Burmese refugees in Thailand for education
Lessons, organised by NGOs, are free-of-charge. Crossing the border is forbidden by the laws of both Myanmar and Thailand.
Mae Sot (AsiaNews/Agencies) More and more ethnic Karen Burmese are crossing the border to reach refugee camps in a small village in north-eastern Thailand, around two hours by car from Mae Sot. Among the refugees, around 40,000, there are many children who come for an education: in Myanmar, opportunities to study are very few. Lessons are offered by non-governmental organizations that provide quality education free-of-charge. There are 46 schools in the camp.
Aki Nakahara, 36 years, is the local coordinator of the Tokyo-based NGO, Shanti Volunteer Association. She said the quality of education offered in the camp is better than that in Myanmar, but it is still far from ideal. "Structures and materials are inadequate and children still do not have enough textbooks," she said. "In spite of that, children are coming to this camp one after another. It means that people's lives in Myanmar are deteriorating."
Angelo, a 21-year-old Burmese boy, studies in one of the high schools. Most of his companions are around three years younger than him. Angelo said there was a school in his Burmese village, but it asked for donations from students to pay teachers. His family could not afford to pay, so his father gave him some rice and advised him to go to Thailand to continue his studies. Arriving at the refugee camp, Angelo said he was amazed to find that all children of elementary school age attending school full-time. "In my hometown, Burmese military troops oblige adults to work as forced labourers, so children must work to make their own living," he said. "As a result, less than half of them graduate from elementary school."
The refugees violate the law when they cross the border: the Burmese government forbids anyone from leaving the country and its Thai counterpart bans entry. Tha Loh Wah, 17 years, was arrested by Thai military last June for trying to cross the border. The boy was terrorized: "I had heard that if I am handed over by Thai officers to Burmese soldiers, I would be tortured. Because of my fear, I was not able to sleep." The soldiers threatened to deport him to Myanmar, but he gave them his wristwatch. The soldiers then released him.
.png)
