Thursday, July 15, 2010

Friends Without Borders

Written by: Eng Sze Jia.

Friends without Borders is an international NGO that focuses on promoting Human Rights and educating people about the issues related to indigenous communities, migrant workers and refugees. For instance, the people who they work with in Chiang Mai, Thailand are mostly Burmese refugees. These refugees risk their lives coming to Thailand in search of a better life, which their country’s authoritarian government cannot provide. These people who flee political violence are vulnerable to be exploited by agents, traffickers, on the way to Chiang Mai, and upon arriving at their destination.

Pin, the coordinator of the organization, explained to us a variety of dangers that both adult and children refugees face. The organization works to educate migrants about the rights they are entitled to, and also raises awareness about the plight of the refugees among the general Thai public. Apart from written publications and conferences, they also produce short films which provide a more visual account of their cause.

Hongsa’s School Bag (2009), produced by Th’blay Paw tells the story about an 11-year old boy of the Mon ethnicity who was born in Thailand. Hongsa lives with his parents who are migrant workers in Thailand. He receives the opportunity to attend a Thai special class for migrant children. He also yearns for a new school bag. In addition, he faces different types of pressure with the hope of gaining access to education and therefore, to a better quality of living. This film successfully shows what is at stake for migrant adults and children in Thailand.

There are humanitarian efforts in Thailand that allow children to attend Thai schools upon completion of a special course that teaches them Thai. However, children still face trouble in integrating themselves with the local children. Burmese children are often told not to mix with the Thais in fear of offending them and getting deported. At the same time, they are also misunderstood by the Thai society which segregates the two groups of children. Burmese children are also vulnerable to extortion, physical and sexual abuse. Pin explained that some girls or boys who are abducted become victims of human trafficking. Boys are sold to work at sea, while girls are raped and abandoned or forced into prostitution.

Mon people are Burmese who live along the Thai border. There are an estimated number of 3 million migrant workers in Thailand from Burma. Based on the media monitoring project that the NGO has conducted, Pin explained that mainstream media does not portray migrants in a favourable light. The media also uses migrants as a scapegoat of violent crime during the recent political struggle. Hence the migrants are usually misunderstood by society.

The Thai government requires them to obtain documentation. However, the procedures of applying for legal documents can be very difficult to access and expensive. Registration only allows them to be a temporary resident for 4 years. The reality is that they extend their stay beyond that permitted period. Hence, these Burmese migrant workers, both documented and undocumented, face risks of deportation or detention. Also, their job opportunities are nowhere near promising, only being allowed to take up jobs that locals are unwilling to do. In addition, they continue to risk deportation by their employers for misbehavior or improper conduct.

Pin explained that workers are paid less and do not always live in comfortable conditions. She said that Thailand seems to appreciate their labour as a means of boosting their economy, yet do not want to accommodate their family. Migrants of Mon ethnicity flee from political violence as a family instead of moving individually (individual migration). Children who are born in Thailand do not obtain proper documents, which make it difficult for them to gain access to education and health care. They constantly live in fear from deportation. If an adult gets caught and deported, this effectively separates the parent from the child. Upon being sent to the border, migrants are charged a fee by human traffickers to be sent back to Thailand. Hence they slip into debt again.

Migrants are an exploited people. It is therefore crucial that their rights are fought for.

 Goofing around outside Friends Without Borders Headquarters

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