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The Irrawaddy (Burmese: ဧရာဝတီ; MLCTS: ei: ra wa. ti) is a website by the Irrawaddy Publishing Group (IPG), founded in 1990 by Burmese exiles living in Thailand. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has taken an independent stance on Burmese politics. As a publication produced by former Burmese activists who fled violent crackdowns on anti-military protests in 1988, it has always been closely associated with the pro-democracy movement, although it remains unaffiliated with any of the political groups that have emerged since the 8888 Uprising.
The Irrawaddy is published in both English and Burmese, with a primary focus on Burma and Southeast Asia. It is regarded as one of the foremost journalistic publications dealing with political, social, economic and cultural developments in Burma. In addition to news, it features in-depth political analysis and interviews with a wide range of Burma experts, business leaders, democracy activists and other influential figures.
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Displaying 61 - 65 of 67The Burning Problem of Immigrants in Thailand
As more and more Burmese go to Thailand in pursuit of relative freedom from persecution and poverty, Burma's closet neighbor is seeking new ways to address the root causes of their immigrant problem.
Confusion Over Illegals
Confusion arose when the Thai Labor Ministry requested Cabinet approval to relax the repatriation of illegal immigrants. Earlier, the Ministry had announced that the labourers would be forced out by May 1.
Unwelcome Alien
Deport first and discuss later," declared Gen Chettha Thanajaro. Thailand's Army. Army Commander-in-Chief was voicing his support for a plan to repatriate nearly 1million foreign laborers, most of whom are Burmese.
No Home, No Future
As many illegal immigrants wish to live in Thailand permanently, another serious problem arises - the growing number of stateless children. Between 1993 and 1996, the Mae Sot Hospital near the Thailand-Burma border delivered 2,202, 2,026, 2,031 and 2,077 stateless babies respectively.
Burmese Exodus
Recently, outspoken Thai Democrat MP Abhist Vejajiva, expressed his concern over the illegal population in Thailand, saying the problem of illegal workers would become "more severe" in the coming years and could lead to social turmoil if the government does not quickly intervene by producing a viable and widely accepted national strategy.