(see also Press Release and Sample Letter)

2006 could be the year when the long struggle for freedom is realized for thousands of Christian Karen and Karenni refugees living in camps along the Thailand Burma border. These courageous mostly Christian refugees are scheduled for “resettlement” in the United States, or other free nations. However, because of an overly broad application of the Patriot Act definition of “material support” for terrorist organizations, the resettlement program could be in serious jeopardy. After a meeting at the American Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, and the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., CFI has learned that the application of the law is actively being reviewed by the U.S. Departments of Justice, State, and Homeland Security. Unless regulations are developed and agreed to by the end of March 2006 that clarify the application of “material support” the entire refugee program could be scuttled. The time to act is NOW!

Background
Burma is ruled by a repressive, brutal, military junta known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Freedom of religion is practically nonexistent. Since 1999, the U.S. Secretary of State has designated Burma as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act for particularly severe violations of religious freedom.

Buddhists comprise more than 85 percent of the population while animists, Muslims, Christians, and other indigenous religions comprise the rest. Some 70 percent of the population is Burmese with the remainder comprised of various minority ethnic groups.

While all the people of Burma suffer under the totalitarian SPDC, the mainly Christian ethnic minorities such as the Karen, Karenni, and Chin suffer the most.

The SPDC’s genocidal policies targeting Karen, Karenni, and Chin Christians have forced tens of thousands to live life on the run and struggle for survival in the jungles of Burma. Many others have fled Burma for neighboring Thailand.

Today more than 200,000 Karen and Karenni refugees live in refugee camps in Thailand. Some of the refugee camps have been in existence for more than 25 years.

Fortunately there is hope.

Thousands of Karen and Karenni refugees may soon come to America and begin new lives. More than 9,000 refugees from Tham Hin Refugee Camp are slated to be resettled to the United States in 2006 alone. Stateless refugees from other camps along the Thailand/Burma border will be resettled to the United States in subsequent years.

Christian Freedom International welcomes this news. For the past few years CFI has been urging the U.S. government, Thailand, and the U.N. to allow the resettlement of the mainly Christian refugees from Burma. CFI launched petition drives and sponsored U.S. Congressional staff delegations to the region in an effort to gain support for this new policy.

CFI expresses sincere gratitude to President Bush and his administration for opening our nation’s doors to persecuted Karen and Karenni refugees from Burma. “This is the beginning of a long process,” said CFI President Jim Jacobson, “but we are extremely pleased that the process of resettlement for these persecuted, stateless men, women, and children from Burma is actually going forward.”

Issue
Beginning in 2006, the U.S. has agreed to accept more than 9,000 Karen refugees from the Burma/Thailand border with thousands more to follow in subsequent years.

Various agencies from the U.S. government and the U.N. are currently processing applications for resettlement from Tham Hin Refugee Camp with thousands more to follow in subsequent years.

However, refugees from Burma may be denied access and resettlement in the United States because of an overly broad application of the definition of what constitutes terrorism and terrorist activities.

Recent legislation, including the USA PATRIOT ACT and the REAL ID Act of 2005, contained provisions that greatly expanded the definition of terrorism and what constitutes terrorist activity.

Under a relatively new provision relating to “material support” the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department may be forced to prohibit refugees and asylum seekers entry to the U.S. if they provided “material support” to armed groups.

In fact, more than 100 Protestant Chin refugees from Burma, currently detained at immigration depots in Malaysia, are being denied entry to the United States because of the new definition of “material support” application.

Many Karen, Karenni, and Chin Christians have been fighting for their survival in Burma for more than 50 years, and under current law, anyone found participating in an armed struggle may be considered a terrorist. The statutory bar has been interpreted to deny refugee protection, for example, to Burmese religious and ethnic minorities who have participated in or provided support to groups that have resorted to armed opposition to the repressive military regime of Burma.

Moreover, if someone provided “material support,” such as food, medicine, clothing, or shelter to a participant in this armed struggle, the person providing the assistance would also be denied entry to the United States under the “material support” provision of the law.

Congress created an exception to the “material support” ground for inadmissibility. Congress gave the Executive Branch discretionary authority to determine that the “material support” prohibition should not apply in some cases. The REAL ID Act reaffirmed the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State (after consultation with one another and the Attorney General) to include that the “material support” ground of inadmissibility “should not apply” to a particular individual, or a group, solely by virtue of having the subgroup engaged in “terrorist” activity. This means that actions taken by a George Washington or Paul Revere should not be considered the same as an Osama bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri, even though they all engaged in violent activities.

While lawyers for the three designated agencies have been meeting to discuss the application of the “material support” bar, the government has not established a process for exercising this authority, and the authority has never been used.

The Department of Homeland Security’s overbroad interpretation of the “material support” prohibition is significantly reducing the number of refugees able to find safety in the United States.

The resettlement to the U.S. of more than 9,000 Karen refugees this year may be in serious jeopardy because of their support of organizations that oppose the repressive military regime in Burma. Most refugees have family members who have had to fight for their survival against the Burmese military junta.

What You Can Do
Contact your representatives in Washington and ask them to use their incredible influence to urge the Department of Homeland Security to allow refugees from Burma admission to the United States. Please also write to the President, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Homeland Security. You may also cut, paste, and email the attached Sample Letter to the following:

President Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Contact The White House

Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528
Contact the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Contact the U.S. Secretary of State

Your Representative
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Contact U.S. House of Representatives

Your Senator
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Contact U.S. Senate