IDPs: Internally Displaced Persons

SECOND QUARTER 2007

www.partnersworld.org.au | www.partnersworld.org.uk 1

PARTNERS MATTERS
by Steve Gumaer Founder, Partners Relief & Development

THEY MAY NOT LIVE NEXT DOOR, BUT THEY ARE OUR NEIGHBOURS.
Jesus and his friends are in a market place drinking ice tea on a hot day. The Pharisees coach a recently graduated Oxford lawyer to publicly debate Jesus and hopefully trick him into a sort of ethical hypocrisy. At the very least they move to excuse themselves from being compassionate. Teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? What is written in the Law? he replied. How do you read it? He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbour as yourself. You have answered correctly, Jesus replied. Do this and you will live. The lawyer then asked the acid test question: And who is my neighbour? Jesus answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan and asked: Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise. Ouch. Jesus turned the tables on the establishment of his day (and our day) and made it clear that our neighbour is not just the family next door, but families everywhere. The good, the bad, and the ugly; our friends and enemies; everyone born of humankind; they are our neighbours. We are, as the Old Testament testi es, our brothers keeper. In the last 10 years, more than 3,000 villages in eastern Burma have been destroyed or abandoned and more than a million people displaced. Additionally, in just the past 18 months, state-initiated violence has forced 82,000 innocent people to leave their homes. They have been shot at, tortured, enslaved, and chased from their villages. They are hiding in the jungle and need our help. Knowing what we know about their su ering, what does it mean to be their neighbour? The simple answer from scripture is that I must love them like the Samaritan loved the Jewish man who was attacked by robbers. I must love them as I would love my own family, even as Jesus loves me. In the pursuit of this mandate, over the past year we have intensi ed our work with Internally Displaced Persons. We spent more than half of our income last year sending in food, shelter, medicine and supplies for these vulnerable people who are in great need. We do everything possible to help them and remind them that God loves them and is alive even though men have done all they can to destroy that sacred fact. This issue of Partners Magazine is dedicated to helping us understand who they are, why they are displaced, and how they su er while they hide from their own government. Many of the articles in this magazine come straight from the eld where relief teams are risking their lives to aid victims of abuse and displacement. Thank you for including the people of Burma in your own neighbourhood. Your prayers and support form the backbone of our outreach and the result is that thousands of lives have been touched with Christ-like love. For My Neighbours, Steve Gumaer
2

Partners Magazine Second Quarter 2007 Publisher: Partners Relief & Development Partners Mission: To demonstrate Gods love to victims of con ict and oppression. Founder: Steve Gumaer PRAD is a registered charity in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and Norway PRADs eld o ces: Chiang Mai and Mae Sot, Thailand Subscriptions: For a free subscription to Partners Magazine and for information on how you can help PRAD in their mission, please contact us: AUSTRALIA E-mail: info@partnersworld.org.au Web: www.partnersworld.org.au Mail: Partners Relief & Development Australia PO Box 13 Alstonville NSW 2477 Tel: (02) 6628 5387 Fax: (02) 6628 5137 UK E-mail: info@partnersworld.org.uk Web: www.partnersworld.org.uk Mail: Partners UK 15 Kingsthorpe Close Forest Town Mans eld Notts NG19 OPD Tel: +44 (0)7970-188079 Reprints: Bulk reprints can be obtained directly from PRAD as availability permits. Contributors: David Eubank, Nathan Collins, Chris Dolan, Craig Garrison, Steve and Oddny Gumaer Photos: Augusta Pettersen: p 1, 14; KChay: p 4, 7, 9, 11, 16; Chris Dolan: p 9, 14, 20; FBR: p 7, 8, 14; Steve Gumaer: p 10; Shutterstock: p 3,19. All other photos: private Layout and design: Oddny Gumaer Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984. Zondervan Publishing House. Permission to reproduce any of the material found in Partners Magazine can be obtained at: info@partnersworld.org. Printed in Thailand Partners Relief & Development 2007.

PARTNERS MAGAZINE 2ND QUARTER 2007

what is an idp?

learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.(isaiah 1:17)

An Internally Displaced Person (IDP) is someone who has been forced to leave their home for reasons such as religious or political persecution, war or natural disaster, but has not crossed an international border. There is no legal de nition for IDP, as there is for refugee, but the rule of thumb is that if the person in question would be eligible for refugee status if he or she crossed an international border then the IDP label is applicable. With a population of 50 million, it is estimated that Burma has at least 2 million internally displaced persons. They live precarious and transient lives in the jungles of Burmas ethnic border areas and in the more urban central plains. They are denied the stability of having a home and a livelihood, and are forced into a constant state of movement: never having the opportunity to maintain a home or their farms and never having access to education or medical facilities. This displacement has almost exclusively occurred due to the governments ongoing policy of wiping out all ethnic opposition groups and identity. The policy has mostly a ected villagers that live in ethnic border areas. They are the recipients of state-sponsored human rights abuses, forced relocations, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, rape, village destruction, forced labour and portering; all of which has created an ever-increasing IDP population who are either forced to leave their homes by the Burmese military or are eeing Burmese military human rights abuses. Many IDPs nd they can no longer survive in Burma and will ee into neighbouring countries. However, for all those who ee there are many more who stay. They su er greatly, they live in sub-standard conditions, but they have not yet given up hope. As one IDP said, We will not be forced from our own land.

