New Mandala

Here (Decha 2006) is an interesting article by Decha Tangseefa of the Peace Information Centre at Thammasat University. It discusses the plight of displaced Karen on the border between Burma and Thailand. The last paragraph of the paper provides a good indication of its appropriately passionate tone:

The forcibly displaced left their homes because of the junta’s atrocities. On their travels they have maintained their lives with little food, suffering unimaginable sickness. They keep moving, only to encounter even more hunger, sickness, and fear. On occasion, we would encounter groups of forcibly displaced peoples and the medic teams would start their treatments right there in the jungle. Then both the relief team and the relieved had to move on to avoid Tatmadaw patrols. We knew our future: We would return to Thai territory, passing through and leaving behind the theater’s curtain. But we did not know theirs . At times, to think about it is too painful.