Teresa Kok

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Caucus (AIPMC) organised a visit to one of the refugee camps at the Thai-Burma border on Feb 24. The trip was jointly organised by AIPMC and Thai Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.

I initially was very reluctant to go as I have heaps to do in KL, but was persuaded by the executive secretary of AIPMC, Roshan Jason, that I should attend as Lim Kit Siang was unable to go and the delegation needs the presence of women MPs.

At one point this trip was almost cancelled as Thailand was in political crisis and the chairman of the Thai Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Senator Kraisak, was busy trying to oust Prime Minister Thanksin Shinawatra. But Kraisak then decided to go ahead with the plan and personally took us to the border.

Unfortunately, Zaid Ibrahim, the chairman of AIPMC, did not make the trip as he had made other plans following initial news that the trip wasn’t on. It is a pity that he could not join us as the trip was proposed by him.

We arrived at Mae Hon Son, a small border town near Chiangmai on Feb 23. We met with a number of NGOs working on Burmese issues.

The next morning we went to the refugee camp in four-wheel-drives. The journey was bumpy and after about half an hour we arrived at the guard house of the refugee camp. By that time, I felt soOoOOooo giddy and almost puked. After registration, we were off to the camp which was another 10 bumpy minutes away.

We were pleasantly surprised to see a grand welcome ceremony, planned and arranged by the refugees.

They lined up in two rows to greet us, many of them were wearing their Kerenni traditional costumes. They held banners and placards with various petitions, including Release Political Prisoners, Stop killing innocents, Free Aung San Suu Kyi and No Forced Labour.

The messages on the banners were very touching: We have been here long enough, We know you are there with us, We miss our homeland and family, You are our hope and strengths, Visit us time to time, so that we are not isolated, Look at our face and think about our future.

The powerful message on the banners and placards and the traditional music with sombre and slow tones brought the delegation close to tears.

The refugees see the ASEAN MPs that come to visit them as their great hope, but deep down in me, I was asking myself: “What can we do for you?”. We can only do that much, and very often our best wasn’t good enough. It’s so depressing to see these people decamped because the military junta has destroyed so many lives, crushed so many dreams.

I felt so sorry for the innocent children who lined up behind the black banner which says Look at our face and think about our future. The key question for the Burmese refugees is whether there is a future for them. These children were born in the refugee camp and many of them have not had the chance to step outside the camp. I was told the refugees, especially the adults, were very frustrated. Although they were given shelter and food, many of them don’t have jobs. For children and adults, the future is bleak.

During the dialogue session between the camp commander, various welfare organisations and us, the issue of domestic violence was raised. We were told that there were some domestic violence cases in the camp. There were suggestions the growing frustration among the refugees who have been waiting for long time to go home made these men vent their frustration on their wives and children.

The camp commander, a Thai, politely asked us not to publish the photos that we have taken as he was afraid that it will become a political issue between Thailand and Burma as it could be misinterpreted as the refugees carrying out political action inside the camp.

After the dialogue, we walked around the camp. We were then told by the refugees that the welcome ceremony was purely the initiative of the refugees. Apparently, the camp commander did not know they have planned such activity and he was very shocked and annoyed to see the refugees organising themselves and carrying out the ceremony with strong political message. The camp commander then told them that he wanted to have a meeting with the residents committee after we left.

We told the camp commander over lunch that we were very touched by the initiative taken by the refugees and we hoped to arrange for our foreign minister to come to visit the people and experience the welcome ceremony himself. We also told him that we will use the photos wisely

Captions, top, left to right

1) AIPMC MPs meet the refugees committee and the NGOs activists who assist the refugees in the community hall of the refugee camp. Second from the right is Daw San San (MP from Burma), Eva (MP from Indonesia), Nurshabani (MP from Indonesia) and Yours Truly.

2)Eva (MP from Indonesia, first from the left) and I with the Kerenni girls who were wearing their traditional attire.

3) The children and I standing behind a banner with powerful message. These children were born and brought up in the refugee camp. Many of them have never gone out of the refugee camp since birth.

4) The refugees took initiative to organise a grand ceremony to welcome MPs delegation from AIPMC. They hope AIPMC can help them to go back to their homeland.

Bottom row, left to right

5) AIPMC delegation members at the refugee camp at Burma- Thai border: Son Chayy (MP from Cambodia), Daw San San (MP from Burma), Eva (MP from Indonesia), Nurshabani (MP from Indonesia) and I.

6) The refugee children attending class. I was told that each of them gets one pencil in a year.

7) A clinic inside the refugee camp.