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| July 22, 2008 |
On the Burma border
Traveling with the Nobel Women’s Initiative
Another struggle is taking place here. 3-4 million people have fled from Burma into Thailand where they are regarded as illegal immigrants and live without health care, education, without the opportunity to earn a living wage and and in fear of being sent back to Burma.
The official Thai population is 64 million. Not included in that count are the 3-4 million ‘illegal immigrants’ who fled here from Burma. Only 150,000 are registered as refugees, the vast majority live without any rights, in perpetual fear of being returned to Burma. Forcible returns are an almost daily occurrence. The work for refugees is ‘difficult, dirty and dangerous’. They have no regular income, sexual harassment comes with the territory. Many work in factories where they also live in wretched and overcrowded conditions. Refugee children born in Thailand have no citizenship- they are undocumented and stateless without education or medical care, they cannot own property or obtain a license to drive. About 4000 are hiding in the jungle.
Thai ethnic minorities comprise 10% of the total population. Although their ancestors may have been living here for 1000 years, they too are denied Thai citizenship. It is difficult for them to find work. The government has recently turned much of their land into national parks. Those who were living on that land suddenly became ‘illegal.”The intent behind this is clear to the women we spoke to-- to weaken or eradicate the culture of ethnic minorities.
One woman told us she went all the way to Bangkok to voice her grievances at the Parliament. A male member of Parliament advised her, “don't try to get out of the kitchen. Go home and breast feed your babies. If your babies are healthy, consider yourself a success.’
The woman replied, ‘It is so hard for me. What I am able to earn is less that what you pay to feed your dog.”
Then she said to us,”I hope this event will allow our voices to be heard and that one day there will be equality.’