Displaced Karen People

Mr. Walter
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures his Department has put in place to provide support for the displaced Karen people on the border between Burma and Thailand.

Mr. Thomas
DFID is very concerned about the humanitarian situation for internally displaced people in Burma. We have been working hard to find innovative ways to increase the amount of aid reaching them.

There are three types of internally displaced people in the east of Burma, near the Thai-Burma border. These are (with the latest available numbers from October 2006):

(1) people in temporary settlements in ceasefire areas under ethnic nationality administration (287,000);

(2) villagers who have been evicted by the Burmese Government and moved into designated relocation sites (118,000); and

(3) civilians hiding from the Burmese army in areas most affected by armed conflict (95, 000).

In response to the 2006 military offensive against the Karen, which has swelled the number of civilians hiding in conflict areas, DFID has provided emergency assistance by working through local community groups inside Burma. The local community groups also provide support to internally displaced people in relocation sites and other areas controlled by the Burmese authorities.

This support complements that of relief teams working cross-border from Thailand, as each approach accesses different groups of internally displaced people who may not be reached by any other means. And we recognise the importance of maintaining coordination with all those funding and delivering assistance both in-country and cross-border to ensure that the international community manages to reach as many internally displaced people as possible.

DFID also provided support to internally displaced people in temporary settlements in ceasefire areas in eastern Burma (mostly in Karen State) through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 2006. Approximately 75 per cent. of our £500,000 contribution was used for protection work with displaced people in this area, and the delivery of medical supplies and improvement of their water supply and sanitation. Following the forced closure of ICRC’s field operations later in the year, DFID, with the British embassy in Rangoon, has been continuing to press the Burmese authorities to reconsider their decision. We remain in close contact with ICRC on the developing situation.

In addition, our health, education and rural livelihood projects provide assistance in eastern Burma, and support internally displaced people in temporary settlements and designated relocation sites, as well as other vulnerable people. For example, in Karen State, our Fund for HIV/AIDS in Myanmar supports World Vision projects in two townships, Save the Children UK projects in four townships and Care projects in five townships, as well as supporting other national non-governmental organisations. DFID-funded rural livelihoods and pre-primary education projects are about to start in Karen State.

Furthermore, DFID funds non-governmental organisations working among displaced Burmese (mainly Karen) people in the refugee camps on the Thai side of the Thai-Burma border—as a grant to the Thai Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) of £1.8 million over three years. The UK contributes approximately the same amount again as its share of the EC’s support to TBBC. The British embassy in Bangkok advocates on behalf of Burmese refugees living in Thailand through the United Nations high commission for refugees to improve the situation in the refugee camps in Thailand and to bring about a relaxation of the regulations prohibiting freedom of movement and employment outside the camps.