Burma: Background

Background to Conflict Burma is ruled by a ruthless dictatorship, determined to hold on to power at any cost. Since 1988, when pro-democracy protests were put down by the ruling Junta, over a million people have fled their homes to hide in the jungle and two million are now living in refugee camps in Thailand or in other countries. 10,000s more have died trying to defend their way of life. More recently, Burma has been in the news because of the Monks protest against the regime and the devastation caused by cyclone Nargis. Different people groups Many people have heard of the Karen, but there are many other ethnic groups in Burma. Although most of the projects of The Epiphany Trust on the Thai/Burma border is with the Karen, our work is expanding to work with other groups. The majority people group in Burma is the Burman. It is people from this group who lead the dictatorship. However, few Burman benefit from the spoils of government, and most are as oppressed as the other people groups. The Trust works with Burmen refugees and their families who fled Rangoon after the 1988 uprising.

Why education?

Epiphany focuses on education as it believes that if children can read, write and are numerate then they are better equipped to resist exploitation by the Burmese army.
1. Education empowers oppressed groups to communicate their problems and experiences to the world.
2. Education empowers oppressed groups to use any legal system which exists, including international law, to defend their rights.
3. Education enables oppressed groups to find out about the world by other means than propaganda, which gives a truer picture of the world and of relevant history. This can bring hope for the future.
4. Education is not destroyed when a building or village is razed, and it is passed from parents to children, so the effects are lasting.
5. Education leads to economic benefits. It is difficult to oppress a group which is of economic significance.

Overview

The hold of the Karen National Union (KNU) over Karen State, its homeland, has been precarious for years. However, the situation has deteriorated since the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) split from the KNU in 2005. The DKBA has since formed a pact with the Burmese Army (SPDC) and is fighting with them against the KNU. In 2008 there has been a lot of the fighting along the border where we have some of our schools. The KNU has lost ground over the last few years and is likely to continue to do so. The SPDC and DKBA are better armed, having made money from selling drugs (Burma is one of the world’s largest producers of opium) and using it to buy weapons. Also, the Thai government, which works with the Burmese Regime and SPDC is clamping down on the KNU and limiting its ability to function and move freely in Thailand, which it has been able to do for years. Pessimistic forecasts from the KNU is that they will lose all of their land in Doo Pla Ya District to the SPDC in the coming years, as they progressively lose the battle there. This puts 10,000s of people at risk as fighting escalates in this region. As can already be seen with Kaw Law Gaw Primary School, the fighting disrupts education and causes suffering to villagers who flee to the jungle without adequate water, food or protection against malaria and dengue.

The situation on the Thai/Burma border is as horribly complex as it is horrible. Often the soldiers fighting with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the army of the KNU, have relatives and friends who are fighting for the DKBA, which makes people naturally hesitant to go into battle. Atrocities are committed by the SPDC in their desire for total control of Burma and they should be condemned for that. The issue in the next few years will be how the international aid community can relieve the suffering of people in areas controlled by them?

There is no denying the statistics; two million people have fled their homeland and another million are hiding in Burma having left their home villages. The Burmese Regime is horrific, mostly in the way that it leaves people in fear not just that they will be harmed physically but that they will not have sufficient food and resources to feed their families due to the activities of the Army.

Refugee Camps

Because of the impact of the regime, 10 refugee camps (with a combined population of 160,000) have come into existence along the Thai/Burma border. The largest is Mae La Camp with a population of about 35,000, mainly Karen. Other camps have a different mix of ethnic groups. Conditions are getting more difficult and it is now harder to leave and re-enter camps. This hinders people in the camps earning of money to buy extra food, to supplement that provided by the NGOs. Some camps have also been closed following attacks by the Burmese army (SPDC).

All of the camps have schools which provide education up to year 10 (comparatively, UK GCSE year). One of the biggest problems is what do those educated people do next? Young people with little hope for the future, of finding employment or leaving the camps, often turn to drugs and alcohol, or end up being involved in criminal activity. Given the number of organisations who work in the camps, The Epiphany Trust focuses its resources on other areas of need along the border.

What few chances of work there are have significant problems attached; the employers often exploit the workers and often the factories are raided by the police; the refugees than have to flee into the forests and fields to try and escape arrest. Hundreds are sent back to Burma, into the hands of the Burmese army, however, most cross back over the border again and return to their jobs until the next raid. The situation is being made worse by the economic downturn of 2008, where many factories are closing as orders for clothes and other goods dry up. This will have a severe impact on the Thais who depend on these factories for their livelihood but will be worse for the migrant workers, whose lives were precarious enough even during economic growth.

Those who can and are confident (or despondent) enough about their present circumstances, are applying for asylum in third countries, often the USA, Australia or Sweden. Although this offers a better life for some, because it is the educated that leave, the potential to build a positive society with those who remain is greatly reduced.

These are some of the problems facing the refugees daily:

Health: Food is hardly sufficient, medical facilities are inadequate and the constant, but under-diagnosed and under-acknowledged, spread of HIV (AIDS) is a major concern.

Safety: The SPDC and DKBA troops continue to press forwards, taking more land from the Karen National Union. In October 2008 the DKBA attacked a Thai village, destroying houses and laying landmines.

Prostitution, often including children, is rife in Thailand and the young girls are continually in danger of being taken from the Burmese border to Bangkok and other locations in Thailand. Epiphany has been involved in stopping one incidence of this in 2005 but it continues at a horrific pace.

The refugee’s only hope, long term, is for a change in the political situation, although a realistic assessment says the impact of that on the daily lives of most people would be limited during the years it will take for Burma to be rebuilt. Education is limited and varies in quality, meaningful employment even for those who have a good standard of education is mostly non-existent and the few who do find employment are regularly exploited.

That said, where we can provide a better and more consistent education there is hope, which is why we fund schools and give grants to projects which support education. Education helps people interact, improves a person’s ability to communicate their thoughts and emotions, delivers a challenge and the potential for opportunity in the future as well as a sense of worth and well-being. For some, the education process may alleviate the sense of hopelessness born from living month after month in the camps, and perhaps reduce the temptation to move into areas of drugs and crime.

What can YOU do for them?

You can be concerned, interested and compassionate, keeping an eye on the media and other sources of information. You can communicate with your local politician, to tell them that Burma and international human rights are important to you and for them to be your representatives to bring about change by international political and commercial pressure.

You can pray for them: Persecuted in their own country, displaced from their homeland, hiding in the jungle, seeking safe refugee in other countries, trying to build some kind of new life. Pray especially for the children's safety, welfare and education. You can pray also for a cessation of the fighting and the persecution of ethnic groups, for a change in Burma to democracy, with respect and dignity for all.

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