Thai-Burma Border projects 2004-05

In 2004–05 Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA had two projects on the Thai-Burma border:

• Health care for Shan refugees (Shan Health Clinic)
• Skills training & income generation and Leadership & capacity building for Karen refugee women (KWO)

KWO Cross stich classes Mae La Camp

Shan Health Clinic

One of the ethnic minorities targeted by the military are the Shan people. Since 1996, over 300,000 villagers in central and southern Shan State have been forced from their homes. An estimated 200,000 Shan people have fled to Thailand, while tens of thousands who refuse to relocate to the military-controlled territory are living as internally displaced people in the jungle, in permanent fear of the Burmese military who shoot them on sight. The Shan in Thailand survive mainly by working as low-paid and exploited labour for Thai farms, plantations or businesses.

The Shan Health Committee run a number of health clinics to provide basic services for the Shan people living in exile on the Thai-Burma border. They also undertake a health outreach program where trained paramedics with backpacks provide basic health services for the many scattered Shan people, including the internally displaced people living in Burma near the border with Thailand.

The clinic assisted by Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA was in the Mae Fah Luang district near Chiang Rai in Thailand. This clinic provides basic medical treatment, emergency medical care, and conducts medical training for staff. In 2004, the average monthly case-load at the clinic was 900 patients.

The most common problems are colds, skin infections, diarrhoea, anaemia, ulcers, malaria and acute respiratory infections. Another common problem is injuries caused by landmines. The Burmese military still frequently lay landmines despite a ban by the international community.

The clinic refers seriously ill patients to a Thai hospital about 30 minutes' drive away, and the clinic's program also includes a supplementary feeding program for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and for underweight children. Immunisation for children and health education and family planning for parents is also provided. The medics in the clinic visit the school at the refugee camp to check the children's health on a monthly basis.

The project also assisted a training program for 20 Shan people training as paramedics. They undertook lectures each morning and practical work in the afternoons.

The Karen Women's Organisation

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA has been supporting the Karen Women's Organisation (KWO), which was first created in 1949, to support and organise ethnic Karen women in refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border and internally displaced within Burma to participate in the struggle for freedom, democracy and equality in Burma. Currently they have over 30,000 members. The KWO seeks to empower women in all aspects of their life, including education and general living standards. It also develops women's knowledge, ability and skills in politics and leadership by providing programs on leadership, income generation and human rights, as well as to maintain and promote Karen culture and traditions.

Project Activities with KWO: In 2004-05 APHEDA supported the KWO provide skills training for 292 Karen refugee women from a variety of different areas and camps along the border region of Thailand. There were two components in the project. One component had a practical skills aspect giving women an opportunity to earn an income from their newly acquired skills in soap making, cross stitching and medicinal balm making.

The other component involved providing courses on project management skills and legal training. These two separate components aimed to give women skills that they can then use to find employment and improve their income whilst boosting their self-confidence and awareness of important issues, which will be useful in their community.

© Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA 2003.
Site proudly produced by Social Change Online

Last Modified: Thursday, 08-Mar-2007 09:08:29 EST
This page: http://apheda.org.au/projects/thaiburma/history/1173250212_17208.html