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The poorest of the forgotten
Elfi Seitz
From my fellow journalist, Maximilian Wechsler, I learned about the
fate of 18 people who have faced misery throughout their life.
 View
over the camp at Mae La.
They are Burmese fugitives from the Karenni ethnic minority and live at a
camp in Mae La, near the Thai-Burmese boarder. The better-known town of Mae
Sot with its famous peace bridge crosses the River Moei is just 60
kilometers from here.
With more than 50,000 fugitives, Mae La is the largest of the nine Burmese
camps located in Thailand and was established some 20 years ago, says Doe
Dhoe. He is one of the few who doesn’t live at the camp but goes there daily
to teach and help in any way he can. Doe Dhoe is married to an American, and
his job at the Karen Handicap Welfare Association (KHWA) grants him the
permission to legally live and work in Thailand.
Part of Doe Dhoe’s job is to look after a small group of maimed people at
the camp’s Care Villa - a hut covered with leaves. All of its dwellers have
lost an arm, leg and/or eyesight when they stepped on a landmine while
fighting the Burmese junta. They depend on care, as most of them can’t
manage the day without help. Still they know they are better off than their
comrades of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). Landmines are still
being laid out today, killing or maiming hundreds of innocent humans every
year.
 Two
more wheelchairs for the Care Villa.
One thing they share with all other occupants is the fear of one day being
extradited to Burma. Their hope of deliverance from the suppression of the
military junta and the restoration of peace and democracy in Burma is still
alive.
The camp residents may seem to be free, but with fully-armed Thai soldiers
patrolling at the numerous checkpoints spread throughout the camp, one can
hardly speak of liberty.
Since the Thai government doesn’t grant these people refugee status, they
are denied certain rights. The camp itself is under the responsibility of
the Thai Ministry of Interior, not the United Nations, which means that no
one may leave the camp - not for work, or for education. As a result, many
of them can only communicate in their native language; some don’t even know
Thai.
Rev. Simon Saw, a Karenni, teaches at the Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Bible
School & College. He is always busy, as he is responsible for all the people
at the camp. Clear Path International donates toothpaste and soap, every
third day a meal, and 600 baht per day to cover the 18 Karenni’s and the 2
volunteer’s costs.
First visit to Care Villa
We were instantly impressed by what we saw at the huge Mae La
camp. Rows of huts, one next to another, edge the hills like bird nests.
It’s almost romantic.
Doe Doeh led us to the Care Villa. The occupants lay on pallets. A man with
only one leg greets us. He is the only one of the group who can see, and was
the only one with a wheelchair until Wechsler donated two more. We brought
another three with us. Rotarian Heidi Glémeau donated the 10,000 baht she
collected at her birthday party recently, and Gene, a member of my
meditation group, added 5,000 baht. Happy cheers among the group when the
good news was announced.
I noticed a blind man making a bag from small beads while resting on his
back. I couldn’t believe how he would always find the bead with the right
size and color.
Seer and healer David Anthony sponsored the trip from Pattaya to Mae La and
back. With all 18 Karenni sitting in a wheelchair or chair, we prayed as
Anthony prepared to send his spiritual cure. The people were deeply sunk in
prayers when Anthony laid his hands on. It was a first-time experience for
them which surely did them good.
Mustafa, David’s partner from Morocco, and I scoured the premises to take
pictures and talk to some Karenni, or at least try to. When we wanted to
cross a suspension bridge to get on the ‘other side,’ people said Thai
militaries wouldn’t only allow it upon official request.
After several hours, we finally had to say good-bye. I promised all these
trusting and friendly people to never forget them and to do anything I can
to continue helping them. But more help is needed. Good Samaritans who would
like to donate, can contact me, or Doe Doeh at 087 844 599 or Rev. Simon at
081 039 7794.
A child dies every 15 seconds
Public Relations, Rotary Club of
Jomtien-Pattaya
“Waterborne illnesses kill a child every 15 seconds and
underlies much of the world’s disease and malnutrition,” reported Ann
Venerman, executive director of UNICEF, in a recent global health
report.
 Happy
pupils fill their containers to take safe drinking water home.
Members of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya have long realized the
health problems poor quality water is causing locally and is actively
raising funds to install clean water filters in schools in an effort to
help eradicate these dangers.
To date, mainly in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Eastern Seaboard
and others, they have already equipped 23 schools, at an average cost of
80,000 baht for each installation. Now, with local and international
assistance, they are about to start work on a further eight schools, the
total benefiting many thousands of pupils, staff and families.
