Two bits of news on the Sino-Burmese borderlands coincided last week. In Bangkok’s Foreign Correspondents Club Human Rights Watch presented a report on the situation of Kachin refugees:
While the Chinese central government and Yunnan provincial authorities have generally allowed Kachin refugees to enter and stay in China since June 2011, Human Rights Watch documented two instances, involving an estimated 300 people, of Chinese authorities ordering Kachin refugees to return to Burma. Chinese authorities have also rejected Kachin asylum seekers at the border, forcing their return to the conflict zone.
Meanwhile, China Daily reports:
Lu Yonghe, deputy head of Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, which borders Myanmar and Laos to its south, said the government plans to make Xishuangbanna a resort region in line with international standards, as the area boasts natural beauty and an abundance of relaxation and hospitality facilities.
In the next five years, Xishuangbanna plans to construct more than 10 top tourist destinations and attract more than 10 globally-recognized hotel chains, Lu said.