Karen refugees, prisoners without a future

KAREN REFUGEES

PRISONERS WITHOUT A FUTURE

(Thailand 2014)

120 thousand refugees from Burma have lived confined to the camps in Thailand for 30 years. They Fled from a civil war, ethnic persecution, to find themselves prisoners without a future. Although refugee camps are hardly natural places to live, thousands have been born in the camps and never left. For the vast majority of them, the only way of life they have ever known is one forced to be dependent on outside assistance. For many young refugees, refugee camps are where they were born and where they grew up, and the only reality they have ever seen exists within the fences of the camp. After school they have no chance to work, they cannot have a normal life, they can only dream to do a job one day, to motivate their existence. They are confined to the camps with limited educational and training opportunities and no official means of earning income or gaining employment. They are stateless, they no longer have a nationality, not Thai, as the Thai government does not grant them citizenship, neither Burmese because they cannot return home given the political situation and persecution against them and they are no longer recognized as citizens of Myanmar. They belong only to the refugee camp that has become for them a concentration camp.

The refugees are living thanks to humanitarian aid provided by various NGOs, but even these are decreasing over time more and more due to the global economic crisis. The job opportunities are few and are linked to a few places within the NGOs. Most of Karen refugees are farmers and the land confiscated at the time by military regime will not be returned to their legitimate owners, so they have to back home without a home, without a job with no land to farm. Recently the new Thai junta has restricted refugees’ movement even more. Refugees still frequently break the rules of confinement to find a job outside the camp , and as a consequence, are often detained and now even killed. On September 2014 Thai junta announced that it wants to repatriate all refugees by 2015 despite ongoing grave violations of human rights in eastern Burma causing anxiety among the camp communities as most refugees do not feel safe returning to their homeland. But the guarantees of respect for human rights are not there yet.

Jue Nae Paw 13 years old, she would like to become a nurse and going away from the camp

Cultivated fields, Mae La Refugee Camp, Thailand. Inside the camps refugees have created small plots where they can grow something, but the production is just sufficient for a few people.

Naw Ree Sa Moo 18 years old, she is finishing her studies in learning management, she would like to go to Australia to continuing her studies and becoming a teacher or a nurse, and living outside the camp in a foreign country

Cultivated fields, Mae La Refugee Camp, Thailand.

Preparing the fire to cook lunch, Mae La refugee camp, Thailand

Saw Ehta Nu Thoo 20 years old he would like to become a politician to help his people.

Taking water from the river to irrigate the fields, Mae La refugee camp, Thailand

Tina, 26 years old, on the left with two of her sisters, she is studying to become doctor and going back to Burma or in some foreign country to work

Refugees playing volleyball, Mae La Refugee camp, Thailand

At the river, Mae La refugee camp, Thailand

Saw Eti Ku Hsee 18 years old, he would like to become a missionary and going to study in Australia

Children while collecting berries from the tree, the Mae La refugee camp, Thailand

Saw Ba Sot Gray 19 years old, is dreaming to become doctor in medicine and going back to work and live in Burma

Taking the water to irrigate the fields, Mae La refugee camp, Thailand

saw Blo Hay bwe 13 years old he would like to become a soldier to fight for the freedom of his people and going back to Burma

Buddhist monk while collecting offers for the temple, Mae La refugee camp, Thailand

Mother with her daughter while doing daily chores of the house, Mae La refugee camp, Thailand

saw Hser Ku Thoo 21 years old, he would like to become a Karen leader to fight for the rights of his people, he would like to go to foreign countries to study

Shakira fan, Mae La refugee camp, Thailand

Naw Eh Paw, 24 years old, she would like to become a teacher, her mother was transferred in Finland, because she had the UN refugee card, but Naw Eh Paw cannot reach her, because she has only the student card and cannot go in foreign countries

Naw hay Tha Ler Pwe, 22 years old, she likes music, she plays violin and piano, she would like to become a music teacher and going to USA to study

Kindergarten, refugee camp in Mae La, Thailand

Naw Ah Ku Hloo 18 years old, she would like to become a missionary and going back to Burma to help her people

Saw Ploe is 5 years old, in the future he would like to be a superhero to help his people. Kindergarten, refugee camp in Mae La, Thailand

Prefabricated schools, refugee camp in Mae La, Thailand

Naw K’Brue Say 21 years old, she would like to become a missionary and going back to Burma to help the people on the mountains

Naw Thaw thaw kyi 15 years old she would like to become a doctor and going to USA

Lesson at school, Mae La refugee camp, Thailand

Saw Hsa Thau Thoo 6 years old, he would like to become a teacher in the kindergarten

Hanging clothes Mae La refugee camp, Thailand

The cultivation of vegetables, Mae La refugee camp, Thailand

Going to the well to take water, Mae La refugee camp, Thailand

Back home in the evening after class, Mae La refugee camp, Thailand