Burmese Indians: The Forgotten Lives

By Samart Butkaew

Despite fighting alongside the Burmese for independence and freedom from colonial rule, the Burmese Indians are seen as outsiders in their own country. Looked down upon by the general population and largely ignored by the international community, their situation is not improving. Read more about this forgotten population.

Much Ado about Nothing: Why the junta Shrugs off International Pressure

By K Lange

December 2005 saw much political maneuvering from International Community. Led by efforts from the United States, a first ever security briefing on Burma was held at the United Nations Security Council on 16th December 2005. A few days earlier at the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Syed Hamid Albar, secured an invitation from the Junta to visit the troubled country to check on their progress to democracy. The junta however has shrugged off these attempts to pressure them to speed up the process of political reform in the military ruled country. Economic and geo political interests still largely dominate regional and international relations with Burma, and hence the SPDC can retain their tight grip on power.

Promising "Education for All" in Thailand: What are the true benefits for migrant children behind this new policy

By C Guinard

The “Education for All” passed by the Thai Cabinet in August 2005, legally allows all children, including those of Burmese migrants, equal access to education. Previously this had been denied to them. However the reality of implementing this landmark reforms is problematic. Cost is often a barrier to Burmese children entering the system and, despite the new law, Thai schools can still be reluctant to deliver Thai Education certificates to migrant children. This means that they cannot access higher education opportunities. Many parents also still prefer their children to be formally taught their own language and culture at school and so prefer them to attend migrant schools. These however are not recognized by The Thai Government and so again further the chance of further education is denied. However with greater trust and collaboration between Thai school, their migrant counterparts and district education officials, real progress can be realized.