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Internal Displacement in Asia and the Pacific
Some 3.5 million people in South and South-East Asia were estimated to be internally displaced by violence or human rights abuses at the end of 2008, and the majority of them were trapped in situations of protracted displacement. This represented an increase of around 400,000 since the end of 2007. In addition to the ten countries monitored by IDMC, displacement was also reported in other countries of the region such as Thailand and Laos, although little or no information was available.
Nearly 1.5 million people were newly displaced in South and South-East Asia during the year, mainly as a result of existing conflicts that escalated. Displacement was particularly significant in the Philippines where over 600,000 people fl ed an upsurge in fighting between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation front (MILF) and in Pakistan where perhaps 310,000 people were forced from their homes due to fighting between the government and pro-Taleban forces. In Sri Lanka, an estimated 230,000 people were displaced as a result of the intensification of the conflict between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Tens of thousands of people were also estimated to be displaced in Afghanistan and in Myanmar where the conflicts showed no signs of ending. In addition, new conflicts in India’s Assam state between the Bodo tribal people and Muslim settlers, and in Orissa state between the majority Hindu population and Christian minorities, led to the displacement of at least 220,000 people during the year. (…)
This regional summary does not include Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Please see the Europe and Central Asia overview here.
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