Burma Link | January 22, 2018

This story is an update to the first part of Saw Hser Htoo Plaw’s story, published as part of Burma Link’s “Protracted Displacement” longitudinal interview series. Saw Hser Htoo Plaw has been the leader of U Wee Klo IDP (Internally Displaced Person) camp since 2007. Although he feels fortunate that the village has solid support for education, food insecurity and lack of medicine pose serious concerns for the IDPs. The situation is also becoming significantly worse, as long-standing international food aid was completely stopped in October 2017. Ensuring the sustainable livelihood for U Wee Klo is thus becoming increasingly difficult, bringing about a new period of uncertainty. In this interview with Burma Link, Saw Hser Htoo Plaw discusses the situation in the camp as it was during the time of the second interview in October 2017. U Wee Klo is part of the larger Ei Tu Hta IDP camp, located in KNU (Karen National Union) Brigade 5 along the banks of the Salween River.

READ PART 1 & 2: “We Will All Immediately Return … If There Is Peace”: Saw Hser Htoo Plaw, Leader of Karen IDP Camp

U Wee Klo (also known as U Way Klo) is an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp located in KNU Brigade 5, Karen State, adjacent to Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province. The camp is up the hill from the banks of the Salween River, one of the longest free-flowing rivers in the world, now threatened by several planned dams. U Wee Klo shelters 639 individuals (October 2017 estimate) and is a section of the broader Ei Thu Hta IDP camp. The discontinuation of food aid to by The Border Consortium (TBC) to Ei Thu Hta camp after October 2017 also concerns U Wee Klo. Under the directives of the KNU, the residents had previously not undertaken any agricultural activities in order to preserve the environment. This situation is changing, however, and IDPs in U Wee Klo are now trying to do small-scale farming to survive when they get no food support. In the main section of Ei Thu Hta, 20 minutes downstream Salween river, IDPs told Burma Link that rice farming is not possible due to the difficult and mountainous terrain. The situation is different between sections 1-5 and 6, due to the different surroundings and support structures. For more information about Ei Tu Hta, download Burma Link’s infographic briefer. 

The following story is part of Burma Link’s longitudinal interviewing project that provides a snapshot into lives of Burma’s displaced individuals. Over a period of about 18 months, Burma Link follows the lives of a few individuals in diverse protracted displacement situations along the Thailand-Burma border. Whilst the interviews provide an in depth look into these individuals’ lives, experiences, concerns and feelings, they are in no way intended to represent those of the larger displaced population. We selected these individuals based on diversity of age, gender, background, and current life situation as well as the likelihood of researchers’ long-term accessibility. The information also feeds into a research project “Protected rather than protracted-Strengthening refugees and peace” by a German independent non-profit organisation Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC). BICC’s project started in January 2015 as a response to the challenges posed by the reintegration and local integration of displaced persons and their participation in peace processes. The project involves collecting data from seven regions: Southeast Asia, Middle East, Eastern Africa, Afghanistan/Iran/Pakistan, the Great Lakes region, Upper Guinea Coast, and Colombia/Ecuador. Read more about the BICC project here. Everyone taking part in the project interviews conducted by Burma Link was clearly explained about the projects and that their stories will be spread to local, national and international audiences as widely as possible. Everyone taking part was given the option to be anonymous and unidentified.

This interview series is meant to give more in depth understanding into the situation, concerns, and feelings of displaced persons about their lives on the borderline and the peace and political processes in Burma, and how they evolve and develop over this critical period of change. It should be emphasised that the series is a small snapshot into the lives of few individuals whose stories are not meant to represent the lives of others. The text has been edited and some parts have been omitted for flow and clarity. This interview, conducted in October 2017, is an update to the first part of Saw Hser Htoo Plaw’s story.

 

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PART 3: CURRENT LIFE SITUATION (OCTOBER 2017)

Situation in U Wee Klo: “We dare not return to the places where we come from yet”

As I am the chief of this village, the main challenge that I face is to find the way for all villagers to survive and where to live safely, including food security and life security. We are also worried about our lives in the future. It

[future] depends on the political situation.

