Karen Refugee Clinic Pioneer Wins Sydney Peace Prize Updated 5 November 2013, 13:17 AEST SLUG: Burma

Cy t!"a #au $ %E&'TE%: Se Lam %ad"o Au(tra)"a *NT%' A do+tor ,rom #ya mar !a( -o t!"( year.( Syd ey &ea+e &r"/e, ,or !er -or0 o t!e T!a"1 #ya mar border2 3ubbed t!e .re,u$ee do+tor. Cy t!"a #au $ ,ou ded t!e #ae Tao +)" "+ a)mo(t 25 year( a$o, prov"d" $ med"+a) +are to t!ou(a d( o, peop)e, ma y et! "+ 4are (, d"(p)a+ed by t!e (eparat"(t +o ,)"+t " t!e"r (tate2 La(t year a)o e, t!e +)" "+ re+orded 1501t!ou(a d v"("t( a d made over 121t!ou(a d adm"(("o (2 3r Cy t!"a #au $ (ay( t!e a-ard a)(o !e)p( !"$!)"$!t t!e p)"$!t o, re,u$ee( d"(p)a+ed by ot 5u(t +o ,)"+t(, but a)(o e+o om"+ deve)opme t " #ya mar2 Se Lam ,rom %ad"o Au(tra)"a (po0e to !er2 TE6T #AUNG CL*& 1 78ema)e, E $)"(!9: :A)mo(t t!"rty per+e t o, popu)at"o " Burma are et! "+ peop)e, a d (eve ty per+e t are peop)e )"v" $ " very remote area(2 So eve -"t! t!e demo+rat"+ re,orm a d po)"t"+a) +!a $e " Burma "( o t!e move, but u t") o-, -e !ave .t (ee mu+! +!a $e( ,or t!e(e vu) erab)e peop)e2 T!ere !a( bee o $o" $ +ea(e,"re ta)0(, but o t!e $rou d, t!e a+tua) ("tuat"o peop)e are (t")) (u,,er" $, 7a d !ave o a++e((9 to !ea)t! (erv"+e(2 Edu+at"o a d prote+t"o "((ue( are (t")) ot addre((ed2; Q. The plight of the Karens and indeed, other minority groups in Myanmar, doesn t figure !ery prominently in international co!erage .. do you thin" your peace prize might no# highlight some of the pro$lems faced $y these ethnic groups in Myanmar% #AUNG CL*& 2 78ema)e, E $)"(!9: :<a, a)) t!e et! "+ $roup( a d t!e peop)e o, Burma, t!ey rea))y eed t!e (u(ta" ab)e a d )o $ term e $a$eme t -"t! a)) t!e et! "+ $roup(, a d to be a pea+e,u), demo+rat"+ +ou try2 So -e rea))y ,ee) t!at e=ua) part"+"pat"o a d " +)u("ve d"a)o$ue, a( -e)) a( to promote !uma r"$!t( "( very e((e t"a) part2; :T!ere.( more ope " $ up o t!e e+o om"+ a d " ve(tme t ,ro t, but -e eed to (ee more re(po ("b)e " ve(tme t " Burma, be+au(e ma y ,armer(. )a d !ave bee +o ,"(+ated a d a)(o more m")"tary po(t( arou d t!e v"))a$e, (o t!ere.( " (e+ur"ty a d u +erta" ty (t")) e>"(t2 So peop)e -!o.re d"(p)a+ed ,rom t!e"r !ome( ,or de+ade(, t!ey -a t to $o ba+0 !ome a d t!ey -a t to (tay " t!e"r o- +ommu "ty a d v"))a$e2 A d a( a peop)e -!o +a +o tr"bute ,or t!e"r +ommu "ty deve)opme t -or02 *t.( too +!a))e $" $ to ba+0 !ome (a,e)y, a( -e)) a( to $et a better =ua)"ty o, )",e, or "mprove t!e"r ,am")y2; :Curre t)y, t!ere.( +o +er " 4are (tate or ot!er et! "+ (tate( "( " ve(tme t t!at.( $o" $ o 2 ?e !ave -"t e((ed t!at 7v"))a$e(9 be+ome a e+o om"+ /o e, (o )a d !a( bee +o ,"(+ated

