July 23 - July 31 2009

Thursday 23^rd July

Arrive at the DK hotel with Lee a new volunteer to Burmalink UK after 24 hours non-stop travel from Newcastle.  The weather is not too warm and dry, so getting used to the climate is easy.  The chief cleaner is the first to greet me, with mop in one hand and wellies on her feet - she offers a big smile and a handshake.  No broken arm this year.  There is no-one at reception so she gets the keys and shows us to our rooms.  I have known her for about six years. She is always smiling even though she works 365 days a year.  She is Burmese (Karen) along with all the other room cleaners.  The young boys (now 18 years old) grab our bags and bring them upstairs.  The pay is low but at least they are relatively safe. No mortgage worries here.  They live in a small shanty accommodation nearby.  Lee is keen to explore so I show him around Mae Sot for a few hours before we return to be met by Anne, Declan and Philip (another first time volunteer).  We catch up on all the news, then head off for something to eat at the Thai "Night Market". The Thai food is cheap and delicious.  The place is not to everyone's liking as we are surrounded by the shanty dwellings (corrugated metal sheets fixed to the walls of surrounding buildings) and the toilets leave a lot to be desired - no hand washing facilities - what will I do after all the adverts in the UK about hand-washing being essential to protect against swine flu! Around town people are wearing masks given out by the local authorities. I think we have many other diseases and infections to worry about and I'm sure a mask won't protect against them.

Friday 24^th July

Refreshed after a good night's sleep, having not slept at all on the overnight flight to Bangkok we head off for the 'Borderline' shop.  This is the ethical/fair trade shop with all products made by the refugee community.  It isn't fair trade as they can't meet the requirements of the fair trade logo but it is all genuine and profits go to the refugee community.  Anne has already placed a large order which will be shipped to the UK.  I add some more 'Free Burma' Tee shirts, so I hope everyone will buy one when we get them home.

In the afternoon we have a meeting with Dot Lay Mu, who used to be the chair of FTUK (Federation of Trade Unions Karen).  He has had to give this up as he has recently been elected to assistant general secretary of  KNU  (Karen National Union - the government of the Karen in exile).  He tells us he didn't stand for election but the members voted for him but he is very pleased and honoured to serve his people.  We meet with Paw Gay who is the new assistant General secretary of Federation of Trade Unions Karen (FTUK).  Recently she has had no time to work on union business as she is in the coordinator for the new IDP (Internally Displaced People) camp - Nu Bo.  These are the people who have recently been attacked in their homes in Karen state and have had to cross the river into Thailand for safety.  There are over three thousand of them and they have nothing,  She tells me they have been provided with plastic by the UNHCR to help keep them dry.  Other aid agencies are now trying to provide some food and clean water.  They are in desperate need of help.  They might be transferred into the Mae La refugee camp nearby but most want to go back to Burma. This will probably be impossible as the area will now be land mined by the Burmese army. Why are these people so persecuted?  Most are only children and don't know why they are being attacked.  I hope to visit and show solidarity with them later in the trip.  DLM says many of these people have never seen a 'white' man and will be pleased that we are showing concern, especially if we take them some food.  We will arrange this with Paw Gay if possible.

In the evening we meet Say Say, the brother of Zoya Phan.  He works in the office of Zippora who is the General Sec of the KNU,  replacing Zoya's father who was assassination just over a year ago.  He is very conscious of his safety and will only meet at a certain place where he feels safe.  We tell him of our meetings with Zoya and his sister Bwa Bwa.  He is pleased to hear they are doing so much to help the cause for freedom and democracy in Burma.  He will stay in Mae Sot and do his bit from Thailand.

