Thailand forces UNHCR to close doors to refugees

BANGKOK, May 16 (Reuters) Thailand has forced the United Nations refugee office in Bangkok to close its doors to new asylum applicants, leaving dozens of asylum seekers already in Thailand in limbo, human rights workers said TOday.

Officials of the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees said the closure followed a series of requests from Thailand's army-appointed administration but said it was only temporary, pending an ''internal review of procedures''.

''The Thai government came with some requests and will clarify and propose how we can operate in a better-coordinated manner,'' deputy mission head Guiseppe de Vincentis said.

''We are waiting for the formal proposition from the Thai authorities to review our modus operandi.'' However, human rights workers who did not want to be identified for fear of repercussions said UNHCR had been forced to stop accepting asylum claims -- or Refugee Status Determination (RSD) -- because Bangkok was fed up with Hmong refugees from Laos and a growing tide of North Koreans.

''Our impression is that RSD has been stopped and that it will stay that way for some time,'' one human rights worker told Reuters.

''It's all about the Hmong and North Koreans.'' Thailand's reputation for tolerance and its relative lack of visa restrictions means it has become a destination for asylum seekers from as far away as Burundi, Congo, Iran and Sri Lanka.

Although the number of asylum seekers affected by the closure remains small, it is likely to grow as more arrive in Bangkok only to find the UNHCR offices shut, the rights workers said.

The relevant officials at Thailand's Foreign Ministry were not immediately available for comment.

Thailand is home to around 140,000 long-term refugees from its military-ruled neighbour, Myanmar.

REUTERS abm nd1648