BBC Series: Life on the Burma-Thai border

The BBC is running what promises to be a great series on life on the Thai Burma border. Clear Path supports the Mae Tao Clinic's work with Burmese refugee landmine survivors in Mae Sot and at a number of other locations on the border.

You can read CPI blog postings from the Thai Burma here:
http://cpi.org/cpiblog/archives/cat_thaiburma.php

Life on the Burma-Thai border

...Burma is ruled by a repressive military junta, which is showing little desire to improve the rights and living conditions of its poverty-stricken people.

Not only is it hard for ordinary citizens to earn a living, it is becoming increasingly dangerous for some people to continue living there at all.

Members of certain ethnic groups are particularly at risk - especially the Karen, who live in areas of conflict between the military and rebel fighters.

Many people from these groups have fled across the Thai border, and are now living in refugee camps.

There are three main camps around Mae Sot - Mae La, Noe Po and Umpium. Together, they are home to about 97,500 people.

Many camp residents - particularly the recent arrivals - are just grateful for a safe place to stay and food to eat.

"I'm so happy I'm here," said 50-year-old Naw Saw Mu, who fled from a village near Taungoo after being forced to work without pay and seeing surrounding villages being burned down by the government army.

Read the rest of the article here.