The Community Services chairman of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya,
Philip Wall Morris, said how pleased he and his fellow members were with
this latest development. “We have received generous assistance from
other Pattaya Rotary Clubs, as well as from clubs in the U.S.A. and
Ireland. The Rotary Foundation international fund has also contributed
$6,000, bringing our total raised to $17,000, about 600,000 baht. As
always, we in Rotary work freely, so every baht will be invested in the
project.”
He continued, “In many schools the water being consumed comes straight
from a well, without going through any purification system whatsoever,
as they lack the funds to install filters. The Rotary Club of
Jomtien-Pattaya wants to fit as many of these comprehensive systems as
possible, thus safeguarding the pupils, teachers and other staff from
exposure to the many waterborne infections and diseases that are
prevalent in Asia. The bonus to this is that we are helping not just the
schools, but many families as pupils are allowed to take water for home
use in the screw top containers we have supplied in the past.”
Philip went on to explain how they went about an installation. “First we
have to find the schools, and after establishing a needy school has been
found we then meet the head and governors to discuss the project. Once
they’ve agreed a sample of the water is taken and analyzed. For example,
at one time we found a dangerously high lead content in two schools’
water supply, which proved to come from the plumbing, not the well. So
we replaced all that pipe work and the storage tanks as well.
“When the best position for the filters is established, estimates for
additional plumbing and building are obtained, the contracts are placed
and we then supervise the work up to the installation of the filters.
All very time consuming work, but the results are well worth the
effort.”
The Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya has an “at cost” arrangement with the
filters suppliers Lomatec. Their latest state-of-the-art system requires
virtually no maintenance and should remain effective for many years to
come.
Summer campers enjoy an afternoon
of fun with Laser Tag at Asian University
Susan Joyce
On the afternoon of Friday April 3, Asian University’s Summer
Camp hosted the ‘Live Play’ Laser Tag team from Pattaya. They set up
their inflatable walls under the trees around the sports centre, and
then issued the young campers with their laser-guns and sensors.
 New
takes aim.
There were two teams playing each time, with the aim of shooting as many
of your opponents as possible. The girls and the boys all entered into
the spirit of the game, sporting their sensors on the front and back of
their heads.
The matter of winners and losers was not as important as the fun, the
posing behind the hides and the chance to shoot at friends and enemies
alike.
Four of the campers wrote a little about their experience. Naphat
Kukiatkan (Gane), Korakot Teerasawad (Son), Ekarat Fadsura (Bee),
Sudthichai Wetchakitwanich (Nyoung) together wrote the following:
There are many activities in Asian University summer camp. Like growing
plants, party night, community service, beach clean, sports day and camp
idol. Last week we had a chance with a very special activity: Laser Tag.
Laser tag is a game like BB gun except you don’t use bullets, you use a
laser. On the players there are sensors which catch the laser. The gun
will shoot a laser and if the laser hits the sensor that means you got
shot. There were 25 people on each team. The time was separated into one
hour for each round.
It was a lot of fun. We did a lot of running, shooting and getting shot.
It also made us laugh a lot and we made lots of friends as well.
Son, Jinz and Gane take a
laser tag military pose.
The laser tag team
prepares for battle.
Students take part in one
of the many Asian University
special projects; in this case beach cleaning.
City runs holiday sports clinic
Saksiri Uraiworn
Training in football, takraw, tennis, and dancing at a sports
clinic run by Pattaya City from April 1-10 during the school holiday
will help youngsters improve their sports.
 Mayor
Itthipol Khunplome addresses the gathering during the opening ceremony.
On April 1 at the Youth Sports Field, Mayor Itthipol Khunplome opened
the clinic for youth aged between 8 and 15. Thawatchai Rattanyu,
Education Office director, Banlue Kullawanit, city council member and
over 200 local youngsters joined the opening activities.
Keen kids were trained by Anucha Munjaroen, Thai national football
player, and Police Lieutenant Singha Somsakul, takraw player from the
Police Club.
Children being trained would no doubt be inspired by their trainers and
aim to represent their country by first qualifying for youth teams.
Mayor Itthipol said that this clinic is for youngsters to use their time
fruitfully during their summer break and to support the government
campaign of maintaining good health for all plus equip the children
better for selection into youth teams.
The youths thoroughly
enjoy the takraw demonstration.
Youngsters are keen to
begin the clinic.
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