Sally Thompson, MBE

Executive Director, The Border Consortium

Sally Thompson has over twenty years’ experience working with The Border Consortium (TBC),

coordinating and delivering humanitarian assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons

(IDPs) as a result of the conflict in South East Myanmar. TBC is a consortium of NGOs with field

offices in Thailand and SE Myanmar, working with and through local partners in support of food

security, nutrition, shelter, and building capacity for community management to refugees living in

camps along the Thailand / Burma border and to support recovery of conflict-affected communities

in SE Myanmar. In 2010, she was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the

British Empire) for community services to Burmese refugees in Thailand.

Preparations for Return 18 Dec 2015: Refugees Sally Thompson

Refugee Townships of Origin SE Myanmar

9 Refugee Camps 104,000 refugees

Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement

2015 Elections

• Preparedness

• Support for spontaneous returnees

• Facilitation of returns

• Promoted return and initial reinstallation

• Long-term reintegration

UNHCR Strategic Roadmap for Voluntary Repatriation

Camp Population 2011-2015

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

Verified Caseload

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Source: TBC Monthly Population Reports

Departures from Camp 2015

Resettlement 5,300 Burma/Myanmar 3,100 Thailand 1,700

Land issues

Inclusion

Key Issues Identified by Refugees • Return to where? • Protection, safety and security • Citizenship, legal documentation,

• role of refugee leaders in local authority structures, women

participation • Access to land, livelihoods, housing, education, health;

balancing access with those of receiving communities • Non-discrimination, acceptance by community • Information

UN SE Framework: Core Components

Durable Solutions

Multi Stakeholder dialogue and Coordination

platforms Rule of Law

and local Governance

Social Services

and Protection

Community Development

and Livelihoods

Peacebuilding

Support an enabling environment for

durable solutions, human

development and peace

SE Myanmar

• Returning refugees and IDPs • host communities • conflict affected communities

• Dialogue between local

authorities and returnees

• Coordination with CSOs, NGOs, NSAs, EAGs,

• UN and INGOs

Thank you