Refugee Resettlement: One Step Forward or Two Steps Back?

By Moo Ko Htee

Since the 1980s waves of refugees have fled fighting and human rights abuses in war torn Burma for an existence within the barbed wire confines of a refugee camp in Thailand. A generation of children have grown up having never seen their homeland. One long term solution for this situation proposed by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees is resettlement to a third country. This option is limited to a select few. Here we examine what the future holds for those selected and for those who remain in Thailand

Going Through the Process: An Insiders View

By Nga Moo

A Karenni refugee weighs up the pros and cons of moving to a new country for individuals, who like him, wait anxiously to learn of their fate

By K. Lange and S. Seeback

The humanitarian situation in Burma is frightening and the prospects for improvement are grim. As the junta spends huge amounts on its military capactiy at the expense of the almost non existent social network, international aid agencies attempt to fill the gap. However within an oppressive, paranoid state, international organisations find their efforts systematically obstructed. They face a difficult choice. Stay and the military government uses the finances and legitimacy they provide to increase their grip on power or go and the junta blames them for the deteriorating situation.