KAREN McGRATH, media and communications coordinator at international aid agency, Act for Peace, recently returned from Mae La refugee camp on the Thai/Burma border. In the first part of a two part article written as the organisation looks to raise support for those living in the camps like Mae La through its annual Christmas Bowl Appeal, she writes of some of the challenges faced by refugees there…
Mae Li and her husband just had enough time to take their children and escape when the Burmese army attacked in the night and destroyed their village. It was terrifying. “Life in Burma was very fearful. When the military attacked we were very afraid…Here (in Mae La refugee camp) it is better as there is no fear.” Life in the camp is hard, but at least Mae Li has felt safe here, up until now.
International funding cuts, changes in Thai government policy and proposed reforms that may follow the upcoming 2015 Burmese elections have meant refugees could be faced with an impossible decision – stay in the safety of the camps and watch their children go hungry, or return to Burma too soon and risk violence and death. Theirs is a forgotten story, and the Karen a forgotten people struggling for survival as the world looks away.
Mae Li is one of over 120,000 people – Burma’s forgotten refugees – forced to flee their homes to escape death, violence and fear caused by the world’s longest running civil war. Burmese refugees like Mae Li now live in refugee camps on a 500 kilometre stretch along the Thai/Burma border. The camps are home to a diverse range of ethnic groups but the vast majority are ethnic Karen with their own language and customs.
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MORE FACES OF MAE LA REFUGEE CAMP: Mother of three Lay Lay has been in Mae La camp since 2009. She fled Burma when her village was attacked and destroyed by the army. She is a beneficiary of the Mae Li nursery lunches program.. PICTURE: James Boubli/Act for Peace “Funding cuts have left ethnic populations and organisations on the border with reduced support from the international community and, more worryingly, have brought into question the possibility of forced repatriation.” |
Life in the camps is extremely hard- legally confined inside, people are entirely dependent on external humanitarian aid to meet basic human needs. In saying this, refugees have remained reasonably safe in the camps and have built a future free from conflict and abuse. Until now.
After the once isolated country began opening up its borders following political reforms in 2011, the international community responded in a very pragmatic way, acting on the assumption that steps towards democracy would pave the way for safe repatriation. As Burma’s isolation eased, several aid organisations and international donors significantly cut funding to organisations based along the Thailand-Burma border including to ‘The Border Consortium’ (TBC here on in), the NGO responsible for feeding and sheltering refugees.
Funding cuts have left ethnic populations and organisations on the border with reduced support from the international community and, more worryingly, have brought into question the possibility of forced repatriation. As the country prepares for another election in 2015, talks of repatriation appear to be gaining momentum. These efforts may appear encouraging at first but UNHCR and international aid agency, Act for Peace, strongly believe conditions are not yet conducive for return. As the incoming UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma and TBC’s protection and security report (2014) have already noted, refugees could face the risk of returning to one of the world’s most militarised areas where risk of land mines, torture, extortion and armed violence is a threat faced by many.
The peace process in Burma is now at a critical juncture from which it could evolve into a transformative national dialogue or splinter into a divisive charade. While hopes for substantive and inclusive discussion about structural injustice remain, ongoing militarisation and attacks by the national armed forces are undermining the confidence of ethnic stakeholders and mean that communities face everyday threats to their safety and security.
Funding cuts
International funding has not ceased completely to the region but has significantly decreased, affecting the 120,000 refugees still remaining in the border camps. The daily struggles and feats of refugee populations living on the border have primarily been caused by changing international donor priorities, the changing behaviors of the Thai government and army in implementing refugee policy on the border and changes to domestic reform within Burma.
The European Union (EU), Sweden and The Netherlands have all significantly decreased their funding to the border camps in the last two years. The most significant cut has come from the EU who was previously the biggest donor to TBC.
Significant funding cuts to border NGOs is a result of increased humanitarian needs in other crisis areas such as Iraq and the associated redirection of aid. With reports of progress in Burma many international donors have pulled funding from Burma or been moving resources into central Burma. Act for Peace executive director Alistair Gee comments that “withdrawing funding to border-based and cross-border groups such as ‘The Border Consortium’ (TBC) to channel aid only through Yangon will throw away the positive results of 20 years of support”. He added that “it is counterproductive to drop cross-border aid and initiatives in order to re-direct efforts towards Yangon”.
