Maybe beginning to understand things here?

Not so much the language, but the broader situation. Trying to describe it is even more difficult. There's a lot I don't want to talk about -- many of the people I work with are risking a lot by doing what they do, and there are people poking around looking for them. The Lonely Planet section on politics in Burma says that 1 in 10 people is an informant for the SPDC. I would imagine that in a town like Mae Sot, there is a fair representation as well. I'm not sure quite how it works out. Thankfully, as a westerner in Thailand legally, I have nothing to worry about. The status quo seems to be that illegal people involved with health and education projects are tacitly ignored. Those working to a political end in Burma are much more likely to be investigated.

The violence against the different ethnic groups is not overt. It's as simple as coming into a village and putting holes in all their cooking pots and burning their rice stores. Over time, it places pressure on the people. There are also several major dam projects that will force people from their land. These villages are 'remote.' One person said he had never seen or heard of a car or an electric light until he came to the refugee camp. They spend most of the dry season moving around to avoid the SPDC, and settle for a while in the rainy season. Many of the young people come to the refugee camps because that is there only access to education, but then it is very risky to re-enter burma. While there was a strong resistance several year ago, there is currently not a very cohesive force against the SPDC. The people living in the jungle are so cut off that they may not be aware of the big picture and the need to organize. It is hard to see much hope without foreign involvement, but I don't see that looming ahead unless the rekindled friendship with N. Korea will draw more attention to burma.


Closer to home, I went to a market under the bridge to Burma and bought a very playable guitar for around $25. Now I have something to do besides reading and roaming around town. It was interesting to see the bridge to Burma. With all the stories we hear, it seems that looking across it should be like looking into the gates of hell, but it's actually quite anti-climactic. There is a military presence on both sides and some fencing, but across the river is a fairly nice looking town.