Refugees

Mae Tao Clinic located in the Thai border town of Mae Sot in Tak Province officially moved to a new purposed built hospital in an effort to keep providing care to people from Burma unable to access the country’s failed healthcare system. Dr. Cynthia Maung, the founder and director of Mae Tao clinic told reporters at the new clinic’s opening…

A fire at Umphiem refugee camp in Phop Phra district on the Thai-Burma border on the afternoon of May 7 destroyed 10 houses. The fire broke out at 2 pm in Section 15 of Zone B, but camp officials said it is still unknown how it started. Daw Aye Hlaing, secretary of the Section 15 told Karen News that there…

Refugees responded to a senior Tak Province official speaking about the repatriation of the more than 100,000 refugees from Burma living in camps along the Thai-Burmese border by claiming that withdrawal of support by international donors is their immediate concern. Suttha Saivanid, the Tak Deputy-Governor said the Thai government had been in contact with Burma’s recently elected National League for…

New executive members of the Karen Refugee Committee (KRC) have called for the new NLD government to put the issue of refugee repatriation on its agenda. The KRC executive said the new government had to ensure refugees could ireturn in safety and with dignity when the time came. The KRC call was made following the election of the new Karen…

A teenage boy, 17 from Mae La camp committed suicide on December 22 at his house in Zone A-2, it was the second suicide case in a month. Saw Ah Kine, the section leader of Zone A confirmed to Karen News that the boy often complained of not wanting to live anymore. “The boy have been telling his grandma for…

Refugee camp officials on the Thai Burma are hugely concerned that suicides among camp residents are climbing. Saw Pha Htaw, social affair coordinator for Mae La refugee camp said that the rise in the suicide rate in Mae La camp this year is now causing a lot of concern. Speaking to Karen News, Saw Pha Htaw said. “We have seen…

In early August, 18 young Karen and Karenni teenage refugees who had resettled to the Salt Lake City in the US, returned to the Mae La refugee camps on Thai border where they were born. The boys were on a trip to attend a World Scout Jamboree in Yamaguchi, Japan and to Thailand and Burma to visit their birthplace. The…

Weeks of non-stop heavy rain have caused flash flooding throughout Burma and northern Thailand. Residents in the Ma Ra Moe Refugee Camp on the Thai Burma border were terrified as flood waters swamped 30 houses. Aid vehicles were unable to get into Section 6 of the Camp as road access was cut off by floodwaters. Saw Ywar Baw, social issue…

Following a statement issued by the Karen Women Organization calling for Burma government and international community to respect the right of refugees on World Refugees’ Day, representatives of the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees met with Karen community based organization on June 23, to discuss repatriation issues. The meeting’s included presentation of the UNHCR’s roadmap on refugee repatriation and…

In an exclusive interview with Karen News, the International Non-Government Organisation, PU-AMI, outlined its plans to protect refugees on the Thai Burma border against outbreaks of the Dengue virus. PU-AMI, together with Thai health officials, community based groups and other international aid agencies, have put together a public health campaign to try to prevent dengue and to increase awareness among…