Burma short history and refugees

1. Burma & its Refugees

4. People of Burma
Percentage of Population
• Burman 68%
• Shan 9%
• Karen 7%
• Rakine 3.5%
• Chinese 2%
• Mon 1.5%
• Other 6.5%

6. Recent history
• Burmans arrive 800s AD
• Around 1000 AD Burma became a significant
Kingdom
• British rule since 1885
• Japanese occupation during WW2
• At end of WW2, returned to British rule
• Burma granted independence in 1948
• 1962 – coup d’etat
• Military dictatorship, followed by military regime
• 2011 – signs of political reform

7. Human Rights Under Military Rule
• Human rights abuses common throughout
Burma
• Government opponents tortured and jailed
(E.g. Aung San Su Kyi)
• Minority groups persecuted
• Men pressed into service as porters
• Children taken from families
and used as soldiers

8. Chiang Mai
Rangoon
THAILAND
BURMA
CHINA
LAOS
Bangkok
Mae Sot
Shan
State
Karen
State
Mon
State
Karenni
State
Town
A N D A M A N S E A
Pegu
Division
Manerplaw
Mae Hong Son
Kanchanaburi
Tenasserim
Division
Mae Sai
1984. The first 10, 000
refugees flee.

9. Burmese Army overruns
ethnic minorities’ territory

10. Why?
• Disagreements over how the government
should be organised
• Control of land
• Conflict over natural and energy resources
• Disagreements over culture
• “In the future, in the near future, if you want
to see Karen people you will have to go to a
museum.” – Burmese General Maung La

12. Who were the refugees?
• Minority Ethnic Groups
• Mostly women and children

13. Karen People
• Traditionally subsistence farmers in small
mountain villages in east of Burma
• Growing rice, vegetables and raising animals
• Speak many different Karen languages
• Religion - Christian (most), Buddhists, Animists

14. Karen - Politics
• 1946 – asked British for independent
Karen state – not granted
• 50+ years of tension, civil war and
oppression
• 1980’s - policy of “Burmanisation”
• Targeted by Military

17. Why become a refugee?
• Left Burma to escape:
–Killings
–Torture
–Rape
–Landmines
–Being sold into sex slavery
–Forced labour

18. Where are the camps?
• In Thailand
• In Thai-Burma border area
• 9 Official camps along the border
• Thailand not signatory to 1951 Refugee
Convention or 1967 Protocol
– Allow UNHCR to monitor camps

23. What are conditions like?
• Royal Thai Government – camp “temporary”
Building materials – bamboo, wood, leaves
• Fire hazard in dry season
• Basic sanitation – water shortages
• Some education
• Some medical help
• UNHCR food parcels – distribution problem
• Restricted movement outside camp
• Cross-border attacks by Burmese forces

24. Who runs the camps?
• Karen Camp Committee
• Thai Govt allows UNHCR to monitor camps
– Permanent presence not allowed
• UNHCR teams visit camp to provides refugee
registration number
– Essential for resettlement

25. How many refugees live there?
• More than 140,000 refugees live in the camps
• 61% of people in the camps are Karen
• Population still increasing

27. UNHCR’s Three Durable Solutions
1. Repatriation to country of origin
2. Local integration
3. Resettlement to third country
– Australia
– USA
– Canada
– UK

28. Thai Govt Policy to Refugees
• Temporary asylum: basic humanitarian
assistance to refugees confined to camps
• Repatriation as soon as possible
• No local integration
• No third country resettlement (until 2005)

30. 2011 Burmese Political Reforms
• Myistone dam suspended
• Political parties law amended
• Laws permitting labour unions and freedom of
assembly reformed
• Registration of NLD for April by-elections
• Release of political prisioners

31. Implications for Refugees
• Still uncertain about returning to Burma
• What will life be like for them?
• Many have families in third countries
• Many do not have UNHCR numbers
• Thai attitude to camps
• Is it safe to return? - e.g. Landmines

32. Life in Australia
• Help for resettlement – housing, medical,
Newstart
• Language barriers
• Attitudes of Australian population
• Education levels
• Job prospects
• Next generation

33. Exercise
• Fill in the following form

34. ‫פליטים‬ ‫על‬ ‫אישי‬ ‫מידע‬
• ‫שם‬‫משפחה‬2.‫כתובת‬3.‫אתה‬ ‫זמן‬ ‫כמה‬‫חי‬
‫זו‬ ‫בכתובת‬?‫מספר‬4.‫דוא‬ ‫כתובת‬ ‫טלפון‬"‫ל‬5.6.
‫מועסק‬ ‫אתה‬ ‫האם‬?7.‫שלך‬ ‫המקצוע‬ ‫מהו‬?8.
‫האב‬ ‫של‬ ‫שמו‬9.‫אמא‬ ‫של‬ ‫השם‬10.‫היא‬ ‫מה‬
‫הראשונה‬ ‫השפה‬‫שלך‬? 10.

35. Información Personal sobre Refugiados
• 1. Nombre apellido
• 2. Dirección
• 3. ¿Cuánto tiempo ha vivido en esta dirección ? Número
• 4. Teléfono
• 5. Dirección de correo electrónico
• 6. ¿Está usted empleado ?
• 7. ¿Cuál es su ocupación?
• 8. Nombre del padre
• 9. Nombre de la madre
• 10. ¿Cuál es su lengua materna ?

36. Personal Information about Refugee
• 1. Name
• 2. Address
• 3. How long have you lived at this address?
• 4. Phone number
• 5. Email Address
• 6. Are you employed?
• 7. What is your occupation?
• 8. Father’s name
• 9. Mother’s name
• 10. What is your first language?

37. Department of Immigration
• https://www.immi.gov.au/visas/humanitarian
/offshore/more-information.htm
• Refugee visas
• http://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/200.asp
x

38. Website – Burma Link
• http://www.burmalink.org/background/thaila
nd-burma-border/displaced-in-
thailand/refugee-camps/

39. Questions to ask Ka Baw Soe
• About life in Mae La Camp
• About coming to Australia
• About life in Australia