just a Myanmar problem, it has become an Asean problem,' he said during the 20th anniversary celebration of the Alliance of Chin Refugees.
The DAP man also called on Bangkok to establish regulated 'humanitarian corridors' at the Thai-Myanmar border to help monitor the movement of refugees and prevent the unchecked spread of diseases.
Having recently visited the Thai-Myanmar border, he noted that the situation had worsened there due to international funding cuts for humanitarian groups.
'Because of the cut in funding, these groups now operate on one-third of the previous budget. Before, they gave US$10 per refugee, but now it's only US$3.
'Six to 10 clinics (at the border crossing) have already closed. Many refugees are facing hunger, especially children,' he added.
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