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Karen Refugees in Thailand: Rights to Education for All

Introduction

Over the last few years, the Royal Thai Government (RTG) has made significant changes

over a short period of time regarding the issue of refugees from Burma along its borders. Such

changes include recognizing refugee resettlement as a possible solution in the near future,

allocating Thai authorities to handle camp registration and status determination procedures as

well as approving more opportunities for refugees to access education or skill training. Despite

the changes initiated by the RTG, education reformation has been slow to move forward

particularly when it comes to providing higher education opportunities (Banki & Lang, 2008).

This paper aims to discuss the challenges of the Karen education programs, particularly higher

education, in the refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border and how to improve educational

opportunities to provide quality education for all using previously written studies about the

refugee camps and personal empirical experience living on site in Mae La Refugee Camp.

Background & challenges

Since the 1980s amidst the various rights violations and instability of Burma, refugees

have crossed the border to escape the country’s military regime (Oh & Van der Stouwe, 2008). It

has been estimated that around 1.5 to 2 million people from Burma are in Thailand to escape fear

and abuse in their own country to seek safety and security elsewhere in neighboring countries.1

1 Boosting the signal: Helping migrant workers from Myanmar in Thailand. (2012) http://www.mapfoundationcm.org/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=98:boosting-the-signal-helping-migrant-workers-from-myanmar-in-thailand&catid=38:articles&Itemid=65

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The first refugee camp was established in 1984 within the Tak province and according to The

Border Consortium, there are now 119,340 people as of May 2014 within the nine refugee camps

along the Thai-Burma border.2

People from Burma who reside in Thailand are classified differently amongst the

international community and the RTG. The categorization of migrating groups of people affects

the degree and the kind of protection and rights an individual is entitled to within the host

country. The RTG is very specific in how they categorize people from Burma as ‘temporarily

displaced’ and therefore most are not recognized as ‘refugees’ in the country (Caouette & Pack,

2002). Thailand is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of

Refugee and doesn’t refer to asylum in Thailand as refugee (Oh, 2010). As a result, the role a

nongovernmental organization (NGO) can play to help the Burmese people currently living in

Thailand are limited and it wasn’t until 1996 that NGOs were authorized to provide educational

assistance (Bowles, 1998). In 1998, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR) was invited to open offices within refugee camps to observe

situations. It was the first of its kind along the Thai-Burma border and many

thought it would help in providing protection to those seeking refugee status.

However the role their presence is limited due strict government regulations

in providing assistance (Caouette & Pack, 2002). The RTG enforces strict

regulation against NGOs and foreigners who are not allowed within the camp

on a long term basis (Bowles, 1998).

2 The Border Consortium, Refugee and IDP Camp Populations: May 2014http://theborderconsortium.org/camps/2014-05-may-map-tbc-unhcr.pdf

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On July 2, 2014, the RTG and the military have tightened security and

enforced firmer regulations within the refugee camps in the face of the

military coupe that occurred earlier this year. The Leadership and

Management Training College (L.M.T.C.) in the Mae La Refugee Camp has

been directly affected by the reformed regulation. It relies upon funds a

sponsor provides to run the school by meeting conditions to be eligible to

receive aids. One such condition to meet to receive the fund is to employ a

foreign teacher to teach subjects such as English or Literature. Shortly after

the camp commander announced stronger enforcements of the already

existing rules, all foreign teachers who were there without the proper

permission from the authority were to leave immediately. This makes it

difficult in the future to hire the kind of help needed to run a school and

employ the right kind of teachers for respective subjects. A general ban was

also reinforced by the authorities to stop refugees from leaving the camps. 3

With the tight government control over the camp, refugees are reliant

on aid both from community-based organizations and international

organizations (Bowles, 1998). In L.M.T.C, resources such as updated teaching

material and access to specialized information about a subject are limited.

Often times, the curriculum, the available classes and the subjects students

can major in are dependent on whether there is enough course material to

cover the class for an entire year. Some classes are therefore dropped for

3 The Irrawaddy. Travel Restrictions Tighten for Burmese Refugees in Thailand. http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/travel-restrictions-tighten-burmese-refugees-thailand.html

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the time being until new resources can be accessed through NGOs.

