REFUGEE REFERRAL FOR DR. SALAI TUN THAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 003898 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR PRM/A DHS FOR BCIS OFFICE OF ASYLUM, REFUGEES, AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2016 TAGS: PREF PHUM TH BM SUBJECT: REFUGEE REFERRAL FOR DR. SALAI TUN THAN REF: 2003 STATE 326248 Classified By: Political Couselor Susan M. Sutton for reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See Para 9. ¶2. (C) Per guidance in Reftel, Post is referring Burmese citizen, Dr. Salai Tun Than, for resettlement to the United States through the Department's Refugee Resettlement Program. Biographical information follows: Name: Salai Tun Than D/POB: March 28, 1928; Inpyit village, Mindon Township, Magway Division, Burma Nationality: Burmese Gender: Male Persecution Claim -------------- ¶3. (C) Dr. Salai Tun Than (STT) is a former political prisoner who was jailed in Rangoon's notorious Insein Prison after staging a solo protest calling for multi-party elections in front of Rangoon City Hall on November 29, 2001. He was released on April 27, 2003 after staging a 7-day hunger strike protesting the prison authorities refusal to allow him to have a Bible or to take communion inside the prison. ¶4. (C) In January 2006, while traveling in the US, STT issued an open letter to Senior General Than Shwe demanding the release of all political prisoners and the transfer of power to the National League for Democracy. He then sent letters to several organizations within Burma urging them to join in a civil disobedience campaign that he would begin upon his return to Rangoon on June 19, 2006 (the 60th birthday of Aung San Su Kyi). STT fully expected to be arrested and returned to prison for this action. ¶5. (C) STT traveled from the US to Japan, then South Korea and finally to Thailand where he planned to fly from Bangkok to Rangoon on June 19. While in South Korea, STT protested in front of the Burmese Embassy in Seoul. At that time, it appears that the Burmese government took the decision to revoke STT's passport, though they did not inform STT of this action. It is unclear on what ground the passport was revoked. STT traveled to Thailand and was allowed to enter because the Thai authorities were also unaware that STT's passport had been revoked. ¶6. (C) On June 19, STT again cleared Thai Immigration, but was not allowed to board the Thai Airways (TG) flight to Rangoon by TG officials. TG informed STT that they had been contacted by the Government of Burma and informed that STT's passport had been revoked and warned that if they allowed STT to board, there might be negative consequences for TG. That same day, according to Thai MFA, the Burmese Embassy in Seoul sent a diplomatic note to the Thai Embassy in Seoul informing the RTG of the revocation of STT's passport. ¶7. (C) Since that date, STT is in Thailand without legal status. The RTG considers that he no longer has a valid travel document, thus his entry permit to Thailand is invalid. At the same time, he cannot legally exit Thailand without some valid travel document. The RTG has not acted to detain STT in the hopes that an alternative solution can be reached. The actions of the Government of Burma have made it such that STT cannot return to Burma, but cannot legally travel/reside anywhere else. Need for Resettlement to US -------------- ¶8. (C) Given that he is being prevented from returning to his home country by the Burmese Government, and that he would almost assuredly face persecution at the hands of that government were he to return, STT is requesting resettlement to the United States as a refugee. STT has one daughter living in Greer, South Carolina (Name: Mai Theingi Tun Than; Phone: 239-728-1632) and one son living in Rockford, Illinois (Name: Salai Htin Kyaw Than; Phone: 813-787-6758). ¶9. (C) Post strongly supports this referral. Please provide guidance on whether post should take further steps in processing this case for U.S. resettlement. BOYCE