Oo Nie Kie (pictured on the right with Tasanee – Big Mum) in recent times, lived and worked at Safe Haven Orphanage. Yesterday she tragically drowned in the Moei River. Below is what she wrote not long ago when asked to write a few words about her life.

“I am very grateful for this opportunity to speak out to the rest of the world about my part of life in Burma. I believe it is important to share our stories, our problems, and our hopes.

In 1996, when I was 10 years old and I lived in my village in Burma, in Ka Pain Kee Village in Karen State, my family faced big difficulties: My oldest brother was forced to work for as a military porter for the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) – the illegal military dictatorship in Burma – and he sustained a terrible injury during a battle. Then both of my parents fell ill and nearly died. My mother got high blood pressure and my father had malaria. My older sister had to take care of my brother in the hospital and then followed him to Rangoon. My younger brother and I took care of our parents as there was no hospital to take them to. When we lived in the village we didn’t have medicine. My mother used to make herbal medicine from the forest. When the other villagers were unwell they came to my mother and asked her to make medicine for them. My mother always helped them, so when my family became ill the other villagers came to help us and we were never alone.

We all suffered in the village because we had to work for the SPDC every day. One day my mother asked me to work for the SPDC because every one else in my family was weak. So, I had to represent them. At the first I didn’t want to go but I felt pity for my parents so I agreed to help and went to the military station with some other villagers. I had to sweep the road two times a day and if there were land mines on the road, they would explode under us and we would die. So I was scared every time I woke up in the morning to sweep the road. And we had to stoke fires beside the road at night. There were two people living in each hut along the road, and the huts were 30 minutes apart. At night I was worried and afraid, and I missed my family and my friends. I wanted to play with my friends and I wanted to eat the curry that my mom would cook for me and my siblings. I cried every night. My aunt who was working with me was very kind and she told me not to cry. As a child, I slept early at night. My Aunt could not sleep early. Sometimes she woke me up to tell me that she heard footsteps and songs. I was also afraid, moving my body close to her as she told me not to sleep. But as a child, I fell sleep easily again and again. Sometimes she woke me up three to four times in one night. I spent 6 days and nights there.

In 1997 the SPDC troops destroyed many villages and my village was one of them. The leader of the SPDC told every one they had to move by the end of April. At first we moved to another village called Pway Toug Roo, which is close to my village. We stayed there about two weeks but then the SPDC told us that the villagers in Pway Toug Roo had to move too. Every villager was tired and angry at the troops but we could not refuse them. It was very difficult to move again and again. We didn’t have a car to carry the rice from our paddy or our furniture so it took a very long time. Then all of the villagers moved to another village which is far away from our own. My family moved to Noe Paw Htee village and stayed there for a month, but it was very hard for us to stay and build our lives there. One night in May 1997 we fled our village and travelled to a refugee camp to try and get away from the military. We started our journey at about two o’clock in the morning so we didn’t draw attention to ourselves. Normally travel from our village to the refugee camp takes only two days, but it took us about three weeks because the military was in the area and we had to wait until they left. We arrived in the camp the end of May and in June school started. I was pleased that I could study until grade ten.

At first we lived in Mae Koung Kha camp on the Thai-Burma border. In 2004 we had to move to Mae La Oon camp because water flooded our camp. There were land slides and over twenty five refugees died. In Mae La Oon we also had to face land slides in the rainy season, as our houses were on the mountain sides. Living in the refugee camp was uncomfortable because you cannot leave very easily. I felt like I was under house arrest the whole time, but I felt better living in the camp than in Burma under the SPDC’s torture.

When I finished grade ten I wanted to continue my studies, but my parents weren’t able to help me. Refugee students face this difficulty in their education. Many are very enthusiastic but we lack opportunities to make our lives better. We don’t want to stay in the camp any more but we can’t go back to our country, it is too dangerous. Many people managed to leave the camp to go to another country and live better lives, but it is difficult to do and I am worried about living as an immigrant in another country where jobs are hard to find. Some people decided to go back to Burma despite the risks. I was confused about what I should do. My parents asked me to choose the best way for the family. They would permit me to leave the camp to go to another country, but when I said I wanted go back to Burma to my village and help the children with their education they wouldn’t allow me.

