Refugees

Rumors of repatriation of refugees from Burma living in camps along Thai-Burma border are a major causing talking point for camp residents. Recent political developments in Burma and the recent ‘peace talks’ between the Karen National Union and Burma government have added uncertainty to the refugees futures. The Karen Refugee Committee based in Thailand said that they have yet to…

Burma ethnic refugees living in the United State sent a petition to Ambassador Derek Mitchell urging him to pressure the Burma government to stop the systematic widespread human rights abuses in ethnic areas. On March 22nd, the petition was signed by 5,000 refugees from eight different Burma ethnic groups in 67 cities in the US. The petition was delivered to…

Mae La Refugee Camp securities and Thai authorities arrested two men on March 15 for allegedly using narcotics. Security officials in charge at the Mae La Refugee Camp told Karen News that one of the men, Saw Kyaw Eh, 28, had eight ya ba (amphetamine) tablets on him when he was detained by camp authorities, a younger man, also arrested…

A fire that broke out around midday at Umpiem Mai camp, in Tak province destroyed a third of the camp – more than a 1,000 houses, three mosques and two nursery schools. The humanitarian organization, the Thai Burma Border Consortium, Burma state on their website. “Patients evacuated from the clinic are now taking shelter in the food warehouse. Some people…

A huge fire has destroyed as many as 1,000 houses at Umpiem Refugee Camp, 87km south of the Tak town of Mae Sot. A teacher at the camp explained to Karen News that the fire has destroyed large sections of the camp. “Section 9,8,7 and 6 are all gone, completely burnt. It’s dry and windy and the wind has turned…

In November 2010, Hsa Bluh Paw and her family were forced from their home after Burma Army soldiers and a breakaway faction of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army started fighting. Despite the Burma government’s talk of reform and signing ceasefire with ethnic political organizations the Burma Army has continued to wage war in ethnic states. Hsa Bluh Paw and her…

Recent political changes in Burma by the government suggest it is slowly moving away from the military dictatorship that controlled the country for more than 60-years. However, while the Burma Army continues to forcibly displace and abuse villagers in ethnic areas, skepticism and concern about the government’s motives remain. Ethnic and political opposition groups have spoken out against the government’s…

Aid workers are concerned the numbers of refugees fleeing from the conflict between the Burma Army and the Kachin Independent Army is increasing. The number of villagers now internally displaced has jumped from 30,000 to 35,000 as fighting continues. The KIA estimates that there has been 62 major clashes happened so far this month. The KIA say against this backdrop…

Health workers in the Maija Yang region of Kachin State are worried that the winter cold will be dangerous to young and old people in the makeshift camps built to shelter villagers displaced by fighting between the Burma Army and the Kachin Independent Army. Medics at the camps say they are now seeing many more patients with influenza, diarrhea and…

The heavy rain that lashed northern Thailand during previous months and the ongoing monsoon has caused destruction to roads and bridges in Karenni refugees camp No.2 and refugees are now having difficulties to travel or accessing services within the camp. Heavy rains during early October destroyed bridges in the camp caused massive flooding and landslides. The monsoon rains broke the…