TAK, Dec 15 (TNA) – Officials were deployed to secure order at a Myanmar refugee camp in Ban Mae La village of Tha Song Yang district after about 1,000 refugees caused a riot last night.

 

Debris remained at the refugee camp this morning after rioters hit and torched 13 guards' kiosks, officials' living quarters and dozens of officials' vehicles.

 

Officials were still unable to survey the damage inside the camp. Paramilitary rangers were deployed to help administrative officials who were trying to resume negotiation with refugees there.

 

Full story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news/line-today-english-news-843046

 

-- © Copyright TNA 2021-12-15

 

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Very sad the plight of the Burmese people.

what happened to the closing down of these "camps" ? Seriously, I thought the UNHCR and NGOS were pulling out . wasn't it sometime last year?  some have lived there upwards of what 30 years ? how can they be classified as refugees ? this should be the last straw , Thailand has tolerated this far to long.  

Interesting reading on Thai/Burma refugee camps here;

 

https://www.burmalink.org/background/thailand-burma-border/displaced-in-thailand/refugee-camps/

Refugees at Tak border camp in destructive protest against alleged assault by volunteers

 

Photo from www.mgronline.com

 

Myanmar refugees went on the rampage at a camp in Thailand’s western province of Tak on Tuesday night, torching checkpoints and vehicles, in protest against the detention and alleged assault by Thai defence volunteers of four of their countrymen who snuck out of the camp to find work.

 

After the disturbance, which occurred shortly after sunset, there was a tense standoff between a group of refugees and defence volunteers, until the late-night arrival of Somchai Kitcharoenrungroj, the province’s deputy governor, to negotiate with the protesters.

 

This morning, units of paramilitary rangers and riot police from Mae Ramat district were dispatched to the camp to reinforce the volunteers and local officials.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/refugees-at-tak-border-camp-in-destructive-protest-against-alleged-assault-by-volunteers/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-12-15

 

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22 minutes ago, thaitom said:

what happened to the closing down of these "camps" ? Seriously, I thought the UNHCR and NGOS were pulling out . wasn't it sometime last year?  some have lived there upwards of what 30 years ? how can they be classified as refugees ? this should be the last straw , Thailand has tolerated this far to long.  

These sad victims need all the help they can get but unlike Middle East refugees get little publicity. The so called Palestinian refugee camps are concrete and cement cities built on international taxes and Gulf oil wealth. Sadly the tragic Burmese refugees have no such support.

21 minutes ago, bbko said:

Interesting reading on Thai/Burma refugee camps here;

 

https://www.burmalink.org/background/thailand-burma-border/displaced-in-thailand/refugee-camps/

I live maybe 20 km from the Umpien mai "camp"  they have always come and go running away to where i live. setting up business , working. our bragging how their family will be relocated to the USA but they will hide out in the village i live in until they are notified then sneak back into the "camp". a very long time ago it was nice where i live but for the last 20 odd years as soon as its dark everyone in the village goes home and locks their door. so unsafe with all these "refugees" running loose. and the one who wish to live and work in my village are under the "protection" of the police. as long as they each pay 100. B a month, and 100.b a day if they choose to work. big money for the police as there are thousands of them living in the village where i live.   I really hate it as do most of the villagers,  but..... the police are in control.  if you don't believe me you are welcome to come see for yourself.  KM 48  heding towards Umphang

26 minutes ago, thaitom said:

I live maybe 20 km from the Umpien mai "camp"  they have always come and go running away to where i live. setting up business , working. our bragging how their family will be relocated to the USA but they will hide out in the village i live in until they are notified then sneak back into the "camp". a very long time ago it was nice where i live but for the last 20 odd years as soon as its dark everyone in the village goes home and locks their door. so unsafe with all these "refugees" running loose. and the one who wish to live and work in my village are under the "protection" of the police. as long as they each pay 100. B a month, and 100.b a day if they choose to work. big money for the police as there are thousands of them living in the village where i live.   I really hate it as do most of the villagers,  but..... the police are in control.  if you don't believe me you are welcome to come see for yourself.  KM 48  heding towards Umphang

What you describe is the misadministration and even exploitation of a human tragedy. The suffering by rape, slavery, and murder by the Burmese army is horrendous. It has been happening for decades. These displaced men, women and children are facing terrible times back in Burma under one the most sinister and cruelest regimes in the world.

I was at the Nu Po camp in April, and I've been there before, and I've never had an impression of the refugees, or some or a few of them, as bad guys, so this thread is a different perspective. I have no idea where this is going but I want to follow it.