www.partnersworld.org.au | www.partnersworld.org.uk 3

to be easons 10 r Burma lved in invo

4
PARTNERS MAGAZINE 2ND QUARTER 2007

Two IDP children in hiding in Burmas jungle. Early 2007

As a part of the global community, each of us has the opportunity to work with and on behalf of the people of Burma for change. Our goodwill can encompass more than just narrowly-perceived national interests. Freedom everywhere is good for all people, and we must be willing to stand with others even if there is no perceived or immediate bene t for us. Each of us can live our lives for the highest ideals, to use the best of our heritage, values and prosperity to be part of positive change in the world. This takes courage, sel essness and a belief that all people count. May God give each of us wisdom, love and humility as we move forward with the people of Burma.
by a Free Burma Ranger (FBR) relief team leader while helping IDPs inside Burma

1. For human dignity. The power of the oppressor is unrestrained: girls being raped, children chased from their homes, parents murdered, restricted education and people living in fear, are all wrong. Arbitrary arrests and forced relocation are other tools of the regime. The idea that every human being has value crosses all political, religious, economic and social lines, and for this we need to stand with the people of Burma. 2. For the restoration of democracy. There was a democratically-elected government that was forcefully displaced by a brutal dictatorship. 3. For the release of political prisoners. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still under house arrest, is one of an estimated 1,400 political prisoners. 4. For ethnic rights, honour and future peace. Ethnic minorities comprise over 40% of the population of Burma and thus should be equitable partners now and in Burmas future. Without them there is no just or durable solution for a peaceful and democratic Burma. Burmas brutal campaign against ethnic minorities has resulted in more than 1 million internally displaced people, over 1 million refugees, and gross human rights violations, such as Burmas large scale use of landmines to terrorise civilian populations. Many of the ethnic peoples of Burma were allies for freedom in World War II. It is a matter of honor not to forget them. 5. For public health. There is a growing AIDS epidemic in Burma, and in overall health, Burma ranks as one of the worlds worst. Approximately one out of every 10 children in Burma die before their 5th birthday. The ratio is twice as high among the thousands of families forced to ee their homes by the militarys ongoing campaigns.

6. For an end to religious persecution. There is widespread religious persecution in Burma and this is a violation of a foundational and sacred human right. 7. For an end to forced labor and use of humans as minesweepers. Each year the regime forces thousands of civilians to work on State projects and, during military campaigns, uses people to carry supplies and as human minesweepers. 8. For the protection of the environment. Unchecked and large scale clear-cutting of some of the worlds last remaining natural teak and other tropical hardwood reserves, toxic mining practices, and the poorly planned building and proliferation of dams are among the many destructive practices that are damaging the country now and for future generations. The wanton and unchecked destruction of the environment in Burma is not only harmful to Burma, but to all surrounding countries. 9. For the control of narcotics. Burma is one of the main producers of amphetamines in the world, and is #1 in Southeast Asia. After Afghanistan, Burma is the #2 producer of opium/heroin in the world. 10. For regional security. Burma is building up its military with assistance from other regional dictatorships and this, along with its interest in a nuclear program, makes it a regional security threat. Its immoral leadership and lack of accountability also make it a potential global threat. The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) is a multi-ethnic humanitarian service movement that bring help, hope and love to people in the war zones of Burma. Partners works closely with FBR in our work to assist IDPs.

www.partnersworld.org.au | www.partnersworld.org.uk 5

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN IDP?

