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| July 26, 2008 |
heroes on the border
Dr CynthiaDr Cynthia is a legend here. She first set up a clinic in her own home but the flow of sick and wounded soon overwhelmed her small house. So the Thai Government made an alliance with her-and now there is an AMAZING clinic just on the border itself. People risk crossing the border to get help. At Dr Hero's.
In Burma, on average, people move three times a year. There is military fighting around villages and many villages are burned. There is forced relocation, where people are driven from their homes and fields, resulting in food instability and high mortality and malnutrition rates. After 50 years of brutal civil war, landmines are still littering the countryside. Burmese people face forced labor, systematic rape and live in a state of terror.
One woman in three dies in pregnancy. "Pregnancy is a death sentence," said one woman. Only 3% have access to medical assistance.
We met with former political prisoners-both women and men. Currently there are over 2000 political prisoners in Burma.
They have a small museum or memorial showing photographs of the imprisoned and the missing. Many are monks,captured during the recent crackdown. The photographs also show prisoners being tortured.
Since 1994 there have been 31 UN resolutions condemning violations of human rights in Burma.
The abuses continue
One man said, 'The UN does not work for those who suffer.
They work for governments-no matter what those governments are doing to the people. The US, UK and France did vote for political reform but with China and Russia on the Security Council no help came to us.
Burma is a traumatized society. Even the soldiers--from both sides."