National Convention

Much has happened in the last year regarding Burma and the Karen. However much of what has happened doesn't seem to have made much difference. For example, the ruling military regime, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), held a National Convention in May 2004; supposedly in hopes of creating a lasting democracy. Ironically, yet somehow not surprising, the leading Pro-democracy party, the National League for Democracy (N.L.D.), was not invited to participate. Nor was it's leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, released from house arrest. There was widespread outcry against this convention throughout the Western world, but there was not much that could be done about it. The U.S. government recently renewed its harsh sanctions against the regime, but there is still a mixed verdict as to the effectiveness of such actions.

Cease-Fire Talks

In another major development, the Karen National Union (K.N.U.), the ruling government body of the Karen people, has been holding Cease-fire talks with the SPDC. Long time Karen leader Bo Mya has even visited Rangoon on a few different occasions to meet with his long time enemies (the revolution began in 1949). These surprise talks did little however to change the minds of the ordinary Karen in the camps. The Burmese government has made and broken countless treaties and ceasefires. In fact, at the same time as one of the negotiations, and during a "verbal ceasefire", SPDC troops burned down several Karen villages in Northern Karen State. So although they may be talking peace, they sure aren't acting it. Many refugees are nervous that a ceasefire will seal their fate in being repatriated into the bloody hands of the SPDC. The United Nations High Comissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is working hard to provide a safe return for the refugees, but at the moment, the situation looks bleak.

Asylum in the US

The United States has also acted by stating that they will accept up to 4,000 asylum seekers from Burma. Many of those who will be relocating to the US are of Karen ethnicity, some from the camps where we work, but also many Burmese as well as other ethnicities- Kachin, Mon, Shan, will be going to the US. In the last two months over one hundred refugees have found their way to the Twin Cities area of Minnesota and more people will arrive before the end of the summer. They are being assisted by Karen who already live there, as well as by the First Baptist Church in St. Paul, which now has two church services in the Karen language.

Heightened security in Thailand

In Thailand, the increased security placed along the Burmese border during the last year has caused heaps of problems for the Karen who are working to better their situation. It has also caused enormous problems for the migrant workers from Burma (but that is a issue that we won't go into at length here). Numerous arrests, detainments, and the increased restriction on movement out of the camps has created more problems for refugees from Burma.

Camp Relocation

A major event during early 2004 was the relocation of Mae Kong Kha (MKK)camp. Over 17,000 refugees were forced to move out of the camp, at the Thai government's request, to a new location that was highly contested by the NGOs assisting the refugees. The new location is dangerously close to the Burma border, a particular area which people have fled from to escape the SPDC troops. Many of the MKK residents felt safer returning home to the insecurity of life in Burma than moving to the new camp, Mae La Oon. The new camp has already faced problems as the rainy season has started. Many of the homes are built on extremely steep slopes and more than a few of the bamboo homes collapsed within the first month of the rainy season.

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