Monday, October 31, 2011

In a Strange Land - documentary



I think this video is really interesting. The story and the people are located exactly at the border of the camp I am working in. The check point (with the red and white blockade and the sign indicating the temporary shelter area - temporary is now 20+ years) is the border of the camp and where we sign in to enter. The people getting into the truck with lots of bags are in the camp and are leaving for resettlement. Directly to the left of the check point is the long neck village (you can see a painted sign of a Kayan [long neck] woman) where this documentary takes place. The refugees living in the village, although with more freedom than those in the camp, have been exploited by the Thai tourist industry because of their brass rings. They are living outside the camp boundaries, but are expected to continue the tradition of wearing rings as thousands of tourists visit their village each year. The documentary shows the reluctance to allow these individuals to resettle like the other refugees living in the camps because of the financial loss to the tourism industry and highlights the difficult decision people must make when they consider resettlement. The video also gives a tiny glimpse into the continued persecution of the ethnic minorities in Burma and the work of the Free Burma Rangers who provide medical aid to displaced people living inside the Burma border. If the FBR are caught while inside Burma, they will be killed by the Burmese Army. So much story in just 8 minutes.

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