More than 140,000 refugees will be forced back to war-torn Burma unless  Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva shows a rare bit of backbone in dealing with his country's increasingly powerful security forces.

Last week, the nation's head of security announced its intention to close  nine refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border after elections were held in Burma last fall.

The announcement drew sharp criticism from  human rights groups and representatives of Burma's ethnic minorities who said the refugees would face persecution, torture, rape and worse if  sent back to Burma under current conditions.

"Burma is still a  dangerous place -; too dangerous for the refugees to return," says Sunai Phasuk of Human Rights Watch Thailand has served as a safe haven for  refugees from neighboring cou.