Resources such as well-trained teaching personnel are also lacking to run the

school with a variety of subjects. In recent years, the significant cuts in

assistance towards education have also impacted refugees on the border

and frequent change of teachers without the funds to provide stipends for

teaching personnel (Frelick & Saltsman, 2012). Especially after the enforcement

of no foreign teachers within the camps, L.M.T.C. is low on staff to teach their

students. Another criterion for eligibility to receive funds from a sponsor

include hiring teachers who will only teach one specialized subject whether it

would be science, math or English so current teachers cannot cover multiple

subjects to teach its students.

Ever since the 1980s, when huge influx of Burmese people started

crossing the border and refugee camps were created, the RTG has always

been firm on the temporary nature of these arrangements (Lang, 2002).

Permanent structures are also prohibited as stated by the Thai authorities.

Schools along with other structures within the refugee camps such as houses

and stores must be built for temporary use only. However under certain

circumstances, use of semi-permanent material such as iron poles and steel

roofs can be used. Expansion of school sites is also prohibited and schools

must utilize the space assigned to them by the Thai authorities (Oh, 2010).

At the L.M.T.C., semi-permanent materials were used such as steel roofs and

iron poles to provide a spacious and stable learning environment for the

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classrooms but the dormitories and houses that people lived in at the camps

were strictly made out of bamboo floors and poles as well as a roof made out

of leaves. Such poorly built infrastructure is unstable and particularly during

rainy seasons during the summer, damage makes it difficult to find suitable

teaching spaces. As Thailand sees it, once situations back in Burma are more

suitable and permits return of people from Burma, they would return back to

their country (Lang, 2002).

Despite strict regulations enforced by the RTG, education is regarded

highly within camps. The state of isolation and exclusion from the rest of the

world provide a somewhat stable educational environment for the students.

Although the quality of education may be basic at best, the enrollment rate

of primary students is close to 100% and there are a number of schools

across all camps to provide some form of academic education. Most of these

schools are run by active members within the community who help to form

the school and dedicate their time to teach students (Oh & Van der Stouwe,

2008). Many young people within the camps, some of whom were born there, place a large

emphasis on education because they see it as a way to ensure a somewhat better future for

themselves and their country. With very few entertainment options within the camps, young

people look to educate to provide some activity to do during the day. Students also tend to be

much more politically informed and patriotic about their own country than their counterparts in

large cities around the world. Most students have ambitious hopes and dreams to attend higher

education and to somehow give back to their country and its people whether it’d be as a doctor or

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teacher to educate or help their people back home in Burma. However there are a number of

political and legal hurdles to cross in order to gain higher education beyond the camp.

During the time within the refugee camp, certificates are issued upon the students after

completion of school. However these certificates are not recognized in Thailand or Burma.

Within their immediate community in the camps, these certificates are regarded with high value

of their academic achievements. But outside of their community, there are many limitations in

using those certificates. Entering university or applying for scholarships to pursue an education

becomes that much more difficult without proper documentations of prior formal education and

hinders access to higher education to young people within the refugee camps. Certificates within

the refugee camp teaching Karen students are rewarded by the Karen Education Department

(KED) which also overlooks the education within Karen community in the camps. However

there are some positive aspects of receiving a KED certificate. There is great ownership in the

Karen education system and with that comes many connections within their community

(Sawade, 2008a). Many of the students go on to work with other NGOs or within the camp after

their education is complete because of its value within the Karen community. Particularly those

who complete their Post-10 education tend to work for other NGOs along the border or within

the camp while those who underwent medic training went on to join medical NGOs as nurses or

other related medical personnel.

