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Young refugee from Burma organizes medical aid for others

Halfway between Mae Sot and the Friendship Bridge linking Thailand and Burma stands the house of the Back Pack Health Worker Team, an association that, since 1998, has been giving health assistance to refugees and migrant workers in Thai territory and internal displaced people inside Burma.

A refugee and young mother herself, Snow is the deputy director of the Back Pack organization.

Listen to the report by Roberto Tofani (presented by André Leslie):

Young Burmese refugee organizes medical aid for others

Snow prefered not to be photographed. Here are some impressions from the region. Photos by Robert Tofani.

Moei River, natural border between Thailand and Myanmar

The Moei River forms a natural border between Thailand and Burma

Burmese kids on the border, Thai side

These Burmese children are pictured on the border with Thailand, on the Thai side

Kids at a refugee school in Burma

These kids attend a school for refugees, which is run by local NGOs

Date

Tuesday 21.02.2012 | 15:12

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Burmese activist risks personal safety for political change

Bo Bo, a 23-year-old Burmese student and musician, left his home behind because of politics. But his group of young political dissidents still advocates for change inside Burma, despite the huge risks.

Burmese activist risks personal safety for political change

Generation Wave's logo

The logo of Bo Bo's opposition organization, Generation Wave

Reporter David Meyers writes about the political situation in Burma:

In 1990, the people of Burma voted in civilian leaders to push their country forward – only to have Burma’s military rulers refuse to concede power. In the past year, the country experienced its first national election since the 1990 poll, yet in many respects, the state of democracy remains as stagnant as it was 20 years ago. Though Burma, or Myanmar as it is officially known, has at least nominally returned to civilian control, the election was widely seen as a foregone conclusion. Opposition figure Aung San Suu Kyi was finally released from her long-standing house arrest following the November election, yet her role in her country’s political future remains cloudy. And though Burma’s authorities released dozens of political prisoners earlier this year – including hip hop star Zayar Thaw, whose politicized music had landed him in prison – almost 2,000 still remain behind bars. Being a political dissident in Burma, then, remains a dangerous job. Members of the anti-regime group Zayar Thaw founded, Generation Wave, are politically active, yet they live under the threat of arrest and carry out their work underground.

Aung San Suu Ky

Bo Bo has a lot of respecct for persecuted Burmese politican Aung San Suu Ky

Aung San Suu Kyi

Posters of Aung San Suu Kyi, which group members look up to, hang in the Generation Wave safe house

Date

Tuesday 23.08.2011 | 14:03

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