Problem statement

With the deterioration of life in Burma under SPDC there is an alarming rise in the forced evacuation of many Burmese. They have been forced to leave their homeland and have fled to neighboring countries such as Thailand, India, Bangladesh, and China, as well as many student and political activists securing asylum status in other countries such as the United States, Australia and Europe. Hundreds of thousands of these Burmese have settled into a rapidly expanding population along the Thai-Burma border, while in the Mae Sot area alone, there are well over 40,000 Burmese workers, as well as numerous student and political activist groups. In early 1999, the Thai Ministry of the Interior admitted that roughly 1 to 1.2 million Burmese migrants were living in Thailand - although official estimates are lower. Many more families, including elderly and children, have been crossing into Thailand than in the past. In addition, unlike past trends, many of these migrant workers are not from areas of ethnic insurgency - such as the Karen and Shan areas(6) - but urban and rural Burmese forced to flee Burma due to such depraved living standards and limited opportunities. They come to Thailand not only for their economic and cultural well-being, but also in fear of their own security. These populations have largely fled from Burma since 1995; and significantly, since 1997. Because nearly all Burmese exiles are officially 'illegal', their status is in a constant state of insecurity, and they therefore must endure very cruel living standards which include abuse, low wages, long hours, poor food, fear of arrest and deportation, and difficult access to health care, social services and education. Due to this pressure - coming from all sides - it is very difficult to focus on the importance of education and individual expression, encouraging confidence in themselves and their future. Many lives in the border area are therefore without hope.(7) Adding to this desperation is the lack of access to proper education for Burmese youth in Thailand; forced to forgo schooling, children are particularly susceptible to abuse. The neglect of Burmese youth especially causes anxiety amongst the exiled population, yet with each day, as more and more migrant workers anxiously seek job opportunities, the situation for these workers worsens, and the neglect of their children rises. The effect is that most must go without any education, and therefore the vicious cycle of desperation continues, as well as adding to the likelihood of further deterioration of Burmese culture and its people. In addition, there is no opportunity for the Burmese population in general to express their ideas, nothing to promote their culture, and therefore, coupled with the extreme pressures of their lives, they are forced to abandon many aspects of their unique heritages. Specifically in the Mae Sot area, there are very limited cultural resources for Burmese people including access to literature, art, music, dance, and a space to gather and share ideas, expression and community. Inside Burma, where there is an increasing lack of access to ideas and resources, people are yearning to receive education and a forum for expression that has been absent for so many years. Moreover, there is also a sore lack of communication amongst the Burmese community and access to communication among the international community. This leaves the Burmese people - involved in such a desperate struggle for freedom - alone.