by David Eubank, FBR

There are many kinds of IDPs. It is possible, however, to o er some general descriptions of the most common situations that people now nd themselves in. Three are described below. These descriptions are written by relief team leader, David Eubank, who has provided rst-hand accounts.
I. IDPs whose villages were burned down and now live in less accessible areas at subsistence level. Recently we walked through a village in northwestern Karen State, which was burned down by the Burma Army in 2004. The villagers hid in the jungle for 3 months before they moved to their present site. They have built crude shelters hidden in the trees o trails that have deliberately been kept small and di cult to travel on. The people have a kind of security in these hiding places due to the di culty of access and with the help (mostly early warning) of the local resistance forces. But there is a de nite decrease in food production and available cash to purchase clothes, blankets, cooking utensils and farm implements. There is also a dramatic negative impact on their health because of decreased nutrition, greater exposure, and the close sharing of inadequate water sources. Most of the people were dressed in rags and many were sick. We talked with a mother who had an infant who could not walk. It was not clear whether this was due to some disease or malnutrition. There is no nearby clinic and Burma Army patrols make it di cult for medical teams to arrive here with any regularity. Both the Karen Human Rights Group and Backpack Health Workers have extensively documented this direct correlation between Burma Army oppression and the negative impact of health on the population. The setting is bleak, dirty, crowded hovels in dark corners of the jungle. A redeeming feature is the people themselves, who are almost invariably cheerful and want to share even their last chicken with us. When we protest and say that if they really must give us a chicken to eat with them then we must pay, they reply, Are you not our guest? We always take care of our guest. It is our way, and it makes us happy. II. IDPs whose village has been attacked, but people have returned to the same site. We met a di erent but also representative situation within a two day walk from our previous site. We crossed over the mountains that make up the Karen and Karenni State borders and descended into a Karenni village situated in a broad and beautiful valley. The elds are irrigated and terraced, and there are water bu alo in every eld. Most of the houses are 6
PARTNERS MAGAZINE 2ND QUARTER 2007

made of wood and have tin roofs. This was once an even more prosperous valley, but due to the attacks of the Burma Army, there has been little improvement in the past 30 years. In the previous month, the Burma Army attacked this village. They rst shelled the village with 60mm mortars from a nearby ridge and then entered the village. They looted each home and then set re to them. By this time the Karenni resistance was able to respond and seven of them launched a counter attack against the 300 Burma Army troops. The Burma Army forces immediately withdrew and thus were only able to burn down 25 houses before they ed. There is a signi cant level of empathy for resistance groups in Burma. One Karenni grandmother whose home had been burned down by the Burma Army three times said, Those (the resistance) are all my sons. We have a right to stay in our own homes and farms as we always have. We have a right to have our sons to defend us and our freedom. We dont need the Burma Army to control us. We want to be free. Even in areas under the control of the Burma Army and in areas where they exert indirect control through their proxy armies, the people want self-determination. They do not want to live under the rule of a dictatorship that restricts their freedom and where human rights abuses occur. With or without resistance activity, the Burma Army will oppress civilian populations. This is our experience after several years providing relief in the eld and it is well documented by the Karen Human Rights Group, the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People, and many other human rights and relief organisations. III. IDPs who are on the run, in hiding, or attempting to ee the country completely. Flight usually happens immediately before an attackif people receive a warningor after the attack as the villagers or IDPs attempt to escape. In both cases people ee with only what they can carry and for most families this is their infant children, some utensils, a blanket or two for the entire family, some plastic sheeting, and a few days supply of rice. When we come face to face with these people it is a heartrending scene of very obvious desperation.

Three Karenni families who were eeing for their lives from the Burma Army joined us as we were on this particular relief mission. They had to ee with only what they could carry and, as many of the children were too small to walk, the fathers and mothers had to carry these children. The other children carried small bags and baskets; their lifes possessions. The families arrived at our site at dusk, after two days of hard walking. They were exhausted from being on the run and one of the fathers, Saw Nu Nu, told us their story. The Burma Army and their helpers were on their way to kill me. They had already killed one of my friends and cut o his head last month, in December. At that time they captured me and three others from our village as well as three from other villages. We were tied up, beaten, punched, then we were given electric shocks to our body. They struck us with ri e butts and one of them used a pistol to beat us. One mans jaw was broken, one mans skull was broken and for me, I was not able to endure the torture. They did this to us one by one. I managed to escape. The Burma Army accused us of being in the resistance but we are not. They said informers had given them this information. We are farmers. I am just a farmer. Our family had to run now because we got word that the Burma Army were on their way to capture me again and this time they would be sure to kill me. We now cannot stay here and so we will go to a refugee camp. I do not want to take revenge. I am just a villager, I will move away from them. A son from one of the families, Saw Naw Ku, had been captured at the same time as Saw Nu Nu and six others. All were tortured and one man killed and decapitated, but Saw Naw Ku managed to escape. This family of ve were very weak and sick. The mother was vomiting and collapsed as we walked with her. She cried and we could see she was not just physically sick but also very distraught to be leaving her home, farm and homeland. We gave her an IV, prayed with her and rigged a hammock stretcher and carried her over the mountains to a safer area. In a Karenni village we visited, the Burma Army burned 25 of the villagers homes to the ground. But the church is still standing and the people gather to sing and pray every Sunday. There were ve services and as the villagers walked back from each one, they were still singing hymns in groups of three and four. The cheerfulness and generosity of these villagers is typical everywhere our team has gone and is a testimony to their culture and faith. They told us they expected another attack, but they would hide and then come back and re-build again. This is our homeland and it is a gift from God for us to take care of, one woman told us. Our hope is that this report gives a useful, if very limited, on-the-ground perspective of the IDP issue. The dictators of Burma are intent on complete domination of all the peoples of Burma and the Burma Army continues its slow, corrupt but relentless attacks on the people. In the face of this we, as anyone who has been with IDPs and villagers can testify, nd hope. This hope is in the spirit of the people who help each other in the face of attacks, carry those who have stepped on landmines, share food with those in hiding, organise relief, run schools, try to protect their people and never give up hope for a free life in their own homes and villages.

