Burmese refugees

From: Austcare organisation



" Due to continued conflict in Burma, hundreds of thousands of Burmese have fled across the border into Thailand to seek refuge and to escape military attack, forced labour and forced relocations. About 140,000 Burmese refugees live in camps in Thailand along the Thai-Burma border, many of whom have lived there for up to 20 years.
The border is covered in landmines, which claim an estimated 500 victims each year. These landmines are laid by both the Burmese Army and anti-government forces. It is reported that the Burmese Army lays mines close to villages to prevent people from returning to their native villages after being forcibly evicted.
Many refugees in this region regularly risk their lives to cross the border in order to visit with their families, seek food, hunt and trade. Burmese school children often cross the border into Thailand to go to school in the refugee camps, since Burmese border provinces lack a good education system. The local host communities in Thailand are poor and face a heavy burden, shared by Thai government authorities."



Here a link to an article about the resettlement of a Burmese refugee family.



http://www.theirc.org/news/a-burmese-refugee-family0521.html