Background on the Thai-Burma border situation
For over half a century turmoil has shaken Burma. The country’s ruling military junta is widely criticized for human rights abuses and misguided leadership and is presently subject to economic sanctions by many countries, including the United States (1). Political dissent leads to arbitrary imprisonment and citizens are routinely forced to perform conscripted labor. Burma’s ethnic minority groups suffer harsh discrimination. When elections were last held in 1990, the results were nullified when the opposition National League for Democracy party won over 90% of the seats in Parliament; the will of the Burmese people had been completely disregarded. Although Burma is a land with many natural resources and great potential, the junta’s policies have led the country to economic ruin. This is just a taste of what the people of Burma have been enduring for decades.
Due to the political turmoil there are over one million Burmese living in Thailand today. The exact numbers are not known, but some 130,000 live in refugee camps, and many more live outside the camps (2). Among the latter group, some have legal work permits, but most reside in Thailand illegally. For those in the refugee camps, while their basic survival needs are provided for and they have a chance to go to school, there is little opportunity to earn money. If they have family to support back home, the refugee camp is not an option.
Most of the Burmese not in camps may be appropriately referred to as “forced migrant workers” or “economic refugees”. They are in Thailand for a very basic reason – to survive. Many work long hours in factories or fields, earning less than 2000 baht a month (US$50). At the mercy of border police and their employers, they are often exploited and discriminated against. Many live in constant fear of being deported and therefore avoid going to government institutions such as Thai hospitals and public health clinics.
(1) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1300003.stm
(2) Lee, Thomas J, Mullany, Luke C, Richards, Adam K, and Maung, Cynthia, “Burma: The Impact of Human Rights Violations on Health Among Internally Displaced Persons in Conflict Zones,” Public Health and Human Rights (Baltimore: JHU Press, 2005).
(2) Lee, Thomas J, Mullany, Luke C, Richards, Adam K, and Maung, Cynthia, “Burma: The Impact of Human Rights Violations on Health Among Internally Displaced Persons in Conflict Zones,” Public Health and Human Rights (Baltimore: JHU Press, 2005).
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