Michael's Dispatches
Tragedy in Thailand
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- Published: Wednesday, 27 March 2013 15:15
27 March 2013
Burma neighbors Thailand on the west. For 65 years, a war against and between ethnic groups in Burma has been on. The conflicts created many internally displaced refugees, while others have crossed into Thailand. Thailand has allowed this incursion for humanitarian reasons.
One of the ethnic groups are called Karenni. I visited some of the Karen (not Karenni but closely related) villages in Burma and Thailand. The Karen I have met have all been Christian, and their churches are little more than bamboo huts similar to those on Gilligan’s Island. Some people sleep on mats on the bamboo floors, while others use hammocks.
Their homes are made from bamboo, planks, and thatch.
The Karen are educating their children in foreign languages, mathematics, and the normal topics. I visited a school while it was in session. The children were attentive, and again, like something from Gilligan’s island with no air conditioning, no desks, just benches, with pigs and dogs wondering into the classes. They were getting the job done. Teachers have no real teaching tools other than a blackboard and some books. Yet when talking with the kids, it does not seem that their education is lacking.
These people live hard, but they seem to have a collective happy heart.
Last week, tragedy struck a Karenni refugee village. A cooking accident burned down the entire village, killing dozens and injuring perhaps one hundred. The figures are unclear as they were taken to many hospitals, and on the scale of Asia this is little more than a minor footnote that involves people who mostly are ignored.
The Thai Army, police, fire, and humanitarian groups came to assist. A truck filled rescuers also had a terrible accident resulting in at least one death and many injuries.
The tragedy made a flash in the news and emergency help poured in, but now the refugees, with twice-shattered lives will again fade into oblivion.
A group of mostly American aid workers has worked with the Karenni and other groups for years. They are based here in Chiang Mai, but spend much time inside of Burma. The Christian group is called “Free Burma Rangers,” and is headed by a former Green Beret officer.
If you wish to help, please go here, making a note that this is for the Mae Suring refugee camp: http://www.freeburmarangers.org/contact/support/
Many pictures follow, without comment. The images were sent to me by Free Burma Rangers. The images speak for themselves. Some are highly graphic.
Comments
The cookfire probably wasn't that big; it was most likely too close to or inside one of the huts. Bamboo is technically a grass and burns very hot once it gets going, then like any forest fire the wind spread it around. You wouldn't think it, but Thailand can get very dry even into the wet season. I was visiting a friend in Chonburi in the more humid south end of Thailand around this time of year when some tapioca farmers near his house tried to use fire to clear a nearby field of weeds. The fire got away from them and ripped through four acres of field in only three minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdS0GCghw-A
It's easier to understand how people were trapped after watching this.
It's very sad to see a tragedy like this, regardless of where it happens.
and the MSM has no interest in them.
A coincidence I'm sure
I'm not saying that a movie is a place to go and get news, but it was definitely an attempt by Stallone and others to bring some attention to what's going on there.
This wasn't a cooking pot fire 100% sure, it was not and unfortunate accident these poor Karen Hill-tribe people many Christians have been suffering persecution and torture for year by Burma military and for last last few month's attacks have happened daily on Katchin stats bordering China with Thailand they have been shooting automatic weapons at woman and kids from helicopter and small planes also dropping small chemical weapons on these desperate people who have no where to run, no where to hide.
You must pray for them Burmese soldiers do small scale quick in and quick exit air raids with camps on boarders frequently and thousands die because of it. last month USA president Obama warned them saying if they didn't stop the chemical weapons he would send in a special task force to stop them. We are waiting for you to send and do it quickly.
God bless these poor people. Finally it was not a cooking pot fire with the thousands of people in that camp and the fact that they have a river running through that camp there is more than enough people and water to put out a small house fire quickly. This was something bigger and reports by the refugee some fearfully said cooking pot, many said dropped from aircraft. I will leave that up to you to decide but in the end it really doesn't matter how, what matters is these people are suffering and need help fast.
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