David Eubank has spent much time with the IDPs of Burma. He and his wife Karen have three children and are commited to the ethnic minorities struggle for freedom. They spend large portions of each year living in the jungle leading relief teams and Good Life Club teams. Their home is in Chiang Mai

IDPs eeing, Spring 2007
www.partnersworld.org.au | www.partnersworld.org.uk 7

They had to ee with only what they could carry and, as many of the children were too small to walk, the fathers and mothers had to carry these children. The other children carried small bags and baskets; their lifes possessions.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS
by David Eubank, FBR On a recent mission we were providing relief supplies and care to a group of Karen people in their hiding place. These people had ed their homes when the Burma Army attacked, and were living in lean-tos and makeshift shelters in the jungle. We had been in this area since early January and had just about exhausted our medical and other relief supplies. The medics were able to treat most of the cases we saw and the two cases that we could not treat we were able to evacuate. It was just getting dark when a man came up to me carrying an old woman. This is my grandmother, he said. She is 97 years old and has been blind for four years, can you help her? I said a quick silent prayer, and thought that probably the only help we could give was love and some vitamins. Her grandson set her down gently in front of me, as all the medics were busy. She squatted down with her thin arms dangling down beside her legs. She began to shake. I asked her if she was cold and she said yes. I retrieved a Good Life Club jacket that Partners had donated and put it on her. She smiled broadly and said repeatedly, Thank you, thank you. Her eyes were squeezed tight and with the help of her grandson we opened them for examination. Her eyes were small, misshapen and looked partially dissolved. They did not look much like eyes anymore. I asked the medics their opinion and they said, She has been blind a long time, she is very old so there is no way to x those now. I told her we could not help her eyes and I got some vitamins from the medics and gave them to her grandson with instructions. And then I prayed for her. That was it. No healing and no treatment for her eyes. The grandson then smiled and, as he started to pick her up, he thanked us again. She held out her arms and grabbed him tightly from behind, drawing her legs up so that he could carry her on his back. She looked secure there and laid her head against his shoulder. As they walked away I almost began to cry. There she was, all folded up on her grandsons back, with her new GLC jacket with the smiley face logo shining. O they went to their hiding place with no healing, no promise of security and no certain future. But for the moment she seemed content and was warm and I thought, This is as good as it gets. We want to help everyone, we want to be part of real change in Burma, but in reality sometimes we cannot do very much. But the little we each can do is sometimes as good as it gets here.

Th

eing carrie e old lady b

d by her gra

ndson

Thisismygrandmother,hesaid. She is 97 years old and has been blindforfouryears,canyouhelp her?

PARTNERS MAGAZINE 2ND QUARTER 2007

A COMMUNITY OF one
by Chris Dolan, Partners On a regular basis, we here at Partners hear of the staggering numbers of displaced people; we see video and photo footage of people being attacked, running from home with nothing, hiding in the jungles of Burma. And it is easy to le these images away as numbers and statistics. But in reality, IDP stands for Internally Displaced PERSON. A person like a man I met last month, who had just been robbed of his legs by a Burma Army landmine, and whose daughter had been raped and killed the year before. This means that I cannot discount, I cannot forget, I cannot, must not, relegate them to a mere statistic, a number on a page. I must see them as individual, special, created and loved by God, not simply because it is right to do so, but because I can do nothing else. As I sit here writing this, I wonder what its like to be an IDP. To be forced from my home, where I am comfortable, safe: where the comforts of routine and family dominate, and fear is nowhere to be found. And I start to think about all the hardships in my own life, all the things I have gone through to get to where I am now. I quickly realize that nothing I have been through can come close to the experience of an IDP inside Burma; the daily fear of attack, torture and rape, the loss of home and family, livelihood and community. But I can sympathize, I can love, I can help, I can pray. I can attempt to step out of my own experience, my own life, and enter, at least for a moment, into the life of someone else. I have tried to physically come close to the IDP experience. I have hiked into the jungle to visit them, eaten with them, and talked with them. But I realized that this isnt what brings me close to IDPs. What brings me close to them is them: their willingness to talk, to share, to laugh, to love with me. That is how I can share their experience: by listening, caring, and loving. They dont want us to live their life, they want us to love their life. By sharing a simple meal, I can share life. By sharing love, I can share hope. Thats the great thing about community: we are individuals, but we are still one. I am a part of them and they are a part of me. 1 John 3:18 reminds us of what counts when the apostle admonishes us: Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. Thats the meaning of community: love in action. You and I and the people we are reaching out to help inside Burma are all one, and if we actually started to live like it, imagine what we could change.

