The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has permitted Burma’s ‘long-neck’ Kayan people in Thailand to apply for resettlement in third countries.

Though UNHCR has since early this year allowed Karenni refugees to apply for resettlement without any restraint but there were restrictions on brass coil wearing Kayan people who had fled Burma like other refugees. These restrictions have now been lifted, giving them the right to apply for resettlement like others, said a source from the Thailand-based UNHCR office.

“Earlier, they were not included for interviews but now it is their turn in terms of priority. [Kayans from] Three villages have been given equal rights as others,” the UNHCR officer said.

The UNHCR has early this week interviewed brass coil wearing families from three villages in Mae Hong Son. Two families from Huay Sua Tao village, one from Huay Pu Kay village and seven from Kayan Tharyar village were interviewed.

The headman of an interviewed family from Kayan Tharyar village said, “We had been waiting [for this opportunity] for a long time. We couldn’t wait any longer, so we wrote to UNHCR. Many others from the village also sent letters to UNHCR. I think that’s why they [UNHCR] gave us this opportunity.”

When asked regarding the tradition of wearing brass rings, his wife said she wanted to take the tradition to a third country if there is no restriction. “We were interviewed but are not sure if we will be given the opportunity to go to a third country. We really want to go,” the man said.

Kayan families interviewed by UNHCR compromise 61 people. Last February, six families from Kayan Tharyar village received letters of approval from UNHCR for resettlement in Finland.

Each day, at least 10 letters by refugees from Karenni refugee camps arrive in the UNHCR office, making enquiries about resettlement. There are over 10 families that were approved for resettlement but are still waiting to depart to third countries, according to the refugee committee.

The UNHCR office in August 2005 started accepting applications and collecting names of refugees for resettlement programmes in third countries.