Refugee Camps in Thailand
If you asked any Karen person living in Burma what their life there is like, they would most likely describe it as hopeless and dejected. This causes most citizens to acquire the same goal of escaping the terror of their government. This is where the refugee camps come in.
Thailand is Burma's neighbor, providing citizens with nine camps located throughout 4 provinces on the border of the two countries that are all run by the government. Although the camps are run by the Thai government, they are also assisted by private associations such as NGOs. An NGO is a nongovernmental organization that help advocate policies and bring citizen concerns to the government. Their job concerning the refugee camps is to provide security and safety for the people located within them.
As of today, there is an approximate total of 82,000 registered refugees and 13,000 asylum seekers. In order to get to the safety of these refugee camps that most Karen people strive to become part of, they must pass through the jungles located on the outskirts of the country. This is an extremely difficult process considering the government is very protective and strict about who leaves Burma and who comes in. This leads to the next problem which concerns how many loved ones you are able to escape with. This process has been going on for 30 years and it's common for families to separate during this action. When our class participated in the interviews of the Karen students that attend Carrboro High School, Eh Mu Raw stated that she hadn't been able to see or have any contact with her aunt since the time she escaped Burma.
Thailand is Burma's neighbor, providing citizens with nine camps located throughout 4 provinces on the border of the two countries that are all run by the government. Although the camps are run by the Thai government, they are also assisted by private associations such as NGOs. An NGO is a nongovernmental organization that help advocate policies and bring citizen concerns to the government. Their job concerning the refugee camps is to provide security and safety for the people located within them.
As of today, there is an approximate total of 82,000 registered refugees and 13,000 asylum seekers. In order to get to the safety of these refugee camps that most Karen people strive to become part of, they must pass through the jungles located on the outskirts of the country. This is an extremely difficult process considering the government is very protective and strict about who leaves Burma and who comes in. This leads to the next problem which concerns how many loved ones you are able to escape with. This process has been going on for 30 years and it's common for families to separate during this action. When our class participated in the interviews of the Karen students that attend Carrboro High School, Eh Mu Raw stated that she hadn't been able to see or have any contact with her aunt since the time she escaped Burma.
In these camps, the people are given basic foods, shelter, education, and also forms of medical care. Although these camps provide somewhat of a safe haven for these people, the circumstances can still be very poor. Once you make it to the refugee camps, they are not lenient about letting anybody back out. This causes it to be difficult for parents to occupy jobs to make money for their families. Chrit, another Karen student our class interviewed, admitted that he felt like an animal being fenced in without being able to reach all of the necessary resources needed to survive.
Most people who are currently in the refugee camps have no intensions of returning to Burma. They would much rather stay where they are, or, even better, become resettled in a third country. This is what happened to the Karen students who attend Carrboro High School that came to the United States with their families, which provided them with much more freedom and happiness, regardless of the difficult adjustment.
"Karen Refugees in Thailand Wary of Return to Burma." VOA. N.p., 19 Jan. 2012. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.
"Refugees in Thailand." UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency (Thailand) |. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.
"Thailand." UNHCR News. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.
Most people who are currently in the refugee camps have no intensions of returning to Burma. They would much rather stay where they are, or, even better, become resettled in a third country. This is what happened to the Karen students who attend Carrboro High School that came to the United States with their families, which provided them with much more freedom and happiness, regardless of the difficult adjustment.
"Karen Refugees in Thailand Wary of Return to Burma." VOA. N.p., 19 Jan. 2012. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.
"Refugees in Thailand." UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency (Thailand) |. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.
"Thailand." UNHCR News. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.