The RTG has recognized the validity of certificates earned in the refugee camps and has

worked with international NGOs along with the Thai Ministry of Education. But in order to issue

certificates from the Thai government, a specific curriculum must be enforced. At least 70% of

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the curriculum will be the Thai curriculum including math, science, Thai and English while the

other 30% will be set aside for schools to teach its own language or history accordingly (Sawade,

2008b). This proposed curriculum for refugees and migrant students could help refugees gain

properly recognized certificates but adopting a curriculum of a country that doesn’t want to

integrate them is unacceptable to those who display a strong ownership of the current Karen

education system.

Leaving the refugee camp quarters to find appropriate education is also illegal. Those

who leave the refugee camp within proper documentation or permission are considered illegal

and are subject to arrest or deportation (Frelick & Saltsman, 2012).

With these existing challenges in providing education for all, the prospect for higher

education for students both within refugee camps and migrant schools are not favorable.

Improving Education Systems

There are a number of ways in which governments and international organizations could

work together in order to improve the prospects of higher education for refugees from Burma.

The RTG is highly encouraged to become a signatory of the United Nations Convention

Relating to the Status of Refugee. By being able to classify the large number of refugees from

Burma can help provide them with the appropriate kind of protection in Thailand and provide

them more opportunities in the educational front. New policies can be enforced to provide

assistance in areas that are needed.

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Cooperation with the Thai government is crucial in reforming refugee education. Since

1990, Thailand has been part of an Education for All campaign enforced by UNESCO. Under

this campaign, education should be provided to all children despite their status classification

within the host country. However many migrant children or refugees aren’t provided with

qualified education. Some families aren’t aware of the rights they have to receive education in

Thailand and each local province might reinforce these policies differently. Especially if families

are illegally in the country, they might not want to approach the authorities in the fear of getting

deported or arrested.4 A nationwide campaign to publicize this policy that Thailand supports to

help spread information about the rights that displaced people have is important in getting

children into schools. Although education is provided within the camps already, there are very

little government interventions or support. The government needs to regulate education around

the country and set up curriculums accordingly. This is one of many step in improving higher

education prospects for the refugees.

The difficulty in providing certificates to refugees from Burma is regulating what kind of

curriculum to adopt. Setting up a proper educational structure adopted for refugees and migrants

alike can help to regulate schools across the country. This is one of the largest hurdles in issuing

certificates to students. However with the KED wanting to take ownership of their own

educational system, it makes it difficult to adopt the curriculum so that the RTG could approve

of the arrangement to certify the students that finish their respective educations within camps or

at migrant schools. Collaboration with the RTG and the KED is needed if the issuance of

certificates are to be a reality in the near future (Oh & Van der Stouwe, 2008). Currently, for

Thailand to issue certificates for education, a certain level of Thai language capability is

4 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand. “Right to Education for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers” http://www.mfa.go.th/humanrights/implementation-of-un-resolutions/72-right-to-education-for-migrants-refugees-and-asylum-seekers-

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necessarily to participate in the curriculum and take certain tests to evaluate their abilities and

knowledge. Thailand should issue certificates that would allow refugees from Burma to mostly

maintain the education that they have attained already so that they can apply to universities and

jobs outside their immediate community within the camps or nearby areas (Sawade, 2008a). If

there can be a way for the RTG to issue certificates based on the curriculums that are set in place,

higher education can be easier to attain with internationally recognized education qualifications.

Refugees should be able to formally learn their own cultures and languages in their curriculum.

Through proper policies and regulations that can help to classify people fleeing from

Burma as refugees without being restricted to specific areas of the country. Especially now with

stricter regulations in regards to leaving the camp, people can’t leave to attend schools or to find

work outside of the camps.

The RTG needs to refrain from viewing the current migration situation of people from

Burma into Thailand as a temporary one. Such movement of people have been occurring since

the middle of the 1980s and the years of conflict is unlikely to end in the near future (Colm,

2004). If the RTG in the future does begin to issue Thai certificates upon completion of formal

education within the country, there is also the need to revamp the logistics of running these

schools such as the infrastructure and staff. Majority of the schools have poor infrastructures

because of the tight regulations the RTG has enforced when coming to building permanent

structures within the refugee camps. If funds and regulations were amended so that the campuses

of various schools could be improved, it would help accommodate its students and provide for an

appropriate learning environment.

