According to The Border Consortium there are about 150,000 people living in refugee camps on the Thai border, the most of whom are members of ethnic minority groups such as the Karen. Intermittent fighting between armed ethnic organisations such as the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Burmese government has continued since the early 60s. The world’s longest running civil war has meant multiple generations have now grown up in camps where basic needs are provided for by the slightest of margins.
As the nationwide ceasefire pact between the government and armed ethnic groups such as the KNU inches closer, growing job opportunities along Burma’s eastern border may lure refugees home.
In the meantime boys and girls living out their childhoods in refugee camps look for a creative release — to enrich their lives otherwise so focused on the fulfilment of basic needs such as food and clean water.
Photography programmes such as MyStory have allowed children to do just that, by training kids in photography, conducting and displaying their work. Here we have a selection of work by the youth of the Thai-Burma border
Click here for to see more from the MyStory project.
