Acknowledgements

This report was written by Sara Colm, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. Several individuals in Thailand, who asked not to be named, provided invaluable research assistance in Bangkok and the Thai-Burma border. Brad Adams, executive director for the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch, and Diane Goodman, refugee policy director for Human Rights Watch, edited the report. It was reviewed by James Ross, Human Rights Watch senior counsel, and Joseph Saunders, deputy program director. Liz Weiss, coordinator for the Asia division, provided administrative and technical assistance. Production assistance was provided by John Emerson, Veronica Matushaj, Andrea Holley, and Fitzroy Hepkins.

Human Rights Watch is grateful to the many individuals and organizations that contributed to this report. In particular, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the Burmese refugees who agreed to be interviewed for the report, and who served as translators, despite the risks involved in leaving their homes to talk with us.

We would also like to thank the staff from several non-governmental organizations in Thailand for their assistance in providing information, setting up interviews, and arranging for translation. Thanks also to Chris Rush for his ongoing assistance and support in Bangkok. Finally, we are grateful to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, whose officials in Thailand and Geneva helped to provide detailed comments and information.

Human Rights Watch acknowledges the generous support of the Ford Foundation and the Oak Foundation for our work on refugees.

Human Rights Watch

Asia Division

Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world.

We stand with victims and activists to bring offenders to justice, to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom and to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime.

We investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers accountable.

We challenge governments and those holding power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law.

We enlist the public and the international community to support the cause of human rights for all.

The staff includes Kenneth Roth, executive director; Carroll Bogert, associate director;  Allison Adoradio, operations director; Michele Alexander, development director; Rory Mungoven, advocacy director; Barbara Guglielmo, finance director; Lotte Leicht, Brussels office director; Steve Crawshaw, London office director; Maria Pignataro Nielsen, human resources director; Iain Levine, program director; Wilder Tayler, legal and policy director; and Joanna Weschler, United Nations representative.  Jonathan Fanton is the chair of the board.  Robert L. Bernstein is the founding chair.

Its Asia division was established in 1985 to monitor and promote the observance of internationally recognized human rights in Asia.  Brad Adams is executive director; Saman Zia-Zarifi is deputy director, Sara Colm and Mickey Spiegel are senior researchers; Meg Davis, Meenakshi Ganguly, Ali Hasan, Charmain Mohamed, John Sifton, and Tejshree Thapa are researchers; Thomas Kellogg is Orville Schell Fellow;Liz Weiss is coordinator; and Ami Evangelista is associate.  Joanne Leedom-Ackerman is chair of the advisory committee.

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