Meala

Hmm.. lets see, what to disclose and what not to disclose. It seems that all the best adventures go somewhat below the legal radar.

We went to the Burmese refugee camp today. By we I mean a group of 6 of us with Jared (which is a large group of Farang to go unnoticed). After working with Burmese refugees who were ESP students (ESP refers to engineering study program) for the microhydro project many of us became interested in Burmese issues. The camp was about an hour ride from Maesot. Jared devised what probably had been a solid plan, but we didn't have a cell phone with us. I believe the plan was something along the lines of calling our contacts inside once we were close and having them meet us at an entrance and going in, but without a phone we didn't know where to get off. Then we had to ask to use a cell phone, which made us very apparent to the authorities.

Our friends that we knew from the inside met us outside and we were able to uhh...find a way in. It was an interesting place to be. We were stared at a great deal inside, which doesn't surprise me. We went and saw the ESP school and interviewed the teachers. The school is a pretty competitive program. Only 60 students get in per year, and we asked what kind of opportunities completing the program offered to students, but considering that most of the students don;t have UN approved refugee status and there is basically no chance at resettlement, and there is no opportunity to work inside the camp, there isn't really anything they get to do with their education. It still seems very important however that they be empowering themselves through higher education, but since there is no where to go from there the situation feels very hopeless. I could feel the frustration from them.They can't leave the camp. Most of them had been there for years and years. The place is completely packed.

It doesn't look like an entirely unpleasant place to be. People have built their oen houses and it seems like the community is very tight knit and close, and there was a nice vibe in the air, music being played. It basically felt like a huge, completely overcrowded village. People generally seem to make the best of a bad situation, and the situation inside the camp is likely alot better than where they came from.

We had the chance to ask the teachers many questions and meet some of the students. We were able to look at their textbooks and see what they were doing, and hopefully will be able to provide them with more up to date textbooks. The engineering textbooks werefrom the 60's.

I'm still processing what it felt like to be there. How can over 140,000 people all live there and not be able to leave? It is such a huge privilege to be able to move freely in the world, and I'm having the opportunity to look at all sorts of different factors that inhibit that movement for most of the world. I didn't exactly know how I would respond to that upon seeing it. There definitely is some guilt that I experience. Some responsibility. At the same time I can't get too carried away with that. There are many things I have that people all over the world don't, but many things they have that I'll never have. Perhaps much truer and more pure wealth than anything I have.

I really did enjoy talking to people in there, and it felt pretty badass to sneak in and out. Getting out was almost harder than getting in, although I don't think the consequences for getting caught would have been all that severe.

I think people from my group are getting more real. Experiences like the Karen village and this are certainly shattering to the ego, although it does a lot to fight back. I think, after being with the same group for so long, I'm beginning to lose my social skills.