Today, on World Refugee Day (June 20, 2016), an animation created by Burma Link and Burma Partnership reminds the world of the plight of Mon refugees from Burma who were pushed back to their home country in 1994. Over 20 years has passed since the refugees were sent back and those who have now become IDPs in sites situated along the border have yet to have found a proper solution in securing their livelihoods and still depend on international assistance for their daily needs. Currently, plans to repatriate over 100,000 refugees along the Thailand-Burma border back to Burma are under way. The recent story of democracy and transition has insufficiently addressed the ongoing struggles and concerns of the IDPs and refugees, as they become an inconvenient truth rendered invisible by the larger reform narrative. As ongoing discussions regarding refugee repatriation continue, there is an increasing concern that the Mon refugees’ experience of becoming IDPs could be repeated in the absence of a nationwide ceasefire and political solution as land grabbing and foreign investment threaten their safe and durable return.
Don’t let more of Burma’s refugees become IDPs and ensure that they return home in dignity to live in peace with durable livelihood solutions.
#keepsupportingrefugees
#respectrefugeerights
#timeisnotright
Created by: Burma Link and Burma Partnership
Animated by: Mirja Brand
Original artwork by:Wunna Zaw
Narrated by: Amy Czulada
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[…] of thousands of refugees along the eastern Burma border. This includes the Mon refugees, who were forced back to Burma in 1994. Unable to find durable livelihood solutions, the Mon IDPs, like many refugees and […]