Shan refugees in Thailand

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Title: Myanmar’s displaced Shan face harassment
Description: "Life is going from bad to worse for about 6,000 Shan villagers stuck in six camps for the displaced close to the Thai-Myanmar border. First, food aid was cut by international donors about 18 months ago, and recently Myanmar troops fired artillery shells near their camps, while drones have flown over their homes and citizens have been prevented from growing rice on nearby land. A new report, unveiled in Bangkok last Thursday (see video below), describes intimidation and other measures that are making life hellish for impoverished citizens stuck near the border of southern Shan state and northern Thailand. Displaced people in the camps were part of a mass exodus in the mid-to-late 90s when up to 300,000 people fled brutal massacres and forced eviction from their original villages in central Shan state, some of which were earmarked for the huge Tasang dam on the Salween River – a 7,000 megawatt project backed by Chinese and Thai utilities now known as the Mong Ton Dam. Most of those people were allowed to cross the border into Thailand and work in the north on orange plantations in Fang district and construction sites in Chiang Mai. But the security situation has become increasingly precarious for displaced villagers in the small camps along the border – Loi Kaw Wan, Loi Sarm Sip, Loi Lam, Loi Tai Leng and Kong Moong Murng, as well as Koung Jor near Wiang Haeng in northern Chiang Mai province. All of these sites had food support cut by international donors in late 2017. The Shan Human Rights Group (SHRG) says the Myanmar Army, or Tatmadaw, has been reinforcing positions around five Shan IDP camps, while building new roads and sending out drones to monitor the displaced Shan, despite a ceasefire deal agreed to by the Shan State Army. It said that in February six 120-mm shells were fired at two IDP locations. “Terrified IDPs have been preparing bunkers and carrying out evacuation drills in preparation for further attacks,” the group said..."
Creator/author: JIM POLLARD
Source/publisher: Asia Times
Date of publication: 2019-05-26
Date of entry/update: 2019-05-27
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Why people still flee Shan State and seek refuge in other countries - Shan Human Rights Monthly Newsletter - August 2012
Description: Commentary: Why people still flee Shan State and seek refuge in other countries... Contents: Themes & Places of Violations reported in this issue... MAP... Situation of people fleeing their native places in Kae-See... Land confiscation and mining project causing people to flee, in Murng-Su... Military operation, forced labour and extortion, causing people to flee, in Murng-Kerng... Continuing forced labour, forced recuruitment and extortion causing people to flee, in Lai-Kha... Forced recruitment causing people to flee, in Kung-Hing... Military and police persecution causing people to flee, in Nam-Zarng... Forced relocation and land confiscation causing people to flee, in Murng-Nai... Beating and intimidation causing people to flee, in Larng-Khur...
Source/publisher: Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF)
Date of publication: 2012-08-00
Date of entry/update: 2015-10-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Do dreams come true? ?Illegal? young female Shan refugees in Northern Thailand: coping with contradicting (in)securities.
Description: "...This thesis consists out of seven chapters. The next chapter on theory will address important political and theoretical debates within the arena of displacement and refugee studies. Chapter three will present the methodological approach taken within the research. Chapters four and five are the data chapters of this thesis addressing various layers of insecurities through thematic chapters. The chapters are based on the most important themes that arose during fieldwork. How young Shan women first reacted to state terror, and the impact of this on their daily lives, is highlighted in chapter four. Chapter five will explain what it means to be a young Shan female, revealing the daily life practices and the influences they have on life chances and future aspirations. Finally, I shall conclude by referring to the debates discussed within the theory chapter. The key words of this research are displacement, young female Shan refugees, future aspirations and human (in)security..."
Creator/author: Ursula Cats
Source/publisher: Masters Thesis - Social and Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Date of publication: 2009-06-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-09-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 2.37 MB
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Title: Blending In
Description: Most ethnic minorities fleeing from eastern Burma are recognized as refugees in Thailand, but the Shan are afforded no such status... "Occupying Burma?s largest state and with a population of about 5 million, the Shan, or Tai Yai, share a close cultural and historical identity with their Thai neighbors—the languages are similar and many Shan are able to assimilate easily within Thailand. In fact, many Shan people do not, or refuse to, speak Burmese. One million Shan currently live in Thailand, mostly in Chiang Mai Province and the northern region, where they have a reputation for being independent and hard working. After a drunk government soldier murdered her husband, Par Yuan and her childern fed to Thailand. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) The Thai authorities? official explanation as to why the Shan are not granted refugee status is that they have not fled war and persecution as entire communities. However, many observers say the real reason is to avoid opening the floodgates to an influx of Shan..."
Creator/author: Ko Htwe
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 17, No. 7
Date of publication: 2009-10-00
Date of entry/update: 2010-02-27
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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