a d peop)e !ave bee a,,e+ted by t!e "mpa+t o t!e e v"ro me t a d (ome o, t!e"r )a d( be" $ ,)ooded, a d t!e d"(a(ter !a( a !u$e "mpa+t o t!e"r da")y )"ve(2 * +rea(" $ or " te (",y" $ t!e m")"tary po(t( " t!e 4are (tate, to prote+t t!e pro5e+t(, (o peop)e ,ee) very " (e+ure a d (ay t!ey +a ot $o ba+0 to t!e"r +ommu "ty2; Q. &et s return to your #or" as a humanitarian doctor. 'ou !e $een in!ited $y the Myanmar authorities to return to Myanmar to set up a similar clinic there ( #hy did you decline% #AUNG CL*& 3 78ema)e, E $)"(!9: :T!e +)" "+ !a( bee prov"d" $ (erv"+e( ,or d"(p)a+ed a d m"$ra t +ommu "t"e( o t!e T!a"1Burma border2 A++e(( to !ea)t! (erv"+e( 1 t!ey.re very +!a))e $" $ 7,or t!e d"(p)a+ed re,u$ee(9, bot! p!y("+a), $eo$rap!"+a))y a d )a $ua$e "((ue2 So, e>"(t" $ +)" "+ ot o )y prov"de( (erv"+e(, but a)(o "t.( a tra" " $ +e tre ,or !ea)t! -or0er( a)o $ t!e T!a")a d1Burma border2 *t.( a opportu "ty ,or et! "+ $roup( to !ave a (tro $ et-or0, to "mprove t!e !ea)t! (y(tem " t!e"r o- +ommu "ty2 ?e are -or0" $ -"t! d",,ere t et! "+ $roup( a d (upport" $ d",,ere t +ommu "ty or$a "(at"o (, to empo-er t!e"r o- +ommu "ty2; :So " (tead o, -e $o" $ ba+0 7to #ya mar9 a d (et up +)" "+ " ("de, re+o$ "t"o 7by t!e #ya mar aut!or"t"e(9 o, t!e e>"(t" $ !ea)t! (erv"+e a d !ea)t! " ,ra(tru+ture, a d -or0" $ to$et!er -"t! t!e et! "+ !ea)t! or$a "(at"o ( "( very +ru+"a) ,or "mprov" $ !ea)t! (erv"+e( or t!e !ea)t! (y(tem " Burma, a( -e)) a( to bu")d a demo+rat"+ a d de+e tra)"(ed !ea)t! (y(tem2; Q. )ut don t you thin" that $y returning to Myanmar, you can perhaps help the local Myanmar authorities to change the culture, to $e more democratic% #AUNG CL*& @ 78ema)e, E $)"(!9: :<e(, a( * me t"o ed ear)"er, -e !ave bee prov"d" $ (erv"+e( a( -e)) a( empo-er" $ )o+a) +ommu "ty or$a "(at"o ( a d et! "+ peop)e2 So t!e $over me t eed( to a+0 o-)ed$e a d re+o$ "(e a)) t!e e>"(t" $ !ea)t! " ,ra(tru+ture a d -or0" $ to$et!er -"t! t!e(e et! "+ $roup(2 T!"( -")) br" $ better " te$rat"o a d promot"o o, demo+rat"+ re,orm2; Q. 'ou set up the Mae Tao clinic almost t#enty(fi!e years ago no#, and #hen you first started, you had to use a rice(coo"er to sterilise instruments. What has changed since those early days% *s your centre $etter e+uipped no#% #AUNG CL*& 5 78ema)e, E $)"(!9: :<e(, -e +urre t)y !ave more t!a A00 !ea)t! -or0er( a d -e a)(o prov"de +ompre!e ("ve (erv"+e( ,or vu) erab)e popu)at"o , " +)ud" $ preve t"ve (erv"+e( a d mater a) +!")d !ea)t! (erv"+e2; :Curre t)y -e treat more t!a 1001t!ou(a d +a(e( a year2 So t!at mea ( a++e(( to !ea)t! (erv"+e !a( " +rea(ed a d -e -ou)d )"0e to ma0e (ure t!at t!e(e peop)e +a a++e(( !ea)t! (erv"+e( " t!e"r o- +ommu "ty a( -e)), ot +om" $ ,ar ,rom t!e"r v"))a$e2 T!at peop)e +a a++e(( !ea)t! (erv"+e( eare(t, +)o(e(t to t!e"r +ommu "ty2; :?!at -e -ou)d )"0e to (ee "(, our !ea)t! -or0er(, -!o.ve bee -or0" $ o t!e border ,or ma y year(, t!ey a)(o -a t to retur to -or0 " t!e"r +ommu "ty pea+e,u))y2 So, a +o e+t"o o, t!e -or0 o, t!e !ea)t! -or0er( a d +ommu "ty or$a "(at"o ( "( very +ru+"a) to +o t" ue to

prov"de (erv"+e to t!e"r !ome +ommu "ty, a( -e)) a( "mprove part"+"pat"o o, t!e +ommu "ty or$a "(at"o (, deve)op" $ !ea)t! (y(tem a d !ea)t! po)"+y " Burma2;