Burma Link | May 4, 2015
The following interview was conducted as part of the joint refugee voice project by Burma Link and Burma Partnership. On April 27, 2015, Burma Link and Burma Partnership launched a joint briefing paper, Voices of Refugees – Situation of Burma’s Refugees Along the Thailand-Burma Border, online. The briefing paper highlights how the voices of refugees continue to be neglected in Burma’s reform process.
The research for the briefing paper was conducted by Burma Link through qualitative interviews with open-ended questions, with the purpose to give the refugees a chance to voice their feelings and concerns in a safe setting, and to gain some perspective on recent developments and experiences in the camps along the Thailand-Burma border, focusing particularly on changes since the recent political changes in both Thailand and Burma. Questions included refugees’ background and more in-depth questions relating to the refugees’ experiences, feelings, needs, and concerns regarding their current life situation and their future. The questions were devised together by Burma Link and Burma Partnership. The interviews were conducted with diverse refugees in four different camps along the Thailand-Burma border: Mae La, Mae La Oon, Ban Mai Nai Soi, and Ban Don Yang. All the interviewees who we are able to reach will receive a copy of the briefing paper in Burmese language and their feedback regarding the process, the briefing paper itself and its dissemination will be welcomed and encouraged. See full methodology in the briefing paper (Appendix).
The following interview is the first one in a series that Burma Link will be publishing in the coming weeks. This interview series is meant to give more in depth understanding into the refugees’ voices and concerns. The interview is an edited version of the original and information has been omitted to protect the identity of the interviewee. The interviewee gave an informed consent for publishing his interview as part of this series.
| Background of the Interviewee |
|---|
| Refugee camp: Mae La |
| Age: Under 35 |
| Gender: Male |
| Ethnicity: Karen |
| Origin: Hpa An |
| UN registration: None |
| Arrived to Mae La: Less than 10 years ago |
The interviewee is a Karen male who was interviewed by Burma Link in Mae La refugee camp in January 2015. He grew up in Hpa An and fled to Thailand after his father was killed by a Burmese military’s proxy army, and the interviewee had growing fears for his own life. Since his arrival in Mae La, this young Karen man has been educated in the camp and has been working as a teacher for several years. The interviewee raises concerns particularly over the recent ration cuts and increasing restrictions on movement as well as the growing fears over premature repatriation to Burma. The interviewee says that refugees are not included in decision-making and planning about the camp, and “know nothing about what they (the authorities) are doing.” One day, this Karen man hopes to rely on his own and have “freedom to work, to go and to live safely.” He wants to tell the world that they want to be recognised as refugees and they “don’t want to go back to Burma.”
———————————————
BL: During the years (that you have stayed in Mae La) what change in the camp do you see?
The first thing I saw when I first arrived here was the education. I was so impressed by the education in the camp. And at that time, we got the food ration once in every 15 days. I didn’t get the food ration for me and I didn’t even know how much people get ration. At that time, there were six people in the house that I lived. When I went and carried the ration on the day of rice, I was so tired because it was so heavy and always enough for us. We took the ration twice in a month. But now, we take the ration once in a month and it is so light, and easy to carry. Before the ration was very enough and it was not a problem to eat at our friend’s house when we visited them. But now, I feel hesitant to have meal at other houses because I worry if they have enough ration. Before, I didn’t worry like this.
BL: Any other changes?
Another one is education. When I first arrived here most teachers and staffs especially who work for NGO, they were doing well and alright. But now, I saw most of the teacher are not alright and seem like there is every one in debt. I think, the salary is not changing but the price is increasing. As I know, the salary for the teacher before is better than now. Also the staffs from hospital or almost everyone have to struggle more than before. It is getting more difficult. Before, we could walk on the road, even though we couldn’t drive the cars but we could see and watch the cars. But now, we can watch the car from very far away.
Yes, in the camp there are too many houses and we sometimes would like to walk on the road. Yes, of course when we walk on the road, we feel like we are on the beach. And also, we got fresh air. Yes, like that. It is very different from before. Before, we could get up early and go for running on the road for exercise to be healthy. As for me, I like to play football. Before, people could make small football ground outside of the camp. Now, there is only one football ground at Zone C. All people in the camp go and play there so that it is too crowded. There are about 50 people come and play there so that it makes lots of dust. We play to be healthy but it makes us to be unhealthy. BL: So, you have mentioned three things, not enough rations, not enough salary and can’t play sport for health. Not only sport, for people who are not interested in sport, it is not good for them to just stay at home in the camp and being blocked. Some of the family, they breed pigs and the smell of pig’s dung make air pollution. The houses are so crowded and there is a toilet in every houses. It really make the air pollution. […] We want a better place which can be recommended and safe for us. Yes, we want it. We want freedom to work and go anywhere. We want a place which has freedom for us to live. In the camp, we have right to work but the salary is very few. And also every one can’t get the job. Here, there are many unemployed people. We have no job and the ration also not enough for us. So, the human resource here is wasted. To go out, we are not allowed. People here want to work but in this situation it is not safe for them to work. They want a place which is safe for them. Yes, so do I. BL: Has life in the camp changed since last year? Yes, before we could go out, but now we can’t. Now, they shut the gates. That is one big thing. And I heard news from other people but I am not sure whether it is true or not because it is not officially announced. The news is that Thai soldiers will come and check the refugees. People who are not registered by UNHCR, like us, will be sent back to Burma like, in the past, Khmer refugees (Cambodian refugees in 1987). When we heard