Chris Dolan is from the US. He is married to Deborah. He likes to hike in mountains and jungles with few people and many hills. He is also a big fan of cameras and U2.

www.partnersworld.org.au | www.partnersworld.org.uk 9

EYES THAT BURN WITH EVERYTHING BUT HATE

by Steve Gumaer, Partners

His eyes did indeed burn with the contrast that is the human condition. They were con dent but pained; passionate but careful; calculating but a little insane.
Recently I interviewed a resistance army battalion commander named Sai Mart (names and locations changed or withheld to protect identity) in Shan State, Burma. When we met he was sitting on an un nished concrete oor. His toddler bumped around the room eating Kaw Lam, a pounded rice and sugar sweet wrapped in banana leaves. His 11-year-old son sat with us and gaped at the strange sight of my red-headed wife and I interviewing his dad. His wife served us tea and placed a plastic plate of Kaw Lam on the oor for us to nibble on too. He was calm and young. He had already served in the Army for 13 years. When I met him I turned to my wife and said, Look at his eyes. They burn. Oddny agreed. During our talk I watched his looks, his mannerisms, and his composure. His eyes did indeed burn with the contrast that is the human condition. They were con dent but pained; passionate but careful; calculating but a little insane. They had a little of everything in them. Everything, I thought to myself, but hate, which to me was a miracle after what he had been through. I started our talk by asking him in a somewhat formal tone, When you are on a mission, what do you do when you nd unaccompanied children? He replied
10 PARTNERS MAGAZINE 2ND QUARTER 2007

tersely with almost no emotion, We cannot take care of the children. He waited for the next question as I sat stunned and o -balance by his answer. Hoping to nd a more descriptive answer I pressed on with, Do you often nd children whose parents were killed or are otherwise alone on the battle eld? Again, without emotion he responded with, Yes. We often nd them. The Burma Army will often rape, torture, and kill them when the battle is over. How do you know this? I asked. What is the proof? I have seen it many times, he said. And then, wanting more, I asked, Have you actually seen their bodies? Yes. After a long pause he added with a bit more passion, When we can we will carry the children to safety. If they are able to follow us we will also lead them to a safe place. But we are soldiers and this is battle. He also shared that when a battle with the Burma Army is imminent, his troops try to draw the Burma Army away from villages so that families will not be harmed or implicated as part of the resistance. If he cannot manage to do this, then the village elder will normally be tortured and killed, and the village will often be burned down and rice and livestock destroyed.

The life of a displaced person inside Burma is rife with hardship, su ering, and the ongoing, real possibility of death. Talking with Sai Mart gave me another view of the complexity of the war in Burma. Sai Mart wants to help his people. That is, in fact, why he became a soldier. But in the heat of con ict there is very little he can do for them especially the most vulnerable ones involvedbut to ght the enemy and navigate for the strategic ground. The men, women, and children who are pawns in Burmas brutal war of exploitation are just that: pawns. They must run, move as they are able, and try to keep hope alive. But when the bullets start ying, theythe unarmed and unprotected backbone of this beautiful countrysu er most. Since our mountain top talk, Sai Marts intense eyes have haunted me. If not for the Burma Armys oppression he would be home working his farm and raising his children. Instead he works the ravines, moves his battalion into position, and ghts for the right of his people

to determine their political fate, start a family, and work their ancestral farms. His world is complex, unjust, and terribly violent. He has learned to live and survive in that world. At the same time, he has a simple farmers wish to go home and live in peace with his family. My prayer for him is that he would one day realise that God is not absent from the stage he now nds himself on, and that he and his kin can be satis ed and comforted by love that transcends material circumstance. I also pray the prophets plea to God: But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:24 NIV) Steve Gumaer is the founder of Partners. He is married to Oddny, is the father of three cute girls and loves to climb new peaks.

And it was ethnic terroran allout assault by a Burman dominated army on the Shan and other minority peoples. When you commit acts with intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, in whole or in part; when you kill members of that group, or cause them serious bodily or mental harm; when you deliberately in ict upon them conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destructionwell, the civilized world has a word for that. The word is genocide.
Andrew Marshall, The Trouser People.

