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Jennifer Roberts

archives: life along the border

Amongst harrowing tales of torched villages, kidnappings and fleeing through the jungle for safety across the border in Thailand, hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals from Burma seem to somehow quietly prevail and resolutely go about their daily lives.Escaping the government's widespread use of forced labor, forced military service, arbitrary detention, torture and killing, people are left both internally displaced and in neighbouring Thailand. Burma continues to be ruled by the repressive military junta, the State Peace and Development Council. They exercise brute force and gross human rights abuses to maintain their totalitarian government, despite international sanctions and condemnations. The SPDC denies any problems, proclaiming that their country is benefiting from development and unprecedented economic prosperity. This brings little hope that the situation will improve in the foreseeable future. Thousands more civilians will likely be displaced and many more will probably try to enter Thailand as refugees or illegal migrants.Although those living along the border in Thailand have carved out a basic existence for themselves, they live impoverished lives, often without legal identities or any prospects for their futures. Official refugees are not permitted to leave their camps, while otherdisplaced people are permitted little or no mobility from their villages.
   
A Karenni man hides from the Thai military, who frequently pull over public buses and set up check-points in Thailand on the roads near the Burmese border.Mobility isn’t an option for the hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals from Burma in Thailand. Official refugees are restricted to their camps, while other migrant workers and those with official “hilltribe status” are not permitted to leave their villages.
  
The Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand provides health care services for displaced people along the Thai-Burma border. In 2005 the clinic treated 49,000 people. These children are admitted for severe malnutrition, which is often due to malaria or HIV.
     
  
A Shan student of the Nai Soi Community Learning Center displays the marks on his body from traditional Shan medicine. The Nai Soi Community Learning Center was founded just outside a Karenni refugee camp in Mae Hong Son, Thailand by Karenni refugee Kyaw Hla Sein. The centre provides a high school level education to refugee children from Burma.
   
The Nai Soi Community Learning Center was founded just outside a Karenni refugee camp in Mae Hong Son, Thailand by Karenni refugee Kyaw Hla Sein. The centre provides a high school level education to refugee children from Burma.
   
The Nai Soi Community Learning Center was founded just outside a Karenni refugee camp in Mae Hong Son, Thailand by Karenni refugee Kyaw Hla Sein. The centre provides a high school level education to refugee children from Burma. Kyaw Hla Sein’s wife, a teacher at CLC, rests in their home in between classes.
     
  
A Karenni woman smiles at her newborn baby in the Mae Hong Son hospital.
   
The Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand provides health care services for displaced people along the Thai-Burma border. In 2005 the clinic treated 49,000 people. Women wait to see a doctor in the reproductive health section of the clinic. Women have access to both antenatal and post-abortion care at the clinic.
  
Guarded by the Thai military, the tiny village of Rakthai is located only 3km from the Burmese border.
     
  
Guarded by the Thai military, the tiny village of Rakthai is located only 3km from the Burmese border.
   
The slums in Mae Sot, Thailand are home to hundreds of both legal and illegal migrant workers from Burma. The small city is located 5km from Burma and is easily accessed via the Peace Bridge. The Burmese Migrant Workers’ Education Committee works to setup small schools for the children of migrant workers. Often the children go to school in the evening as they work in factories and collecting rubbish in the daytime.
   
The Nai Soi Community Learning Center was founded just outside a Karenni refugee camp in Mae Hong Son, Thailand by Karenni refugee Kyaw Hla Sein. The centre provides a high school level education to refugee children from Burma.
     
  
Guarded by the Thai military, the tiny village of Rakthai is located only 3km from the Burmese border.
   
The Nai Soi Community Learning Center was founded just outside a Karenni refugee camp in Mae Hong Son, Thailand by Karenni refugee Kyaw Hla Sein. The centre provides a high school level education to refugee children from Burma.
   
The Nai Soi Community Learning Center was founded just outside a Karenni refugee camp in Mae Hong Son, Thailand by Karenni refugee Kyaw Hla Sein. The centre provides a high school level education to refugee children from Burma.
     
  
Fleeing war and forced labour in Burma, Baan Unrak orphanage in Sangklaburi, Thailand is home to over 110 children. When possible, mothers are encouraged to stay with their children and work either as a “house mother” or at Baan Unrak’s weaving centre.
   
Fleeing war and forced labour in Burma, Baan Unrak orphanage in Sangklaburi, Thailand is home to over 110 children. When possible, mothers are encouraged to stay with their children and work either as a “house mother” or at Baan Unrak’s weaving centre.
   
The slums in Mae Sot, Thailand are home to hundreds of both legal and illegal migrant workers from Burma. The small city is located 5km from Burma and is easily accessed via the Peace Bridge.
     
  
The slums in Mae Sot, Thailand are home to hundreds of both legal and illegal migrant workers from Burma. The small city is located 5km from Burma and is easily accessed via the Peace Bridge.
  
The slums in Mae Sot, Thailand are home to hundreds of both legal and illegal migrant workers from Burma. The small city is located 5km from Burma and is easily accessed via the Peace Bridge.
  
     
  
The Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand provides health care services for displaced people along the Thai-Burma border. In 2005 the clinic treated 49,000 people. These children are admitted for severe malnutrition, which is often due to malaria or HIV.
   
Guarded by the Thai military, the tiny village of Rakthai is located only 3km from the Burmese border.
   
Fleeing war and forced labour in Burma, Baan Unrak orphanage in Sangklaburi, Thailand is home to over 110 children. When possible, mothers are encouraged to stay with their children and work either as a “house mother” or at Baan Unrak’s weaving centre.