I want to write something about refugee camps here in Thailand. I know that many people from Burma have been trying to register at the refugee camps along the border. They came to Thailand and tried to register as refugees hoping that they could settle in a third country.
I would like to catagorize these people:
- People who are really political refugees -- they had to leave their villages because of war.
- People who are economic refugees -- they came to Thailand to work hoping that they could earn more money than in Burma. They found out that life in Thailand was not that easy because of discriminations.
- Those who just want a better life -- they had some money and worked outside of Burma for a while. For example, they saved money working in Japan. When they couldn't stay in those countries, they still didn't want to go back to Burma. They tried to find a way to stay outside Burma.
It's true that many people in Burma wanted to leave the country for several reasons -- lack of better future, oppressions and poverty. But I don't think it's the right solution that everybody is trying to leave. Instead we should figure out something to change the country.
Burma has been left behind in every sector. A Thai young person who went to see Burmese movies here in Bangkok said that he felt like watching old-era movies while he was a kid. The standard of Burmese movies has been at least 10-15 years left behind compared to Thailand.
What are you going to do?
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