WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1596/98 by Allan MACARTNEY to the Commission. Protection of the Karen tribe
22. 2. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 50/53 The numbers and backgrounds of the expert evaluators used in 1996 by the industrial and materials technologies (Brite-Euram III) programme were as follows: Country Educational Industrial Research Consultant Other Total Belgium Denmark Germany Greece Spain France Ireland Italy Luxembourg Netherlands Austria Portugal Finland Sweden United Kingdom Norway Total 6 9 9 10 6 4 7 3 1 3 4 6 65 12 7 32 5 16 26 11 27 15 9 9 10 10 21 2 9 7 10 5 12 11 3 6 3 1 5 3 1 7 2 215 85 2 1 2 2 4 1 1 10 23 3 1 3 1 5 7 3 8 2 1 2 6 1 32 16 56 20 43 50 20 47 3 28 15 18 14 14 50 5 43 431 Because of problems with the availability of experts during the evaluation sessions, it is not always possible to maintain the planned geographical spread. It is clear from the results of evaluation sessions, though, that the proportion of experts from any particular country in the evaluation panels has never had any effect on the rating of proposals from that country. (1999/C 50/075) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1596/98 by Allan Macartney (ARE) to the Commission (25 May 1998) Subject: Protection of the Karen tribe Has the European Community taken any external action to promote the protection of Karen tribe refugees sheltering in Thailand? Does the Commission foresee any intervention by the Community, and, in particular ECHO, to prevent the abuse of the tribeís human rights by guerillas crossing the border from Burma? Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission (22 June 1998) The Commission has, on several occasions, called on the Thai government and the national security council to provide appropriate protection to the 110 000 refugees living in camps along the border between Burmese and Thailand, since it is the exclusive mandate of the Thai security forces to assure the security of the Thai border and the protection of the refugees seeking shelter on Thai soil against cross-border guerrilla attacks. The United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), having a non-military, general protection mandate for refugees against human rights abuses, has not yet a permanent mandate on the border, but will soon be allowed to be permanently represented there. However, UNHCRís protection mandate does not include military protection against guerrilla attacks from across the border. This remains the prerogative of the Thai security forces. Therefore the Commission does not foresee any Community intervention in the sense requested by the Honourable Member