Land Area: 511,770 (Sq/Km)
Capital: Bankok
Official Language: Thai
Refugees: 133,117 (UNHCR, 2006)
Literacy: 92.6% UNDP Report 2006 (Adult rate, age 15 and older)
Under 5 Mortality Rate: 73 per 1000 live births (UNICEF, 2005)
ThailandSituation OverviewDue to continued conflict in Burma, hundreds of thousands of Burmese have fled across the border into Thailand to seek refuge and to escape military attack, forced labour and forced relocations. About 140,000 Burmese refugees live in camps in Thailand along the Thai-Burmese border. Many of these people have lived there for 20 years. The border is covered in landmines, which claim an estimated 500 victims each year. These landmines are laid by both the Burmese Army and anti-government forces. It is alleged that the Burmese Army lays mines close to villages to prevent people from returning to their lands after being forcibly evicted. Many refugees in this region regularly risk their lives to cross the border in to visit their families, seek food, hunt and trade. Because Burmese border provinces lack a good education system, Burmese children often cross the border into Thailand to go to school in the refugee camps. The local host communities in Thailand are poor and face a heavy burden, which they share with Thai government authorities. |
|
Our Current Work in ThailandAustcare is providing mine risk education to Burmese refugees along the Thai-Burma border. This is being achieved through the publication and distribution of a magazine dedicated to mine risk education. The magazine gives information to Burmese refugees in mine affected areas about the dangers and how to avoid becoming victims of landmines. As many people may not read at all, the magazine is produced in a cartoon format, with many visual images. The magazine includes topics such as how to identify landmines, why landmines are a public health concern, how to give first aid to mine victims, and where and how to get help along the Thai-Burma border. In addition, stories and testimonies from community members are used to create articles. Austcare is working on this project with Handicap International, the organisation that won the International Peace Prize for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines in 1997. HI has been implementing a mine risk education program in the camps along the Thai-Burma border since 2000. In another program, Austcare is addressing the issues of sexual abuse and gender based violence (SGBV) in refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border to enhance protection of Burmese refugees. This project is addressing the most urgent protection concerns of refugee women and men by raising awareness of the issues of SGBV with humanitarian actors, Thai authorities, and with the refugee community through refugee women’s organisations. Highlights- By the end of September 2006, 5673 copies of the magazine had been distributed, 3711 of them to refugee camps - A magazine launch was held at Mae La Refugee Camp on October 27 2006, and was attended by approximately 4000 people. At the launch, in addition to mine risk education, sporting events were held with each team comprised of disabled and able-bodied players, encouraging awareness and re-integration of mine victims and other disabled people into society. |
|
