The situation of refugees from Myanmar living in camps along the Thai-Myanmar border is one of the most protracted in the world. The refugees have been confined to nine closed camps since (most Karen) refugees started arriving in 1984. The situation deteriorated after a military junta took power in 1988. The fall of the Karen capital Manerplaw in 1995, created a new influx of refugees raising the numbers from 10,000 to more than 115,000 in 1997. That year, the Royal Thai Government (RTG) imposed severe restrictions on access and livelihood to the refugees in terms of movement and access to cultivable plots.
Thailand is not part to the 1951 Refugee Convention, and UNHCR's work has been significantly restricted. A brief period of opening occurred in 2005 when the RTG envisaged supporting training, education, income generation and employment opportunities for the refugees. That year, the UNHCR began a process of refugee registration, which, coupled with continued insecurity and underdevelopment in Myanmar, contributed to a further influx of refugees. This period ended in 2006 due to a coup d'etat in thailand. UNCHR registration was stopped in 2007. Camps remained highly populated despite the resettlement of 130,000 refugees in third countries, as new refugees from Myanmar continued to arrive. This trend reversed itself somewhat after the signing of the NCA in Myanmar in 2012.
More recently, since the opening of the border and continued positive political change, refugees have been leaving the camps and very few new monthly arrivals are recorded. Today, however, despite political progress in Myanmar, the military remains above civilian control since according to the constitution, the armed forces can appoint the Home Affairs Minister who effectively controls the police, defence and border portfolios.
The UNHCR conducted a verification of all refugees in 2015, confirming that around 115,000 refugees still reside in the 9 camps. Mae La camp (pictured in both photos above) is the largest of these camps, with a current population of 39,049 refugees, mostly ethnically Karen. Nearly half of the camp's residents are born there and have a weaker attachment to rural Myanmar and their ethnic community there, than the previous generation. Their interest for return is minimal while preference lies in integrating in Thailand or resettling in a third country (if registered with UNHCR) or even being employed in the Burmese capital.
Over the years, many people have arrived in the camps in search of improved health services and education (which the camp provides for free), generally interested in leaving behind the underserved, underdeveloped villages of Myanmar to seek better living conditions for themselves and their families. The large numbers of refugees still residing in these camps is testament to that and shows evidence of various levels of income and needs among the population. Indeed, many families are relatively self-reliant due to additional financial support from resettled relatives, employment outside the camp or owning small businesses in the camp.
It is widely mentioned that, this large percentage of self-reliant refugees prevents aid agencies from effectively serving the others who are most vulnerable and truly in need of assistance. A recent reduction in food assistance due to less funding from donors has had an impact on the population in the sense that many have been obliged to seek outside (undocumented) employment or find other sources of income, often leaving children unattended or left with elderly relatives, unable to care for them. Furthermore, a breakdown of social cohesion in the camp has been observed with increased rates of crime, delinquency, child abuse, substance abuse and levels of suicides.
While an estimated 4,000 refugees left the camp last year, thousands still remain. It is a fact that this is an unprecedented period in the history of the camp, a period of transition. The figures of predicted returns in 2016 vary between stakeholders however it is clear that Mae La will still be significantly populated for the next 2 to 3 years. A population that will need the continued support for its basic humanitarian needs:
- The conditions for safe return, especially the security situation in the areas of return (principally Karen State in Myanmar), are not yet met;
- The refugee leadership has not yet received a green light from the Government of Myanmar for a safe return of these refugees to their villages of origin, with no guarantee for their personal security. The issue of their land rights in Myanmar has also not been tackled;
- UNHCR currently has a backlog of 6,000 pending cases (in the 9 camps) for resettlement due to the complexities faced by the organisation to clear each case and stricter requirements from third countries. The resettlement programme however will end in December 2016 (53% of Mae La residents are not registered with UNHCR);
- Once refugees leave the camp, they are deregistered from the camp's assistance data and therefore lose the protection of the camp in terms of food security and housing, free health and school. These families, who do not want to be displaced for a second time, will not take lightly, this decision to leave;
- Integration into Thai society as a means of leaving the camp is not yet legally formalised by the RTG and since refugees do not own identity papers, living and working in Thailand is difficult;
- Vulnerable families, of which many are illiterate or who have very low levels of education, as well as people with disabilities, have few prospects for leaving the camp and ensuring that their basic livelihoods are met wherever they go...
