Thailand Burma Border Consortium

June 11, 2010

Today we traveled to Bangkok and met with Jack Dunford, head of the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC). Dunford came from Great Britain as an engineer over thirty years ago. He joined an international church in Bangkok, and found his work with church more satisfying than his work at his job. He saw ethnic minorities, such as the Karen and the Mon, from Burma set up in refugee camps on the Thai side of the border, and decided to help their cause.

The military government of Burma has committed huge atrocities against ethnic minorities. Out of 1,077 households surveyed, 21% were attacked by the military, 28 % were forced to porter (carry luggage for the military), and 40% experienced military patrol and landmines in 2009. Their infant mortality rate is similar to the humanitarian crises in Angola and the Congo.

At first, all they needed was rice. So he raised money and provided the camps with rice. As the number of refugees increased, the need for supplies did. They began to supply the refugees with food, supplies for shelter, and other essential non-food items (pots, pans, etc.). As they have grown, they have organized education systems, provided supplies for the refugees to make handicrafts, and have trained health workers. They have also worked with the Thai government for the refugees to be able to work and live in Thailand.

The interesting thing about TBBC is that they empower the refugees to do much of the work themselves. While TBBC may supply the rice, the refugees have a system where they distribute the rations and keep records. The refugees are also the ones who administer medical care, make the handicrafts, make the shelters, and govern the camps. This allows them to maintain their dignity as productive human beings while living in a transitory situation. They also grow their own vegetables and make much of their own food. TBBC desires to increase self-reliance and reduce aid dependency among refugee camps through empowering the refugees

The refugees also travel back into Burma to distribute food and resources to displaced persons living in Burma. These persons may be in hiding from the military government, or their villages may be destroyed. Organizations led by the refugees have collected extensive documentation about the number of destroyed villages, hiding places, etc.

There are about 150,000 refugees from Burma living in Thai refugee camps, another two million or so persons living in Thailand, and there are half a million internally displaced persons living in Burma. The ideal dream of TBBC is for them to be able to back into Burma once it is safe to do so. Other alternatives are resettlement in Thailand and resettlement in third countries.

I appreciate Mr. Dunford taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with us. My heart aches for the people of Myannmar who are uprooted from their homes.

Most of TBBC’s multimillion dollar budget comes from Christian and human rights organizations from many different countries, as well as from individual donors. Baptists, who have worked alongside the Karen people for a long period of time, have also reached out to them as they have resettled in third countries. Still, there is much work to be done, many prayers to be said, and much peacemaking to be done for the Burmese government to recognize the full dignity of all persons who live in Burma. To learn more about TBBC, check out www.tbbc.org.