Saturday 25^th

Paul Poe is a young man we met some years ago when we visited his school and gave him a pair of football boots.  We don't remember him but he remembers us.  He now works for FTUK and is keen to introduce us to a Karen catholic priest who has just started working in Mae Sot.  We agree to go as the priests usually speak excellent English and can tell us lots of information about what is happening in Burma.  We arrive at his house and he comes down stairs - I think I know him, and when he laughs I know I have met him before.  He says he is Father Justin. Suddenly it all clicks - he is a friend of Father Gregory, a priest we know from several years ago.  He remembers Patrick and Declan and asks about them.  It is so good to hear that Fr Gregory is well and working Burma.  He calls, and two more priests come down stairs.  One (Father Henry) is visiting from Burma and sees Fr Gregory so he will tell him about us. Fr Henry will be in Rangoon in August and when we say we hope to be there also, he gives us a phone number and asks us to ring him when we arrive.  He will be able to show us around safely.

Declan is doing football coaching at Taramind migrant school so we drop him off and have a look around.  FTUB have been involved in getting the funding.  It is brand new and looks great. Declan has some balls donated from the UK so he does a two hour session with about 30 students. Philip joins in and videos the fun.

Sunday 26^th

A day of relaxation and time to adjust.  Lisa Housten invites us to her home.  She is married to Rocky, a Karen 'freedom fighter'.  They have two children who Rocky looks after while Lisa works at Dr Cynthia's clinic.  Niamh and Jack are also there.  Niamh is an Irish volunteer who has also married a Karen guy.  She has a one week old baby so there are children everywhere.  Ton, a Dutch teacher who cycled to Thailand many years ago, talks to me about his time at the border.  He now teaches in Nupo refugee camp but has had to come out as he needs some medical treatment.  Nupo is a very remote camp with few foreign volunteers.  I visited a few years ago.  It is a very difficult journey in. I am surprised Ton has survived so long!

We meet Maung Maung Tinn late in the day.  He is another friend of a few years.  He is an artist and a little bit of a philosopher.  I give him a DVD I copied off the TV in the UK.  It is called 'Voices of Burma'.  Part of it shows an interview with him from about a year ago.  He hasn't seen it so I am glad I brought it. 

Monday 27^th

Into Mae La refugee camp to do some training with FTUK. Twenty eight people are waiting for us.  Anne and I are a little late so we go in through a gap in the barbed wire fence.  Normally we sign in at the main entrance but our translator decides to take the short cut to save time.  The delegates are mostly new arrivals in camp with little or no concept of Trade Unions so I make a very general and simple introduction.  We have the added problem that some can't speak Karen so a three way translation into Burmese is required.  This makes it very slow going but I am used to that now.  Two of the delegates are from far away.  One from the Irrawaddy delta (the site of cyclone Nagris) and one from Arakan state on the far side of Burma.  I wondered how they had managed to escape over such long distances?  After a while they start to relax and ask questions.  They want to know what the UK government and the people in the UK are doing to change the situation in Burma.  Solo tells me he works inside Burma for Karen Education Department and the situation is very bad.  He has had to escape because of the recent attacks by the Burmese military.  I am embarrassed by the questions on what the UK is doing.  I say questions are being asked in parliament and that aid is provided to the Thai Burma Border Corporation but feel this is inadequate answer when faced with people who are suffering, who have had loved ones killed by the regime, who are seeing their people forced to flee across the border to prevent being raped and forced to porter or see their children taken as child soldiers.  My diplomatic response is that 'I can't change the past, but I promise to continue to try to change the future'.  I explain how the UK trade unions and other organizations are willing to help once they know what the situation is like.  They want change they say - they are sick of sympathy.  What good is sympathy when you have no home?  The issue rocks me but I am glad they are saying it.  They need to say it more and more.  I tell them of the work of Zoya Phan and others at the Burma Campaign and they are pleased to hear their own people are challenging governments.

In the afternoon Anne does some basic health education on hand washing and mental health issues.  There is only enough time to scratch the surface, and lifting the lid on the mental health issue is risky.  There are so many people suffering from stress and trauma that it is difficult to know where to start.  Anne does a great job.  She gets them relaxed with a few games and they start to discuss their issues.  A lack of soap is a problem so Anne gets out a report showing how vital soap can be.  Armed with this information and being active trade unionists they will now go to the authorities and request more soap.  I hope it is successful as it will save lives.  We will follow up on this and if needs be provide the soap ourselves in the short term.