Previously, the situation was okay [in U Wee Klo]. However, the situation is currently getting unstable. I mean, for instance, food support was cut in September. The reason is because the Burmese military government said that there is peace in Burma, so the international community stopped supporting IDPs like us. Actually, there was not [peace]. We dare not return to the places where we come from yet, because all Burmese military camps are still in our local areas. Moreover, the military camps have been built better and better. It is not easy for us to go back and do farming in our local areas yet. Our land and plantations are under the control of the Burmese military.

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Food rations running out: “There is not enough land”

We were told that we would get food until November. We are not sure whether we would get food in December and forwards or not [NOTE: The international food support was cut to zero in October 2017]. There is no more rice in the food storage. It has been allocated to each family. We used to get 138 bags of rice per month for this village, and there are 75 families here. Those who are 6 years old and above got 12 kilos of rice per month, and those who are 5 years old and below got 6 kilos per month. I still have 8 bags of rice [in my house].  I think it will be enough until November.

[Planning for food security] depends on several situations. We are IDPs; we are not local people here. Therefore, we need to ask permission from the local people here too if we do farming. This place is controlled by Paw Kah Der villagers. They are the local people here. This is a KNU controlled area. The village head of Paw Kah Der is in charge. He is the one who allocates the land to local people as well as the IDPs. We [also] need to propose our farming plan to the KNU, for example, how much rice we are going to grow, how large area of land we are going to use.

There is not enough land either, because there are several families here. Sometimes, paddy can be destroyed by insects, birds and rats, too. We have not got any support from any [Karen or international] organization or anyone yet.

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Farming and livelihood: “I am not sure [how we will manage], but we have prepared”

They [villagers] do [know that last rations have been distributed] because we held a meeting and let them know. Most of them [villagers] are planting rice, chili, bananas, cucumber, sesame, and other vegetables. They are preparing for their emergency needs, so that they could survive if the food support was cut immediately. Some of them can sell their bananas, sesame, and chili. Sometimes, they sell them, and sometimes they donate them to their neighbors. 38 families have already grown rice in preparation. They have [already] harvested. There is no rice for sale. It is stored for emergence needs. It is not enough, but it would be better [than nothing] for them.

Those who are not growing rice, they do other plantations. Some make money by cutting grass or doing other [daily] work.  They normally get 150 baht [USD 4.7] per day. They normally do daily work to earn small income that is just enough for their families. They sometimes go to Thai side and work during the day. They are not allowed to sleep and stay on the Thai side.

I am growing banana, soybean, chili, some other vegetables, and I am also digging the elephant foot yam. I have harvested it [rice] [too]. I got around 60 tins [small tin cups]. I need to manage it wisely. If the food is cut, I need to reduce everything I use, and eat a little bit so that I can get through this tough situation.

I am not sure [how we will manage], but we have prepared in order not to face a problem. Some of us are doing farming, some are trading, and some are working as boat drivers. I [still] have one [boat]. It brings many benefits for my family. I sometimes transport goods and people, so I can get income by doing so.

Some people know how to make a living well, but some are worried; particularly those who are widows, single parents, handicapped, and orphans. Some of them are digging elephant foot yam for sale. Some are making thatch for sale. Some are trading fungus, which is called Ku La Ter [a kind of mushrooms in the forest]. Those who are disabled are looked after by their relatives.

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Basic services: “[P]eople have to spend more money on food, so they cannot buy medicine anymore”

We have no more clinic here. The support has been cut, and I could not receive medicine anymore. However, we have bought some medicine for emergency needs. If patients cannot be cured here, they are sent to Thee Kaw Hta clinic and Kaw Htee Hta. It will be 20 minutes by boat from here to Thee Kaw Hta and Kaw Htee Hta. It [health situation] is not that much different from before [during the first interview in March 2017]. However, last month [September] it seemed like there were more diseases. Some people got malaria and flu, [like] sore throat, coughing, and running nose. I think it is because of the weather changing.

