“Why Repatriate Us?? I Am Wondering Whether They Are Trying to Kill Us?”: Refugee Interview #6

 

 

The interviewee is Shan/Karenni female who was interviewed by Burma Link in Mae La refugee camp in January 2015. She fled to Mae La camp after her husband escaped from a Burma Army porter station and Burmese soldiers threatened her and her children. She now feels very worried about the repatriation plans that are under way, saying that they have heard only bad news from Burma, and that “the change that they talk about… where is it? That’s a lie for us, and to the world.” She also feels that in the camp, there is a lot of rumors, it is difficult to access accurate information, and there are no ways for refugees to participate in the discussion of return or preparations for return. This Shan/Karenni woman wants to escape the restricted life in the refugee camp, “small place in a sorrow and narrow iron-fenced cage,” but with no intention of returning back to Burma. She has one question to the UNHCR and the authorities – “Is the future in our own hands or is the future is in your hands? To my understanding, our future must be in our own hands so that we can use our capabilities to achieve something we dream about.”

 

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BL: How did you come to the camp?

How did we come… umm… just like that, four times transfer journey by a lorry truck. Back in our hometown, there is not guarantee for our family’s security and future livelihoods so that we decided to flee from the brutal Burmese military government. While running, we happened to meet a teacher who teaches at a school in the refugee camps. She told us about the place and we came to the camp together in 2008.

 

BL: Why did you come to the camp?

[…] I was looking for my husband, who was made as a porter by the Burmese military for many years. One day, I received the news that my husband ran away from their (the Burma Army’s) porter station and the soldiers will come to me and threaten the family that they would replace him with my children or me. So that’s also the reason that I felt no safety to live, but [I have] to flee my home.

 

BL: Have you left the camp since arrival?

To leave the camp? No way, we have had no supportive document to go anywhere for 6/7 years. We are just afraid that we might get caught and sent back to Burma by force – there has been a rumor about it, so….

 

BL: Have you been back to Burma?

Oh no… Absolutely not. It’s way out of our imagination that Burma is in a transition to development… I mean, we have not been back to Burma or never think of going back there again.

 

BL: How do you feel about living in a refugee camp?

Hmm… it’s like … We are a living being inside a cage, a big cage! A small place in a sorrow and narrow iron-fenced cage! We want to work, we want to see beyond the mountains and the highway road as we want to reset our minds after working very hard for family’s daily needs, but we are not allowed to do any of these things.

 

BL: Has life in the camp changed in recent years?

Right now, I think there is a bit of development in the current situation, but however, only if the camp leaders, Thai soldiers, and the UNHCR follow our each and individual’s desire. I mean, some will be really in trouble as they have no place to go or start their life inside Burma so that they desire the third country resettlement plans, some will have opportunity to live, and some will continue to live in as they are born or are stable to do business or living in Thailand. That’s why, I think the UN and Thai soldiers should pay more attention to our voices.

 

BL: Has life in the camp changed since May 2014?

I think there will be some development for the condition of the refugees in the camps because recently, we were called for a meeting organized by the UNHCR, announcing that we will be given a ‘smart card’ as to differentiate the individual’s personal status and it’s also a recognition as [being] refugees on this Thailand-Burma border. Others rumor that this is the plan for repatriation, too. However, I’m not so sure what’s the reason behind [it] and we’ll just have to wait and see by finger crossing that good things will come.

 

BL: Do you feel that refugees in the camp receive adequate aid and support?

Since we arrived in the camp and after one and a half years, we received rations. So within this one and a half year, we had to manage our own living – My husband always went to the forest to chop down some bamboos for selling and housing while I made small business by selling fried onion, fried beans and so on. That’s for me, I don’t know about the others, but some would face the same difficulties as mine. Now we receive some aid and support once a month, but they are not really adequate for the whole month though.

 

BL: How do you feel about the recent developments inside Burma?

Eh… We have been hearing only bad news… No development at all! One day we hear some villagers are killed during protest, the next day the Burmese military killed and burned the villagers. Students protest, monks protests, the military rules over everything! The change that they talk about… where is it? That’s a lie for us, and to the world.

 

BL: Are you worried about repatriation?

Oh oh oh… very much worried about it! Oh my… the government, the citizens, the country themselves are not stable and not making any progresses so why repatriate us?? I am wondering whether they are trying to kill us? Yes, I’m very much worried about the repatriation plan!

 

BL: Do you feel like you have access to accurate information about the camp or any other developments for refugees?

Hmm.. We have been living in this camp for almost seven years and we have been hearing mostly rumors about good and bad news for us. There is still no accurate information or any developments for refugees in some parts. Once every month, we happen to hear hundreds of rumors (laughing) … a lot of people are talking from what they have heard, and we are listening to what they have said.

 

BL: Do you feel that refugees are included in decision making and planning about the camp?

When they (the authorities) call us for a meeting or something like that, we have to go. And we just listen to what they said and have to do what they plan. We don’t have a chance to give them advice or suggestion about the camp or planning. For UN meetings, we don’t have a chance to participate.

 

BL: If you want to voice your concerns about something in the camp, who do you go to?

We can voice our concerns about something in the camp. They place some small post-boxes to leave our letters, but we never know of their reply or are they just ignoring our letters and avoid to face the challenges we share with them? That’s a common problem.

 

BL: How do you feel about your future? What do you want for your future?

For our future, we really want to go live in a place where there are no worries and good for our children in education, a peaceful place to do independently – but now, we are still worried about what will happen to us next. I know some of the refugees will feel the same things.

 

BL: Is there anything else you would like to say?

I have one question to them (UNHCR and the authorities) is the future in our own hands or is the future is in your hands? To my understanding, our future must be in our own hands so that we can use our capabilities to achieve something we dream about.

 

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