Tonight is Philip's last night.  He has been on the border for three weeks and has had an education few his age could cope with.  He has been so positive and hardworking so far but I feel the reality of the situation is starting to sink in.  He can walk away - the refugees can't.  I am certain that although he will leave physically, part of him will remain in thoughts about the people he has met.  I am also certain that although he is leaving, he won't leave forever.  The people of Burma have touched his heart and won't let go.

So no drinks for Philip tonight.  He has over 30 hours of travel tomorrow - a quiet night is planned.

Tuesday 28^th

Up at 7am to see Philip off.  The bus to Bangkok leaves at 8am and takes 8 hours.  The weather is cool and showery so he should be comfortable on the bus.

We visit Pyo Khin school today.  A migrant school with lots of Muslim children.  Last year we gave them some short term funding to keep them going so I am glad to see they are still open. Child's Dream are now sponsoring them and have filled in the mosquito swamp nearby, the cattle no longer use the school yard as access and the children having clean drinking water.  There is even a new bamboo building there use for dance and other activities. There two volunteer teachers from Durham University teaching English to the children.  These students are also funding the school.  Everywhere we go we find the migrant schools are getting much more funding.  This is good news.  Many nationalities know of the dreadful situation and are lending their support.  We will be able to focus on supporting the schools inside Burma were only our Karen friends can reach.

Wednesday 29^th

We travel to Umpium refugee camp today to do training.  Dot Lay Mu is traveling with us as he needs to meet with the camp leader.  He picks us up at the hotel but stays locked inside the car.  He tells us he is very conscious of his safety and was frightened to get out as there were two strange men sitting outside the hotel.  The journey to Umpium takes about one and a half hours through several mountain passes.  I am terribly travel sick!  DLM tells us about the situation inside Karen state.  In the flat lands the SPDC (Burmese military) confiscate crops, take child soldiers, use forced labour and forced relocation of entire villages.  In the mountainous areas, they attack villages and burn them down.  This land is not as useful - they just force them over the border into Thailand.  He tells us of the food shortages this causes and how his people are starving.  He hopes to negotiate with the Aid agencies to start supplying the starving Karen with food inside Burma.  They have refused to do this in the past but the situation is now desperate. 

Thirty people turn up for training.  Anne and I introduce the concept of trade unions as many are new into camp - some from Rangoon area.  The delegates are very receptive and interested to find out more. They liked the discussions on how the International community is helping.  They say all the camp signed a petition to the UN recently and ask if it had any effect.  I encourage them that it did have an impact and that the UN was doing more as a result of such petitions.  They are glad they are working with others to bring freedom and democracy to Burma.  The stories they tell of there escapes from Burma are harrowing as usual.  One young man was caught when trying to return to Burma to visit his family.  He spent many days in chains in the jungle and was then made to work.  After some weeks he was unchained and told to escape when it got dark.  Of course, he feared they would shoot him as he tried to escape, but he had no choice.  So after dark, he and two others set off into the jungle.  He prayed that he would be safe and after walking all night he came across a village.  It was a Karen village and they helped him to get back to Thailand.  He never thought he would see his family again, so he contacted them in Rangoon and told them to escape to Thailand.  His wife and two young children are now with him in camp. His story is typical except he was lucky, others don't live to tell the tale.

The training is finished with a song.  Anne asked DLM to sing and he is very pleased to do so.  He leads the group with a resistance song about Ba Oo Gyi the first KNU leader.  It is humbling to hear the entire group sing about their desire to be free.

One week has passed so quickly, and we now anxiously await the outcome of the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi due on Friday.

Tony Stokle

Mae Sot

Thai/Burma border