The effect of funding cuts
Australian supporters of international aid agency, Act for Peace, have supported refugees in the border for over 20 years through local partner TBC through the provision of food, shelter and livelihoods programs but widespread cuts have not spared even long-standing aid providers like TBC. This has had an alarming affect on the refugee population.
As a consequence, TBC has had to cease the provision of all non-food items, with the exception of cooking stoves and donated items. Furthermore, the consortium is now struggling to provide refugees even with the minimum recommended nutritional intake. In November 2013, TBC were forced to cut food rations to refugees. Over 41 per cent of children now suffer from chronic malnutrition and the rations that refugees receive are under the World Health Organisations minimum humanitarian standards for food intake.
Burma”s “closest” neighbour
“While there have been no recent official changes in refugee policy, the military have begun enforcing existing regulations and specifically have started confining refugees to the camp restricting their movements and preventing them from working outside of the camps.”
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Thailand’s policy decisions also dramatically affect the lives of refugees living along the border. The Government of Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention related to the Status of Refugees, nor has it put in place national legislation to deal with issues associated with displacement and refugees. All nine camps on the Thai/Burma border continue to be universally referred to as ‘temporary shelters’ in all official communications by the host government. Since the first major influx of Burmese refugees into the camps that took place in 1984, two or three generations of children have been born into ‘statelessness’ and are not given a nationality as Burmese or Thai citizens. The Thai government chooses not to allow them a nationality but does however cooperate with the UNHCR to register their births.
While there have been no recent official changes in refugee policy, the military have begun enforcing existing regulations and specifically have started confining refugees to the camp restricting their movements and preventing them from working outside of the camps. This has the potential to turn the clock back and undo all the efforts of TBC and international NGOs towards self-reliance and increasing opportunities for refugees to take more responsibility for their daily lives. The restrictions on movement in and out of the camps will inevitably increase aid dependency, putting more pressure on limited resources in the camps, encouraging risky behaviors and heightening the need to strengthen identification of vulnerabilities in camp for targeting assistance.
The concerns of the refugee population have further intensified with the recent camp wide head counts from Thai authorities, which have introduced speculation that the government intends to forcibly repatriate the entire camp population after the 2015 Burmese elections. Thailand’s defence Minister, Sukumpol Suwanatat, has expressed his wishes to send the refugees back home and close the camps. His rationale is that Burma is moving towards democracy. These comments however do not reflect the Thai government’s official stance but do incite fear and concern amongst refugees and NGOs. Mr Gee, of Act for Peace, expressed a common fear among the ‘forgotten refugees’, “We fear that the Thai authorities will misuse reports of progress from inside Burma for the purpose of speeding up the repatriation of refugees.”
25th November, 2014
PART II
The risk of forced repatriation
As funding continues to be cut and changes to Burmese and Thai policy continue, the future is uncertain for the large population of refugees that call the border home after fleeing the world’s longest civil war. Concerns of forced repatriation, however, at this stage are merely that- just concerns, however if this concept were to continue to gain momentum and post 2015 election time refugees were forced back into Burma the consequences would be far reaching.
After decades of military rule was replaced by a military-backed quasi-civilian government in 2011, Burma has seen some reforms introduced – a number of ceasefire agreements have been signed with ethnic armed groups, political prisoners have been released and the media is able to report more freely. Despite the reforms, little has changed for civilians living in conflict-affected areas or for those in refugee camps on the Thai/Burma border. Burma’s ethnic minorities have continued to face hardship with human rights abuses reported daily. Eastern Burma remains one of the world’s most highly militarized areas. Communities living within Burma and Burmese refugees face extreme risks to their safety and security.
