Suu Kyi to visit Karen camp

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Published: 26 May 2012 at 17.59
Online news: Local News

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will visit a Karen refugee camp along the Thai-Myanmar border in Tak province on Thursday during her visit to Thailand.

The visit comes at the request of the Karen National Union, which invited the Nobel Peace Prize winner to see the living conditions of Karen refugees who had fled the fighting in Myanmar.Many Karen refugees also wanted to see the 66-year-old democracy icon, a senior KNU official said on Saturday at the KNU base opposite Mae Sot district in Tak.Mrs Suu Kyi is preparing to make her first trip outside of Myanmar in 24 years, about 15 of which were spent under house arrest by the military junta.She will also attend the World Economic Forum on East Asia (WEF), being held in Bangkok from Wednesday to Friday. Myanmar President Thein Sein will also attend the forum and is scheduled to deliver a speech on...

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joe123x1
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Discussion 2 : 27 May 2012 at 11.532
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Although the situation of the Karen people there is for sure not good it is necessary to say that this are NOT camps, this are villages which are just the same as any Thai village in that area and many other villages and houses in Kanchanaburi. I have been there several times and had a look, the main problem this people have (they say) is that they are not allowed out of the villages, there is local military around to make sure they stay in the village. In general they live better than the Thai Karen around because they have free health care arranged by several organisations including from the EU who carry them when needed to a hospital for no charge on any problem and this helper also supply basic things they need. If a Thai as almost everywhere in the country needs to visit a hospital and wants to get a serious treatment he or she must pay etc. The overall living conditions in this villages are no different to other villages around.
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hillfarang
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Discussion 1 : 27 May 2012 at 06.421
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Although I have never visited these camps, my close friend, a Thai-Lahu has. It is not only the difficult physical conditions that he witnessed, but the complete & total sense of hopelessness that is so very emotionally heart-wrenching.

Imagine if you committed no crime, but were behind barbed wire, like jail, with no sentence or release date? Let's all work to resettle these folks back where they belong.

[P.S. Although sometimes criticized, Thailand houses more refugees than nearly any country of comparable size!]
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Suu Kyi to visit Karen camp | Bangkok Post: news