The Burmese
From a UNHCR Sources

Background on Myanmar (Burma)
The Southeast Asian country of Myanmar (also known as Burma) is roughly the size of Texas with a population of some 50 million. The country is divided into seven states and seven divisions. The country is one of great eth­nic diversity with at least 15 major ethnic groups. The largest ethnic group is the Burman (Bamar) who com­prise about half the popula­tion. Some of the other ma­jor ethnic groups include the Karen (6-7 million), Shan (4 million), Mon (4 million) and Chin (1.5 million).

The area now occupied by Myanmar has been popu­lated for over 2,500 years by a number of ethnic groups. Burma was colonized by the British during the 19th cen­tury and achieved independ­ence in 1948. In the 1960's the government came under the control of the military led by General Ne Win. General Ne Win stepped down in 1988 and was succeeded by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). That same year the regime changed the name of the country from Burma to Myanmar.

Following a nationwide pro-democracy uprising in Au­gust and September 1988 and widespread opposition activity against the SPDC throughout 1989, Parlia­mentary elections were held in May 1990 and were widely reported to have been won by the party of Aung San Suu Kyi. The results of the election were ignored by the regime, however, and Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest. Fighting between the govern­ment and ethnic opposition groups and pro-democracy supporters escalated during the 1990's. This led to major refugee outflows into neighboring countries, in­cluding Thailand, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. While fighting has diminished in recent years, problems still persist and refugee flows have continued. Since 2005, there have been more than 8,000 new arrivals in Thailand. In 1997, the SLORC changed its name to the State Peace and Devel­opment Council (SPDC) and remains in power. The SPDC and its predecessor SLORC have been frequently criti­cized by the international community for human rights violations.

Although Myanmar has abundant natural resources, it is economically one of the poorest countries in Asia. The average life expectancy is less than 60 years, and the infant mortality rate is 10%.

Burmese Refugees in Thailand
There are approximately 129,000 Burmese refu­gees in Thailand regis­tered with the Royal Thai Government and UNHCR. While Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, it has allowed registered refugees to remain in Thai­land with a temporary status. Most Burmese refugees are restricted to live in nine camps along the western Thailand bor­der with Myanmar. There are approximately 11,000 more registered Burmese living in urban areas in Thailand, and another 10,000 Burmese living in camps who have been provisionally registered by UNHCR but whose status is still pending with the government.

Reasons for Refugees Fleeing
The majority of Burmese refugees now in camps in Thailand left between 1995 and 1997 following a series of military offensives by the SPDC against opposition move­ments in the Kayin and Kayah states. There has been a fifty-year on-going armed conflict between the government and ethnic based groups seeking greater autonomy for these states. The opposition groups include political and mili­tary organizations such as the Karen National Union (KNU) and its armed wing; the Karen National Liberation Army (KNIA), the Shan State Army (SSA), the Chin National Front (CNF), and the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP). During this conflict, ethnic groups and individuals living in the dis­puted areas have been subjected by the government to forced relo­cation, arbitrary arrest, detention, forced labor, conscription (including minors) as well as gen­eral repression of cultural and religious identities. Not all refu­gees in these ethnically controlled areas directly participated in oppo­sition movements or military ac­tion. Government actions were often based on imputed support for the opposition based solely on the individuals' ethnicity. Persons closely associated with the KNU or the KNPP were particularly vulner­able to serious abuse, as were their family members.

Others in the camps include ethnic Burmans who have been forced to flee due to their association with pro-democratic movements. These include members and supporters of groups such as the All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF).  Many Burman refugees were forced to flee after the gov­ernment crackdown on political opponents following the failed 1990 elections and support for Aung San Suu Kyi.

The majority of the group fled to Thailand in early 1997, following a major offensive against the Karen National Union (KNU) by the government army of Burma, which resulted in the KNU losing command over the area that had for several decades been outside the control of the central government. The population fled overland to Thailand in large waves over a period of some four months, and sought refuge in the area near the present location of Tham Hin Refugee Camp. The Thai authorities granted temporary asylum to the group. The flow of refugees from Burma had been steadily increasing over the two decades prior to the establishment of Tham Hin in 1997. It is believed that more than one million Burmese refugees have sought protection in Thailand at various times since the beginning of the Karen independence movement in the 1950s.

For the most part, the population in the camp shares a common ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic background. This background is inextricably linked to the persecution the group faced in Burma at the hands of the Burmese authorities. Since the time of British rule there has been a growing level of animosity between the majority Burmese population in the country and the various ethnic groups, particularly the Karen, who for more than the past half century have fought a continuous armed struggle for independence against the central government. The Karen, like most other ethnic groups in the country, have been subjected to systematic, wide-spread ethnic-based persecution by the central authorities. Forced labor, forced relocation, repression of cultural and religious identities and generalized and deliberate discrimination have been persistent aspects of the life of the Karen.

The Karen have also suffered from persecution for real or imputed political opinion - both on an individual basis and as a group. The Burmese government, in its long-standing civil conflict with the Karen, has generally associated all Karen with the armed resistance, and has been known to mete out punishment on entire villages for presumed support of the KNU. Such atrocities as the burning and forcible relocation of villages, arrest, imprisonment, and torture of suspected supporters of the KNU, generalized harassment and intimidation of the population, and the rape of ethnic women were commonly seen in the area of Burma from where the population fled.

Individuals who were in any way associated with the KNU or other anti-government organizations, either politically or militarily, are particularly vulnerable to serious abuse by the Burmese government. It has often been reported that close family members of persons with such affiliations were also frequently arrested and abused by the authorities for their imputed political views.

Under Thai law, all foreign nationals in Thailand without valid passports and entry visas are considered illegal immigrants. For the refugees residing officially in the camps, the Thai government has accorded temporary status, allowing them to remain legally on Thai soil, provided they are formally registered through joint UNHCR-Ministry of interior procedures, and that they remain within the confines of the particular camp where they are registered. Any camp refugees who are found outside the camps without express authorization are subject to arrest, detention, and deportation, and to having their camp resident status revoked.

Ninety-five percent of the Burmese being sent to the US are of the Karen ethnic group, and 90% of them are Christian. They are predominantly from a rural background. Most are in good health and have good nutritional status. In Tham Hin, all camp residents are provided free medical care as well as primary education through the tenth grade. Their native language is Karen, but about 63% also speak Burmese, and 30% also speak Thai. Seventy percent are literate in their native language.

Employment: Most of the employed people in the Thai camp are involved in fishing, farming, or other agricultural activities. A smaller number are professional teachers, or trainers providing adult education in the camp. There are also nurses, medics, tailors, interpreters, mechanics0, and other service providers.

Modern Conveniences: The Burmese in the camps have limited experience with modern public transportation or other modern conveniences. Many have radios, or had them in Burma. While they are aware of television and the Internet, they may not have seen/used these items. Many, particularly those born in refugee camps, have not had access to electricity or running water.