History of the Thai-Burmese Border Conflict
Myanmar was controlled by the British Imperial Government until 1948. Upon gaining independence, the Burmese disputed the border with Thailand drawn by British colonialists, and tensions between the two countries have been high ever since.
[1]
In the 1980s & 90s, the Burmese military became involved in armed conflict with ethnic minority groups such as the Shan and Karenni in regions near the Thai border. Thousands of refugees from these marginalized groups were forced to flee to Thailand to escape violence.
[2]
These ethnic groups are not recognized by the Thai government and ​the refugee camp conditions are grave. Thai authorities do not allow refugees outside of the camp and the psychological health of the refugees is dire. Migrants are not permitted to sell goods directly so many must work illegally for minimal pay.
[2]
Map of Colonial Burma, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burma_Province_1931.png
In February 2001, Burmese forces invaded Thailand to attack a Shan resistance base. They accused the Thai army of helping the Shan liberation army shell Burmese forces, and as a result Burma retaliated, killing 2 civilians and injuring a dozen more in an attack on Mae Sai. The Burmese army captured Pang Noon base across the border, leading to the Thai capturing it back and killing 100 Burmese soldiers in the process.
[3]
After Myanmar’s 2010 general election there was high civil unrest due to discontent and suspicion of electoral fraud. This resulted in civil violence between 3 burmese military groups near the border and 10,000+ refugees fled to Thailand to escape the violence
[4]
Karen boy soldier, https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/311733605453707910/
3 million people are believed to have fled the wars in Burma and over 600,000 are believed to be internally displaced. The reduction in international aid to refugee camps has led to cutting of food rations and reduced funding to the few clinics that have been providing medical care for free.
[5]
In September 2016, fighting resumed between Burmese forces and the Karen state and Burma has been strengthening their position against these ethnic minority groups. As of 2016, over 100,000 people were living in ten refugee camps along the Thailand-Myanmar border.
[5]
In 2017, the Myanmar government persecuted the Rohingya people through genocide causing thousands to refugees to flee to Bangladesh. In 2018, the Bangladesh government said they would stop accepting refugees. Many refugees have thus tried to sail into Thailand, but the Thailand government has prevented ships from arriving
[6]
Mae La camp https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1339116/karen-refugees-mae-la-camp-live-fear-forced-return-myanmar
Children's School in refugee camp, https://www.karenoutreach.org/refugee-camps.html
Due to this violent history of persecution, many refugees from Myanmar continue to flee into neighboring Thailand, and COVID-19 has only exacerbated this problem. The Rohingya were blamed for the outbreak, leading to more racism and violence and Rohingya people were forcibly taken for COVID testing by the health authorities.
[6]
Refugee populations are especially at risk because they live in overcrowded areas where social distancing is difficult and access to sanitation is poor. Many families cannot access hand-washing stations or treatment facilities.
“If we had stayed in the village, we knew that our children could never attend school and I wanted my children to go to school to be educated people. We also didn’t have any house to stay in. We could only stay in the forest and we had to flee away when the SPDC came or patrolled around our area, so we decided it was better to go to the refugee camp.” (Saw, 47-year-old male) [11]
"Living in the camp is similar to living in prison because I can’t go outside or make my own decision. I can commute only in the camp. The camp is surrounded by barbed wire. If we go outside of the camp, Thai police will arrest us. In the long run, it affects not only my physical but also my mental health.” (Christine, 22, Karen refugee at Mae La camp) [11]
Karen refugees under threat of deportation, https://democracyforburma.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/karen-refugees-not-to-speak-to-media-otherwise-they-may-face-arrest/
[7]
Refugee Crisis and COVID-19
There are an estimated 3-4 million Burmese migrant workers currently in Thailand. Many of these refugees work illegally and have few options for affordable health care. Living conditions are poor with sparse running water and little space for social distancing. There are a few clinics run by NGOs, but they are difficult to travel to and are only suitable for basic care. Waiting times, cost, and the language barrier prove to be challenging obstacles, to the degree that many older people craft their own herbal medicine or travel back to Burma to die in order to avoid leaving their family in debt. COVID-19 has left many people out of work and struggling to feed their families. Due to illiteracy, language barriers, and lack of internet access, many migrant communities have little knowledge of COVID-19 and there is a high degree of misinformation about how to stay safe. The Thai government announced free care for COVID patients, but fear of deportation and discrimination among other challenges makes this difficult to access for most refugees. Thailand's borders have been closed in the wake of the pandemic, making it harder for migrants to travel home legally and deportation centers are a hotbed of contagion. While migrants are some of the most vulnerable to the virus, most are more concerned with keeping their livelihood afloat in the midst of an economic downturn, and this coupled with a lack of education about the pandemic makes this region all the more at risk.
[8]
[9]