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The shortage of qualified teachers and trainers are important issues to address and such

people are lacking in schools for various reasons. But these issues can be addressed with proper

funding and training of teachers from NGOs. With the current restrictions imposed by the RTG,

it makes it difficult for schools to access these funds or resources from other organizations. Often

times, the RTG would restrain NGOs along the border as to not increase the number of people

who cross the border (Thailand Burmese Border Consortium, 2004). Addressing logistic hurdles

of reforming education among refugees from Burma takes a lot of manpower, funding and

resources from NGOs would certainly help to speed up the process if NGOs were allowed to

play larger roles in their capacity and expertise. Particularly when teaching English, having

foreigners being able to come to teach would be beneficial for the students along the border if

rules were more lenient towards NGOs and the help that they bring. Working with NGOs and

education experts is useful in helping to provide a guideline for curriculums and providing

teaching material and resources. Updated teaching material is another resources needed in order

to successfully run a class and schools being able to access it would help to provide proper

insight into the topics.

There is also a need for the international community to work with the RTG in order to

address a number of issues including education. NGOs should also put pressure on the RTG and

the Burmese government to allow for access to education and other rights. The international

community should be advocating for proper protection of refugees and to provide proper status

in addressing those who fled from Burma. Assistance to these people should be accessible to

them and monitor the current situation. Particularly the UNCHR should be allowed more

leniency in their role within the refugee camps rather than being allowed to observe current

situations. Refugees in the camp should be able to ask for help and be provided with the

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necessary aids and protection that the UNCHR can offer to them. NGOs should be able to fund

programs and actively work with the authorities in Thailand and Burma to present a number of

opportunities to them. But along with providing funds, it’s important to provide security of funds

in the years to come. Sometimes schools that were funding previously were losing funds over

recent years and need to find a way to replace those funds that would have come from NGOs or

sponsors. Rather than thinking about short-term ways to fund schools or programs, it’s durability

in the long-term is also important to plan ahead so it can be a sustainable source of fund for

many schools.

Higher education institutions should also be more proactive in providing opportunities for

refugees. By setting up special programs with specific schools within the refugee camp, although

it may not be credit-bearing, could still be a useful way to introduce higher education courses or

specialties in subjects to students. In terms of resolving all logistics and manpower issues of

reforming education for the refugee community could take years to reach acceptable levels. But

in the meantime, summer programs or semester-long programs can be organized by schools to

bring in professional educators and students to have a mutual sharing of knowledge. The MOEI

program set up by the University of Hong Kong is an excellent example of a higher education

institution reaching out to refugees from Burma to aid in their education. Something similar

could be adopted by other universities around the world to help increase their exposure to

cultures and people outside the border and a glimpse into higher education beyond Thailand. It’s

most certain that through universally recognized certificates, refugees from Burma would be able

to pursue higher education and jobs in areas they desire.

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Sources

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Displacement on the Thai-Burmese Border: The Interrelated Search for Durable Solution pg. 59-

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Bowles, E. (1998, August). From village to camp: refugee camp life in transition on the

Thailand-Burma Border. Forced Migration Review, 2, 11-14.

Caouette, T. M., & Pack, M. E. (2002). Pushing past the definitions, migration from Burma to

Thailand. Refugees International.

Colm, S. (2004). Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Thai Policy toward Burmese Refugees. Human

Rights Watch, 16(2).

Frelick, B., & Saltsman, A. (2012). Ad hoc and inadequate: Thailand's treatment of refugees and

asylum seekers. New York, N.Y.: Human Rights Watch.

Lang, H. J. (2002) Fear and sanctuary: Burmese refugees in Thailand. Ithaca, N.Y.: Southeast

Asia Program Publications, Southeast Asia Program, Cornell University.

Oh, S. (2010). Education in refugee camps in Thailand: policy, practice and paucity. United

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Oh, S., & Van der Stouwe, M. (2008). Education, diversity, and inclusion in Burmese refugee

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Thailand. ZOA Issue Paper, (2).

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