like that we were afraid. But… even though we are afraid, what can we do? BL: Any other changes? Yes, they shut the gates. Because of they shut the gates, we have some problems when we take building materials ration. Before, when they came and give us the building material ration we could go and take it easily. But now, when we go and take bamboos or something for the building we have to wait for a long time because we don’t know when our turn is. But, we can wait because we have plenty of time in the camp. Sometime, I heard people told us that we are lazy people because we take rations and we eat what people treat us. I want to work. But, when I went out and work in Mae Sot. I had to be afraid of Thai police because the document we use was not legal and we are also not Thai citizens. We have to be afraid if we work. If we don’t work we can’t have enough food to eat. But, I am satisfied to have this life even though I want better. But, I don’t want to grow old and die with this life. Because there were people died like that here, in this society. I don’t want to be like them. BL: How do you feel about the security, socially and business here? If compare with Burma, here is more safe for us. But, for the part of socially, we just have to stay inside the fence and are not allowed to go out. It is not good for us. It feels so strict. Here, we are not allowed to go outside our home after 9pm and we are not allowed to go outside the camp. […] Then, sometimes I saw people go freely to anywhere they want and I wanted to get freedom like them. But, my life in the camp is better than in Burma so that even I want a better life I won’t insist to get it and I am satisfied my life here. BL: How do you feel about the recent developments inside Burma? Since I have arrived here the change in Burma I see is military administration is changing to democracy. For the development, on Facebook I saw lots of demonstration against the government and some issues like land confiscation. They use military to handle the demonstration and if they can’t handle by that, they use polices and sticks. If they still can’t handle it, they will use the guns and bullets. I don’t see lots of changes but in my opinion the government is as the same as before. […] People were demonstrating because their lands were taken, as a consequence of demonstration they were killed. It doesn’t make sense. The foreigners come and make business. And also take our people lands. That’s why, the people demonstrate and the military that set up for the people killed the people now. I don’t think that is change. The one thing that I actually know changing is for those business people who corporate with Government are expending their business now. BL: Are you worried about repatriation? Why/why not? Yes, of course a lot to worry. Like now, the lands are taken. Even though some people who have been living there since their ancestors, one day the military will just come and claim that this is Government’s land and will take over it. Imagine if we go back to Burma, maybe today we live and tomorrow they come and ask us to go somewhere else, then where do we go. I haven’t been back to Burma years already and now I don’t have any relatives in Burma. My friends are also not in Burma. Right now, for the poor people who live in Burma, they can still collect plastics and sell it. If we also go and collect plastics in their area, they will not allow us. Not only that, also, I am afraid of the military and any other armed groups. Anyone who has a gun, we have to be afraid. […] If we are in Burma, what do we do to make a living? We don’t have land for agriculture. Even if we have a land we still need skills for agriculture. Let’s suppose we have land, skills, and money to invest but who will guarantee that our livelihood will not be disturbed by any military armed group. We have no guarantee for our security. BL: Do you feel like you have access to accurate information about the camp or any other developments for refugees? Can you explain? The news that I heard mostly are negative. Since 2006, I heard many different news but it was not the true. In 100 percent, maybe 10 percent was true. We just listen the news to comfort us. The news are like entertainment for us. But, I don’t trust the news at all. However, I always ask people if they heard any news. I am so happy when I heard people said we are going to be registered by UNHCR and they will send us to third country. No matter it is true or not, I am happy to hear that news. But, if I hear like we will be sent back to Burma, I feel worried. But, I just comfort myself that it is impossible news. BL: Do you feel that refugees are included in decision making and planning about the camp? Can you explain? No, I don’t because if we are included in decision making and planning, we will get accurate news. We know nothing about what they are doing. When they make selection, I saw people cast a vote but for us, we didn’t know anything and we didn’t have right to cast a vote as well. For us, we don’t know anything exactly about the camp. I am not interested in that because no matter what they are planning, I believe that we will be alright. Because, we don’t rely on the people who take over the camp, but we mainly rely on UNHCR. But, now UNHCR make the mailboxes for us. It makes us sad because mostly it seem like for repatriation. So that, most people don’t read it. Almost everyone in the camp is disappointed because they want a better place but they just have to live in the camp. So that, they don’t want to read letters that make them sad. That’s why, the mailbox is nothing for them. BL: Do you have any other thing to add? I want to tell that for our future, we don’t want to go back to Burma. Because, Burma is a hell for me. I don’t want to go to that hell at all. This situation is better that a hell that I have lived before. And also I don’t want to just stay like this situation, always take rations and rely on others. I believe myself that I can rely on my own so that I want to rely on my own. For that, It is impossible to rely on my when I stay here. Because, we don’t have right to work legally. In my future, I want to have freedom to work, to go and to live safely. […] Thai and UN have agreement to let us stay here. But, they don’t recognize us as refugees. I want them to recognize us as refugees now. You may also like:
Attempted Suicide Rate Rises in Mae La Refugee Camp
Briefing Paper: Voices of Refugees – Situation of Burma’s Refugees Along the Thailand-Burma Border
‘They Reduced the Support for the Refugee Camps … That Is Why the ‘Voluntary’ Return Is Happening’: Lay Lit, Secretary of KSNG
Karen Refugee Committee Criticizes Refugee Repatriation Process
Refugees Ask Governments Not to Forcibly Repatriate Them
Senior Thai Official Puts Burma’s Refugee Repatriation Back On The Agenda – Refugees Concerned About Cuts To Rations And Essential Services