A child in Shan State, Winter 2007

www.partnersworld.org.au | www.partnersworld.org.uk 11

areis campaign is to raise aw aign. The idea behind th have su ered hed our 5 Alive camp ividuals and families that In June of 2006 we launc ve of displaced Karen ind sive, tens of a new wa use of this ongoing o en ness about the plight of Burma, in 10 years. Beca e 5 Alive in Karen State, harms way. Through th from the worst ghting , and continue to be, in this people have been to do something about thousands of vulnerable the world have decided one month (cost: individuals from around ep a family of 5 alive for campaign, hundreds of sential items that will ke t Knowing, rchase 5 es ving funds. Its also abou by donating funds to pu ch more than simply Gi campaign is mu $50/25). But the 5 Alive ying. Acting, Sharing, and Pra aign marches es and the 5 Alive camp against the Karen continu s the 5 the onslaught u how a donation toward Now, almost a year later, wanted to share with yo join rtners Magazine, we le who need it most. To on. In this edition of Pa actually gets to the peop u/5alive.html o needed supplies and www.partnersworld.org.a Alive campaign turns int page on our website at: it our 5 Alive the 5 Alive campaign, vis g.uk/5alive.html . or www.partnersworld.or

5 Act. Share. Pray. Give. Know. 5 alive

2
12 PARTNERS MAGAZINE 2ND QUARTER 2007

Relief teams in the eld use radios to send report s and relay urgent requests for sup plies. A typical report is like the one we received on May 5, 20 07. Five more villages have been burned down and 40 00 or more villagers are displaced. Tw o teams are in the area pro viding emergency medical care but the villagers have no food or shelter. They are constantly mo ving in order to avoid fur ther danger with the Burma Army sol diers. Situation is critical. Please help.

After prayer and a deep breath we check in with Dorothy Kahn, our book keeper. Dorothy With the funds we have received because of generous people like you, we buy essential items: shelter material, food, medicine, etc.

3
Material good s are purchase d at local supp and then piled liers on trucks and delivered to on the many poro e of us points alon g the Thai-Bur border. From ma the drop-o lo cation, the supp are then carrie lies d by a combina tion of mules an people. d

The supplies can take anywhere from one to three weeks to make it into the area where they are needed (during rainy season it can take signi cantly longer). Before distribution, the relief team will normally remind the villagers that most of the supplies come from concerned Christians in the West. They let them know that it is not just people who care, but God Himself.

Thank you for enablin g us to help tens of th ousands of people thro ugh the 5 Alive campa ign. Yourcaringhasliterallym adealife-or-deathdiff erence in the lives of many.

Its important to realise the risk involved in getting these items to the people who need them most. Every time these supplies are delivered to people in need, others have risked their lives to do so. Below is a tragic report about Saw Lee Reh Kyaw, a Free Burma Ranger (FBR) trained relief team member from Karenni State, Burma. This report was issued by a FBR relief team leader who worked with and alongside Saw Lee Reh Kyaw. On April 10, 2007, Burma Army troops executed FBR relief team member Saw Lee Reh Kyaw after interrogating him at their headquarters. Lee Reh had been captured two days before, on April 8, while he was providing humanitarian assistance to Karenni villagers. Patrolling Burma Army troops opened re and attacked the village of Ha Lee Ku and Lee Reh (the FBR relief team worker) was shot in the leg and badly wounded. The Burma Army soldiers captured Lee Reh, took him to their headquarters, interrogated him, tortured him and then shot and killed him. He was a wonderful man who smiled at everything and was one of the outstanding graduates of the FBR program. He is missed by us all and we will do our best to care for his family. He was killed doing what he believed in; bringing help to people under oppression. His death is tragic but not in vain. He has made a mark of love and service that made a di erence in the lives of those he helped and in all of our lives. We miss him very much.

5
Saw Lee Reh Kya w will be missed.

www.partnersworld.org

13

CURSED IS THE MAN WHO WITHHOLDS JUSTICE FROM THE ALIEN, THE FATHER LESS OR THE WIDOW. THEN ALL THE PEOPLE SHALL SAY, AMEN!
Deuteronomy 27:19

Top: A Karen man in a refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border. Above: The man and the woman who Nathan met.
14 PARTNERS MAGAZINE 2ND QUARTER 2007

