To the Editor:
Amnesty International is concerned about thousands of Burundi refugees in Rwanda who fear forcible return to Burundi. The Burundi government announced on Jan. 25 that the situation in Burundi is safe enough for the refugees to return, despite the continuing human rights abuses committed by them. The worst include torture, `disappearance', and extrajudicial execution. Thousands of refugees were told to leave by the Rwandan government before March.
We need to write to the Rwandese authorities and appeal to them not to forcibly return refugees to Burundi. We need to stress that refugees forcibly returned to Burundi are likely to face serious human rights violations such as torture, `disappearance', and extrajudicial execution. We must appeal to them not to impose arbitrary deadlines for voluntary repatriation, not to allow Burundi officials access to camps, or exert any other kinds of pressure on the refugees to return while the situation in Burundi remains unsafe. We should remind them of their international obligations under the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and not return them to a country where they will be at risk.
Urgently,
Copyright © 1997, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 125, Number 16; February 28, 1997
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