We have not got support for medicine for a long time. We ourselves buy it. If we go to Thee Kaw Hta and Kaw Htee Hta, we get it for fee. When the food is cut, people have to spend more money on food, so they cannot buy medicine anymore. Some students and teachers who are staying in dormitory are facing the problem due to the food ration cut too.

For the education, the Karen Education Department [KED] supports us with items such as books, pen, and pencils. For the salary of teachers, Moses [Onlus] organization from Italy support us. Nothing has changed yet according to the education. Teachers quit annually, but we can find replacements. Some teachers continue their further studies, and some start working with other organizations.

Education in U Wee Klo is presently unaffected by the ration cuts, particularly due to continued support from the Italian organisation Moses Onlus. The organisation supports teachers and dormitory students in U Wee Klo with food, blankets, mosquito nets, and personal hygiene and other materials. In Ei Tu Hta main camp (sections 1-5), both high schools were closed due in June 2017 to the impeding cuts in rice rations, when the teachers had to start looking for other work to support for their families.

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Potential return: “The main reason why I do not want to go back [now] is the political situation”

The number of people [living in U Wee Klo] has decreased if we compare with 6 months ago [since the last interview]. Two families repatriated a few days ago. Previously, there were 77 families. The reason why these two families went back is because they have their relatives there, and they were welcomed by their relatives, so they went back. No other families returned.

Hser Htoo Plaw says he does not know of anyone else in U Wee Klo planning to return or move anywhere else.

Most villagers [IDPs] decided that they would stay here as a village. They would not return yet. The reason is because they could not do farming in their local areas, due to the Burmese military camps, even if they went back. Some of them started doing small farms here for preparation, in case the food support is cut. Some are doing trade here too. It is related to education too. If we go back now, it is not easy to find a new school for our children. When we are staying here, our children can access good education.

I am planning to stay here. I cannot go back and stay in my homeland, because if I go back now the Burmese military are staying in my native village. My native village is Jor Hta. I can see [the military] when I travel along the Salween river. My village is located beside the Salween river. The Burmese military even have an airport there. It is a helicopter airport.

If the situation becomes better, I will personally go back and check if my whole family could return or not. I also need to make sure all landmines are removed before retuning with my family.

The KNU has prepared some places in each district particularly Mutraw [Papun] and Taungoon districts for those who want to return. However, those places are not our places, so we do not want go and stay there. Those places are near the Burmese military camps too. They are not that much different from the place where we are living now. If possible, we just want to go back to our homeland.

The main reason why I do not want to go back [now] is the political situation, like the peace process is unstable and my homeland is occupied by the Burmese military, so I dare not go back yet.

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Peace process and future: “It is not really safe to stay here, but it is much better than staying in my village”

In my point of view, the peace process is unstable. It brought us the negative [consequences]. The food support and other supports from the NGOs have been cut due to the peace process.

I do not think there will be peace in Burma easily. To have the real peace in Burma, there is only one way; to pray for it.

Because of the peace process, on one hand, the Burmese military stopped doing operations. For us, we have more freedom of movement. On the other hand, the Burmese military sent more of their weapons to their camps and build their camps better and better. Actually, if the Burmese military was doing real peace, they would not be doing like this. This happened after the ceasefire agreement. The Burmese military started renewing their camps since 2014.

It is not really safe to stay here, but it is much better than staying in my village. We have the KNU army to protect us. [But] we probably need to move to somewhere again if the ceasefire between the KNU and the Burmese military breaks.

I would like to let the donors and the international community know that the Burmese military are liars. They said that there was real peace in Burma. There was not. Everything about the peace process is unstable and uncertain. None of the Burmese military camps have been removed so far. We cannot go back yet. We still need food support if possible.  The Burmese military said that we were lazy, we wanted to stay here without doing anything, we did not want go back. It is not true. Actually, we want to go back, but the problem is that everything is unstable with the peace process, so it is not easy to return yet.

To have a sustainable way in the future, the most important things that we need are health care, food, and education. We also have hope that our leaders will provide us things, which are necessary. In the future, hopefully, we have real peace, freedom, and no more war in our country.

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