A newly arrived IDP who is living in Eh Tu Tah refugee camp

STEADFAST RESILIENCE
by Nathan Collins, FBR

The areas in Karen State that the Burma Army control are ruled with an iron st. Villagers are forced to carry loads, collect building materials, and maintain roads for the Burma Army.
Walking through the hills and mountains of Karen state in eastern Burma makes you appreciate the hardiness of the people who inhabit this part of the world. Many Karen farmers use slash and burn agriculture on steep mountain slopes (many at 45 degrees or greater) as their primary method of growing crops. This task requires the cutting, burning and clearing of large swaths of jungle, all done on hillsides most western farmers would wince at. As we walked in the baking midday sun, approaching the bottom of one particularly steep and tree-littered patch of scorched earth, we met the owner of the farm, Saw Nay Say (name changed). Saw Nay Say was in his farm clearing logs like most other farmers in the area, but unlike them, Saw Nay Say has only one leg. He stepped on a landmine in 2000 while being forced to porter for attacking Burma Army troops. Saw Nay Say was visibly fatigued as he hobbled his way across the dirt on one crutch, but he still gave us a smile as we approached. A few days later we met a woman, Naw Ma Khein, 38, resting in a small thatch hut next to her farm, one that closely resembled Saw Nay Says. We were surprised to nd that she, too, was also missing a leg and was now farming by herself. She told us about the day10 years agowhen her entire village ed a Burma Army attack, only to be forced back to the village to collect food for the attacking troops. On her way back to the village Naw Ma Khein stepped on a landmine. I continue to be impressed at how the people from these areas still hold to their traditions and continue to make the best of life. The areas in Karen State that the Burma Army control are ruled with an iron st. Villagers are forced to carry loads, collect building materials, and maintain roads for the Burma Army. Forced labor is most common during the rainy season, when roads become impassable, and during Burma Army o ensives. Villages that do not send people to porter must pay a ne or face imprisonment. In a village close to our position during our mission, two villagers are forced to work at the nearby Burma Army camp every day. Every week ten more are forced to gather wood, fetch water and perform menial tasks for the soldiers. Villagers face taxation from both the Burma Army and the DKBA (Democratic Karen Buddhist Army - a proxy army for the Burma Army) and are subject to frequent property theft. Villagers must also inform the Burma Army of any pro-democracy resistance activity in their area or face nes and imprisonment. In 1990, the Burma Army captured one man they suspected of communicating with the resistance and left him in a hole in the ground for six months. He is still alive, but su ers from multiple ailments and is unable to walk. Amazingly, despite the oppression of the Burma Army, the people we encountered continue to smile and laugh. Our recent visit coincided with the Buddhist New Year water festival. The relief team members treated dental patients and collected information while villagers wearing their traditional dress came to welcome us and celebrate the traditional New Year. They sang and laughed as they approached us with their pots full of water, and thanked the team as they poured the water over our heads. Once again, we were amazed and blessed by the steadfastness of the Karen and their ability to enjoy life in all circumstances. Nathan Collins is a relief team member with FBR. He was born and raised in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He is young, brave, fun and single.

www.partnersworld.org.au | www.partnersworld.org.uk 15

Meetings in Another World

A place where dreaming isnt really allowed, but where people still do.
by Oddny Gumaer, Partners Its not often I am alone with 40 men for a few days. Last December I was. It may sound like a lot of passing gas, burping and grunting, which it obviously was, but not around me. I did however get to observe a pig being slaughtered, skinned, gutted and cut into dinner size chunks, which we later ate. I got to watch the guys doing their laundry in the river, making res to cook the meals that I would get to eat with them, and watching them carry heavy loads in wicker baskets that were tied to their backs with long pieces of cloth. My own scibackpack seemed like overkill when compared to the cheap baskets that transported medicines that would save lives, clothes that would bring joy and warmth, food that would stop hunger and presents that would bring smiles to little children. My backpack was full of essential items such as a sleeping bag, my mirror and my mascara. It weighed more than enough, and to be fair, I did carry stu that was crucial for my own survival in the jungle (as if mascara is not vital). Not only that, but I even carried some lollies to share!

The Queen of the Jungle

The long hikes through the jungle, up and down steep hills under the blazing sun, felt like a long workout that never got boring. As long as I was assured that my Nalgene bottles had plenty of water, and my walking stick was not going to crack, I felt as close to genuinely happy as anybody can be. No emails to worry about, no dishes and no messy house. Just 40 men and me. As the sunshine ltered through the interstices of the bamboo leaves and the tropical birds sang their symphonies, I almost forgot that we were walking in the territory of one of the worst dictatorships in the world. It seemed too perfect for that. On the top of a hill we met a woman whom I thought con rmed that this place was a place of fairy tales, not of murder and atrocities. As I remember it, she emerged out of the jungle like a 50-yearold spriteI can almost picture her wings. But actually, I think she was sitting on a log taking a break after a long hike from her village. She lit up like a child whos seen fairy oss when she noticed us. We were a rare sight. My backpack must have looked like something from