15 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

What you describe is the misadministration and even exploitation of a human tragedy. The suffering by rape, slavery, and murder by the Burmese army is horrendous. It has been happening for decades. These displaced men, women and children are facing terrible times back in Burma under one the most sinister and cruelest regimes in the world.

It's pretty much been that way since 1962 when the military took control.  Since then the country has ben plunged into darkness with very little advancement.  

Not only do these poor people from Myanmar have to flee from the murderous, and cruel Regime that has overthrown their Country, but they have to endure many, many further mistreatments at the hands of the Thai Authorities and their Agents, who are supposed to show some compassion.

If some reports are to be believed, one of the riots at a Camp was in protest at having to pay an entrance fee, and exit fee to the " Guards " every time they wished to leave the Camp.

It would be no surprise to me if the entry/ exit fee, was only the tip of a very big Iceberg of depraved violations against these people

UNHRC, where are you ?

 

 

7 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

Not only do these poor people from Myanmar have to flee from the murderous, and cruel Regime that has overthrown their Country, but they have to endure many, many further mistreatments at the hands of the Thai Authorities and their Agents, who are supposed to show some compassion.

If some reports are to be believed, one of the riots at a Camp was in protest at having to pay an entrance fee, and exit fee to the " Guards " every time they wished to leave the Camp.

It would be no surprise to me if the entry/ exit fee, was only the tip of a very big Iceberg of depraved violations against these people

UNHRC, where are you ?

 

 

Yes the misadmistration and further exploitation of human tragedy. UNHCR? These Burmese lost souls have no powerful lobby to highlight their sad problems. No Islamic oil money...

A post with a derogatory ethnic slur comment toward Japanese people has been removed as well as a reply. 

An offensive post and the replies have been removed. 

4 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

A disgragful comment. A pitful, but pitiless view of a complex human tragedy that from someone lacking empathy so  can't comprehend the suffering of people, many helpless women and children struggling to survive one of the most ruthless murderous regimes in the world.

Just go and experience it first hand. Then you will be convinced it is fact. All these self serving NGOs in Maesot are a joke, competing , criticizing, each other , just for the donations and of course Money.  Get off your chair and go and see ! Everyone involved knows how to play their part for the piece of the pie.   I am not joking.   you will change your tune, i am positive.  the majority of these refugees are fake. 

before the border closure there would be vans full of Burmese coming across to shop at Robinsons, ect...  you would also on occasion see big trucks loaded with Rolls Royce and other luxury cars crossing into Myanmar.  

15 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

A disgragful comment. A pitful, but pitiless view of a complex human tragedy that from someone lacking empathy so  can't comprehend the suffering of people, many helpless women and children struggling to survive one of the most ruthless murderous regimes in the world.

Just telling it as it really is, 

3 hours ago, thaitom said:

Just go and experience it first hand. Then you will be convinced it is fact. All these self serving NGOs in Maesot are a joke, competing , criticizing, each other , just for the donations and of course Money.  Get off your chair and go and see ! Everyone involved knows how to play their part for the piece of the pie.   I am not joking.   you will change your tune, i am positive.  the majority of these refugees are fake. 

I have seen and been there. Both sides of the border. You try and read a book or two and understand the dreadful experiences of slave labour, murder, rape  torture  suffered at the hands of the Tatmadaw and the MI. You might be 'positive' but you are wrong. You are something though but forum rules prevent me from saying what. There is nothing clever in saying 'it's all about money'. It's a meaningless statement. Its simplistic and barren of any understanding, sympathy, empathy or humanity. These people do need money and yes they are desperate but you seek to dehumanise them from a position of wealth, security and entitlement. Shameful.

2 hours ago, thaitom said:

Just telling it as it really is, 

No you are not 'telling it as it really is.'  You are presenting an ignorant  one sided inhuman view with no regard to political reality or history. Your view is not real. Its presented through the prism of callous indifference and ignorance. You report a one sided view out of context.  You are trolling or you are ignorant and I say ignorant in the nicest possible way.

I've met many of the refugees inside the camps, and IMO they and their situation is pretty much as it appears. But like a lot of things, the reasons for their being there are probably as many as the individuals themselves. And I'm not saying they are all saints. Some spend all day in petty gambling I've seen (but then, they are not allowed to work), and 10 year old boys run betel nut stalls peddling what is essentially a narcotic. Still, if the camps are preferable to being in Burma, then we may believe that conditions in Burma are genuinely bad. 

The Thai government to my knowledge provides no schooling for the children of the camps, and the volunteer teachers I've met have to be some of the most selfless persons on the face of the earth. I haven't observed the NGOs in Mae Sot for several years, but when I did they seemed like an ok group. I recommend some time spent with theborderconsortium.org for a detailed almost insider view.