flooding and other updates

Thanks for all your emails and messages regarding the flooding. Luckily we haven’t experienced any flooding here in Mae Hong Son town. However, one camp that our staff works in farther south in the province has been quite affected and many people have lost their homes and bridges and roads are basically destroyed. Our staff won’t be able to travel there until the situation changes which they think might be some time in December. Also one of my co-worker’s parents live in the camp and their house has been washed away. So although there is no flooding here, people have still been affected. As well, Thailand and basically all of Southeast Asia is in an emergency situation with the flooding and I am not sure it is going to end anytime soon.

Also, shockingly, a staff from one of our other offices (located in Mae Sot), went to visit her husband’s family in Burma last weekend. Apparently they were in what is considered a “black area” meaning an area that has experienced a lot of fighting and has not been cleared of landmines. While they were driving back they hit a landmine on the road that exploded. The driver was instantly killed and the staff member was thrown from the truck. She is currently in hospital and is paralyzed from the waist down. That really brought home for me the danger that people face in Burma and the reality of the refugee situation. Sometimes it seems to be downplayed here in Thailand, which I think in part can be attributed to the protracted conflict in Burma. But, there continue to be daily instances of fighting and human rights abuses. The latest has been in the Kachin state, which borders China (unfortunately China does not allow Burmese refugees to cross its border and stay), where the previously agreed upon ceasefire has ended. My co-worker’s in-laws have an orange farm in Kachin state but a couple of weeks ago, the fighting between Kachin Independence Army and the Burmese Army came to their village and the people had to run into the jungle to hide for two days. The people were scared but were also worried about losing their orange crops and livelihood so slowly made their way back, even though it was extremely dangerous. Many of their oranges had been stolen by the soldiers. There are so many stories like this in just my small office.

My organization is collecting donations for both the flooding and the staff in the landmine accident. If you are interested in donating, just let me know and I can contribute for you.