Although I managed to get out of the refugee camp and live in Thailand I don’t feel free. I feel that I am under house arrest again because I am illegal in this country and I don’t have any documents, like many other Burmese refugees. Sometimes I don’t want to go out because there are Thai police on the road and they often stop people to ask questions and arrest you if you have no papers to show them. I always worry about my security. I don’t know what will happen in the future as a refugee.

I try to forget my suffering life under the SPDC’s policy. But I can not forget because I have to see people arrive in the refugee camps everyday. I have been released from the SPDC’s torture, but many people are still victims. I don’t want to see my family, my friends or anyone else become the property of the SPDC and it’s torture. The SPDC must stop their violence in my country. I have been hoping for many years that we will get freedom. When I see young people from other countries, they look so free and happy, and I hope I will be able to be like them someday. Sometimes I can’t feel happiness because I am worried for myself, my family, and my people. All Burmese people are thirsty for freedom. We need people from the rest of the world to support us in our journey to freedom in Burma so that all of our people may live free lives.”

The children at Safe Haven Orphanage celebrate Mothers Day in their own special way.

It is pre-arranged with the local Thai school that all the children from Safe Haven Orphanage will spend Mothers Day at the orphanage rather than at the school. This is so the children don’t feel uncomfortable seeing all the other children with their mothers during this time.

All the children pay respect to the local elders and receive a cotton tie around their wrist in return. Afterwards, the children enjoyed a meal of mohinga – a traditional Burmese noodle soup.

Click on one of the thumbnails below to view a larger image.

Thai authorities have stated that the people who have fled the fighting and now taking shelter along the border can remain until the end of the rainy season (October/November) at which stage the authorities will re-evaluate the situation.

At this stage it is being said that if the situation on the Burmese side of the border is deemed to be unsafe for people to return it is most likely that the new arrivals will be sent to Mae La which is the largest refugee camp along the Thai/Burma border.

The images here show some of the construction taking place at the Safe Haven Orphanage site and the children being able to continue their school lessons despite their recent upheaval.

Click on one of the thumbnails below to view a larger image.

Refugees are currently taking shelter in seven sites along the Thai/Burma border between Mae Usu and Mae Tawo, but Thai authorities have stated they would like to consolidate these into 3 sites for ease of providing aid and to be able to better control and monitor the situation.

However, this is proving to be difficult due to security issues. A DKBA commander, San Pyote (aka Soe Myint), was ambushed and killed by an unknown armed group while traveling by longtail boat on the Moei River on June 26 and the DKBA have threatened retaliation (more about this story at The Irrawaddy). There have also been other reported incidents of DKBA soldiers crossing the border into Thailand and killing Karen villagers.

The pictures shown below were taken at one of the sites where mainly women and children have fled the fighting.

Click on one of the thumbnails below to view a larger image.

The Karen Human Rights Group are stating that this ‘…is the largest refugee exodus from Karen State on a single occasion since the SPDC’s massive 1997 offensive in Dooplaya District further south.’

The photos shown here were taken in the Mae Tawo area where approximately 110 students have fled from across the border as well as a number of families.

Some reports of the current situation can be found here:

* Karen Human Rights Group – Over 3,000 villagers flee to Thailand amidst ongoing SPDC/DKBA attacks.
* BBC – Burma’s Karen unable to return home.
* ABC News – Burmese flee into Thailand after army crackdown.

Click on one of the thumbnails below to view a larger image.

It has now been 2 months since the devastating Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy delta region of Burma.  Peoples lives in the Irrawaddy delta region are in complete chaos.  Mothers have lost children, children have lost parents, there are people who have lost brothers and sisters and other loved ones.  Many people have very little left.  

Hundreds of villages were washed away and more than 130,000 people lost their lives. It is estimated that 2.4 million people have been severely affected by the cyclone and almost one million lost their livelihoods.

Fuel is at such a premium that most people cannot afford to use it to burn the bodies of the victims, despite the health risks that this imposes.  Therefore, various groups including the Free Funeral Service Society, are collecting the abandoned bodies of the cyclone victims to burn or to bury in graves for sanitation reasons.

Click on an image below to view larger picture. Pictures courtesy of the Aiya Burma Fund.

The album will be printed as a premium hardcover coffee-table book. Once printed it is then hand bound and comes in a fully lined presentation box.

It can be previewed in pdf format here.

If you would like a copy of this wedding album please contact me here.

Please bare with me while I get it finalised. Feel free to let me know what you think, either by leaving a comment in the comment section below or contacting me here.