“Burmese Government’s Actions Are Changing All the Time so We Cannot Guarantee That Our Lives Would Not Be in Danger”: Refugee Interview #8

 

 

The interviewee is a Shan/Mon male who was interviewed by Burma Link in Mae La refugee camp in January 2015. This blind Shan-Mon refugee left Shan State out of fear that he would be forced to serve a porter for the Burma Army. Now, he is “so worried about repatriation”, and says he is “wondering when the Thai soldiers will come and force us to go back to Burma.” He voices concerns over the recently issued smart cards, which he thinks may be “their

[the UNHCR and Thai authorities’] chance to send the refugees back inside Burma,” although many refugees believe the cards are for official UN registration. Inside Burma, this Shan/Mon man feels that “private and governmental relation-businesses are developing, but for its citizens and minority ethnicities, they cannot access human rights that the Burmese government is breaking all the time.” He further says that if refugees go back, there is no “guarantee that our lives would not be in danger.” He says that most refugees are not included in decision-making, and their concerns are not addressed. For his future, he wants a “place that cares about our rights – I want a peaceful place for the family where true freedom exits.”

 

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BL: How did you come to the camp?

I walked through many jungles. Sometimes, I hitchhiked for free rides on some lorry trucks that went all the way to the Thailand-Burma border – it was very tiring since it had been many days that I couldn’t remember to count.

 

BL: Why did you come to the camp?

The call for porters by the Burmese military and the government was very common at that time in the Shan State, and there were some civil wars. At that time, they kept coming to look for men and everything for their needs to support the fighting. So, I ran away from my hometown to here.

 

BL: Have you left the camp since arrival? When and where did you go?

Before I got an accident from the work, yes, I used to work outside in the villages near the camp. I worked for my family and myself with daily support. So, I used to work in many fields – agriculture, construction and so on, but I sneaked out of the camp secretly since working outside the camp was not allowed.

(NOTE: He had an accident in a construction site and has been blind for over a year now)

 

BL: Have you been back to Burma? When was your last visit?

No, I have not been back to Burma.

 

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

Sometimes, I feel depressed as I cannot work anymore and at the same time, the camp life, I feel like it is calling me away from the world where life is going on – and I am also losing opportunities in life.

 

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

Life… in the camp is not so different than the place I lived in Burma… I mean, even though I’m living here, sometimes, I am wondering when the Thai soldiers will come and force us to go back to Burma. It’s because this “action” was taken place in Mae La camp in 2006 and a lot of people had to run away and it was very troublesome for families. Some of the camp’s conditions may change since the Thai coup a few months ago. And by the way, oh yes… Life in the camp is like a prison where our mind, thoughts and freedom are being taken away from.

 

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

Like I said in the above question, the refugees’ conditions may change or seems to have changed since the Thai coup in May 2014 because we can hear some good news that we will be recognised as refugees by distributing “smart cards”, which have our personal details inside them. Yet some are still worried that this registration that will be taken this month is their chance to send the refugees back inside Burma. However, as for me, I feel like I could see the shadow of ‘change’ that we always want since some refugees are asking the Thai government and UN to recognise them as equal as international refugees. But since they say they will do it, I will just wait and see what will happen next.

 

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

No, I do not receive adequate aid and support but only the basic rations once a month. In this question, I’m also talking about other aid and support that some of the refugees, including me, cannot receive. For example, number one education … students pass post-10 or 12 and want to continue to study further, but some of their certificates are not recognised in some universities or scholarships that is the only way for them to apply for further education. Number two health care; in camp’s hospital or clinic, we can only access basic treatment, but for bigger issues like eye-care, tooth-care, etc. it’s almost inaccessible in the camp. And there are also some matters that we have inadequate aid and support as well.

 

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

In private and governmental relation-businesses are developing, but for its citizens and minority ethnicities, they cannot access human rights that the Burmese government is breaking all the time. Listen to the news, you’ll see what is happening with their “so-called” development.

 

BL: Are you worried about repatriation?

I’m so worried about repatriation. For the people inside the country, the Burmese government cannot help them and even in this situation, I wonder why they think about calling the refugees back to their country? As you can see, the Burmese government’s actions are changing all the time so that we cannot guarantee that our lives would not be in danger. You can find that the evidence is obvious.

 

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

The news we receive every day is just the news. The news tells one thing, they do the other… it’s been like that for years in the camp. We just have to wait and see what will happen next.

 

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

No, most of us are not usually included in decision making and planning about the camp. They only inform us for what they are doing and what they have done about the decision about the camp. However, we are only called for other matters that we have to do for the camp cleaning, to march to the football pitch for event celebrations and so on.

 

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

They place some post-boxes and told us to write what your concerns are. Even though we write for our concerns, they do not respond… nothing happens. I hear that when people go ask to their office that when UN will make registration for us, they reply, ‘No!’ (Laughing).

 

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

A place that cares about our rights – I want a peaceful place for the family where true freedom exits, and I’m thinking that others will say the same… and a place that we can look for development opportunities for our future.

 

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Read the full briefing paper here (English)

Read the full briefing paper here (Burmese)

Download the press release here