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A HELPING HAND: Li Ma, four-year-old is a beneficiary of the nursery school feeding program. run by The Border Consortium. PICTURE: Karen McGrath and Ben Littlejohn/Act for Peace “Despite cease-fire agreements, low-level guerrilla wars in many regions across Burma have continued to affect communities…TBC estimates that conflict has made a further 70,000 people homeless in Kayin (formerly Karen) state in the past year.” |
The risk of return to a highly militarised area
Border NGO TBC’s 2014 Peace and Security Concerns report highlights the ongoing fears and concerns of conflict-affected communities both within Burma and living in refugee camps along the Thai/Burma border. The report shows there has been no respite from militarisation since negotiations for preliminary ceasefire agreements began in 2011. While there has been a reduction in fighting, militarisation has increased.
According to a recent survey a military barracks shadows 72 per cent of village tracts and 28 per cent have the presence of both the Burmese Army and ethnic armed groups, significantly increasing the chances of armed violence and human rights abuses. The prevalence of threats from armed groups to civilian security and safety remains significant and widespread. Intimidation and extortion was reported by more than 30 per cent of villages and there is an ever-present risk of death or serious injury from landmines in 53 per cent of communities. Torture or inhuman punishment continues to cast a dark shadow on Burma’s human rights progress with 14 per cent of communities still reporting this kind of abuse from armed groups and the Burmese army.
Despite cease-fire agreements, low-level guerrilla wars in many regions across Burma have continued to affect communities. Conflicts between small groups of armed Karen and the Burmese army have remained violent since the 2011 election. TBC estimates that conflict has made a further 70,000 people homeless in Kayin (formerly Karen) state in the past year. It is estimated that around half a million people remain internally displaced inside the country. Often, the army orders villagers off their land to allow for mining, logging and other resource exploitation. Forced repatriation would see tens of thousands returning to areas marred by armed conflict and having to live with the daily fear of exploitation, violence and sometimes death.
Restrictive freedom within Burma
As the incoming UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma has already noted, there are also worrying signs that the reform process within Burma is backtracking. The space for human rights defenders, political opposition parties and journalists appears to be shrinking and refugees would be returning to a country still marred by human rights abuses. Violence targeting Muslims reflects the ethnic and religious prejudices which plague Burma. In regards to civil and political rights, the recent sentencing of five journalists to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour for reporting about an alleged chemical weapons facility as well as the intimidation of other journalists should raise concerns. Similarly, the conviction of activists for protesting an alleged rape by a military soldier exemplifies how freedoms to peaceful assembly and protest are being repealed.
It should also be taken into consideration that while some positive developments are taking place and more freedom is given to the people of Burma, many repressive laws have not been changed, the vast majority of people are living in poverty, and there is still a great need for schools and hospitals, especially in border areas. The international donor community should also keep in mind that organisations working out of Yangon not only have to work in cooperation with the Burmese government but they simply do not have access to most areas where cross-border aid has been operating.
In conclusion…
As the 2015 Burmese election draws closer, refugees on the border continue to face fear and uncertainty. Whilst this should be a time for embracing the positive changes that are on the way in Burma, speculation surrounding forced repatriation and continued funding cuts have forced many refugees to re-think their future. If we wish to see genuine transformation toward a democratic and just society for all peoples of Burma, it is imperative that the myriad organisations and vulnerable ethnic populations on the Thailand-Burma border are included in the democratisation and national reconciliation process.
For the time being, most refugees will just have to sit tight, hoping they won’t have to return until real change comes to Burma. Agencies like The Border Consortium and Act for Peace continue to support refugees through this uncertain period, ensuring that although many of the world have forgotten them, Australians will let them know that they are not alone.
International aid agency, Act for Peace, supports Burmese refugees through its local partner ‘The Border Consortium’. Karen McGrath, media and communications coordinator at international aid agency, Act for Peace, travelled to Mae La refugee camp in December 2013 and came back to Australia with a desire to stop the plight of refugees through her continued work with Act for Peace and public awareness campaigns. If you would like to learn more please visit www.actforpeace.org.au/thailand.
Funds raised in this year’s Christmas Bowl Appeal will provide food rations, vegetable seeds, tools and training to help families like Mae Li’s have enough to eat until it’s safe to return home to Burma. You can give to the appeal, find out more or order a church fund-raising kit with worship resources, by visiting www.actforpeace.org.au/christmasbowlor calling 1800 025 101.
