Refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are considered among the most vulnerable people, and the Covid-19 crisis has put them at enormous risk. In Myanmar’s Karen State, IDPs living along the Thai border are somewhat hidden from the world.
The civil war between the Burmese military and ethic opposition groups fighting for self-determination continues to threaten the lives of the Karen people, the third-largest ethnic group in Myanmar. Many of them have fled to Thailand to escape the conflict while many others are internally displaced in Karen State.
They long to return to their hometowns where they could plant vegetables and rice, but the civil war has destroyed their homes and there is nothing left to come home to.
The pandemic has exacerbated their already precarious situation. The borders of Myanmar and Thailand have closed, restricting the movements of the people in Karen State who need to cross the border into Thailand to buy food. Thai student Narongdet Chuanchuenchom works with a team of Jesuit volunteers in raising funds and food for the IDPs in Karen State.
“We hope the situation will get better and the coronavirus will be eradicated soon. This has been challenging for both our team and the Karen people since we cannot cross the Salween River, which is our meeting point,” says Narongdet, who is a student of Xavier Learning Community, a Jesuit education project helping ethnic minorities in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand.
Narongdet and his friends who work as volunteer teachers in Karen State last visited the area in February before the borders closed. Although Internet services in Karen State are limited, Narongdet remains in touch with his students through Facebook. “Once the border reopens, my friends and I will be going to visit them and bring them food,” he says enthusiastically.
Fortunately, there are a few charitable organisations working to help the people in Karen State and making sure that emergency relief reaches them. Narongdet works closely with Catholic students engaged in foundations that seek to help the most vulnerable people.
Although no Covid-19 cases have been recorded in Karen State, the disease is spreading in other parts of Myanmar, and Narongdet worries about possible infections in Karen State.
“We hope they will be saved,” he says. “Right now, we can only pray for them.”