Thai Burma Border Health Initiative
1320 Lafayette Dr NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
contact
The area inside Thailand that borders Burma (Myanmar) in Kanchanaburi province is home to a number of ethnic groups. Human rights violations against minority ethnic groups inside Burma continue to be a major problem and account for the large number of people from Burma who cross the border into Thailand.
Many of the people in this area are in Thailand without permission, or have permission to stay in the area but not to travel outside the area. There are few opportunities for these people to work or study, and they generally subsist by farming and doing day labor. They are members of the Karen, Mon, Karreni and other ethnic groups, and they speak several different languages. Some are Thai citizens; some are not. Many have no documentation and consider themselves to be stateless. The Mon people, represented by the New Mon State Party, have a fragile cease-fire agreement with the government of Burma, but the Karen have no such agreement.
Currently in the border area around the Three Pagodas Pass separating Thailand and Burma (Myanmar) there are a large number of people without access to proper health care and information. There are several non-government organizations working in this area, in addition to the Thai government, but in spite of their efforts, people fall between the gaps, and do not have access to health care, health education, or public health services. Also, there are in this area people trained in health care who are unemployed. We plan to support these local health care providers so that they may provide assistance to the local people.
Thai Burma Border Health Initiative
1320 Lafayette Dr NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
contact