16 PARTNERS MAGAZINE 2ND QUARTER 2007

another planet. Not to mention my high tech shoes. She wore cheap ip- ops on her feet, and they had seen better days. Still, they looked like a piece of art on her dark and at feet. The sarong she had tied around her waist was the colour of sunshine and Washington apples. Her smile made me think of my mother. But it was the owers in her hair that I will never forget. She had picked them on her walk through the jungle. The headband she had tied around her hair held a wreath of orange owers whose bright colour seemed otherworldly. They became her tiara and I decided that she was the queen of the jungle. I am on my way to the village down the hill to sell my chilli she informed us. Then I will use the money I make and buy dried sh from the villagers there. After I have done that I will walk home again. My village is 4 hours away. It would take her all day, and maybe she would earn and a bag of dried sh. A day well spent. We smiled back at her and I tried to shake the feeling of being in a di erent world. Then we walked on. My feeling of contentedness and peace was a feeling that ought to be right in a place like that. One should be able to walk through the jungle to sell ones chilli peppers and pick pretty owers while humming a song. The meeting with the jungle queen was like a utopia of what Burma ought to be. Later that day, however, I experienced the reality of the place we were ina place of fear, terror and injustice. In the village we entered, faces looked at us both suspiciously and curiously. The bamboo houses were spread in a small valley surrounded by mountains that looked like they were covered with lots of broccoli. It was as primitive as it had been hundreds of years before. It appeared that there was nothing in the village that hadnt been found in the jungle or made by the villagers. The teddy bear I had brought to teach hygiene was more fascinating than most of our other belongings. The women laughed heartily, showing their stained teeth, but never losing the pipes they were vigorously smoking. The children were more afraid than amused, and the men wanted to look una ected, but I could tell they were entertained. The question they all had, but only the bravest woman dared to ask was: Is it alive, and does it really know how to talk? Our little performance had a bitter taste though. Not far from where we were the Burma Army had its outpost. They visited the village regularly, making sure that the villagers behaved according to their rules, and more importantly, to collect taxes in the form of rice, meat and other produce. When times got tough they would demand forced labor as well. To say no to that demand would mean severe punishment, including torture and death. We had hoped to nd a free oor to sleep on in the village, but to do that would put both the villagers and us in grave danger if the soldiers found out. Picking up

our walking sticks and heading for a village further away was a much better option. It was sad walking out of this small valley of pipe smoking women, rice farming men and curiously dirty children. Again I had the feeling of peace and innocence. I kind of wished I had not heard the real story about soldiers hiding somewhere under the broccoli. Our night was spent ghting cockroaches in the biggest house in a village that will forever make me think of the Alps. The roaches made the experience less than perfect. As did the fact that there were no toilets in the whole village, only bushes. It was surreal. It was these villagers who the next day would save our lives. When soldiers from the Burma Army came the following day enquiring about our group, they acted ignorant. Then they ran and found us, several hours away, and were able to warn us in time. While hiding in the jungle, not sure if the enemy would discover us, my feeling of peace was shattered and I realised I had been dreaming. This is not a place of perfection, but a country in war where nobody is safe. It is a place where women who pick owers in the jungle get brutally raped and killed, where farmers who only want to harvest their rice so they can feed their family will be used as porters (essentially slaves) and then shot. It is a place where children die from lack of food and medical care. It is a place where dreaming isnt really allowed, but where people still do; dreaming of a day when the rice can belong to them and their houses will not be burned because they are in the way. I decided to dream with them until it isnt just a dream any more.

I am on my way to the village down the hill to sell my chilli, she informed us. Then I will use the money I make and buy dried sh from the villagers there. After I have done that I will walk home again. My village is 4 hours away.

Oddny Gumaer is the graphic designer for Partners. Her book, Displaced Re ections, was just published (see page 19). She is married to Steve, has three daughters and likes to hike, jog, design, read, write and live outside of the box.
www.partnersworld.org.au | www.partnersworld.org.uk 17

PARTNERS FAMILY NEWS

Chris and Deborah Dolan joined our sta in August 2006. This colourful couple from the US and Switzerland has added a lot to Partners in a short amount of time. They are the team coordinators, which means they are on the road a lot. Chris uses his Nikon D70 to take incredible photos for us; many of them can be seen in our publications. He is also a gifted writer. Not only that, but he has also gained the reputation of being the best cook on the Partners Mae Sot team. When Deborah is not hosting teams, she spends time with her new sewing machine, developing products that we can sell to raise money for the refugees.

Matt, Liz, Cassy and Savannah Fetters came all the way from Fairbanks, Alaska, to work with Partners last fall! They live in Mae Sot where Matt is the development project coordinator. Liz stays busy home schooling their two daughters. These three ladies have also been involved with childrens homes in refugee camps near Mae Sot, visiting the children regularly and participating in di erent activities with them.

After working with Partners for 7 years, Russ and Stine Lade are moving to Norway to take over the family farm. It is with tremendous gratitude that we send them home after they have invested so much in the life of our team and the refugees. Russ pushed to establish the Mae Sot o ce, which today manages most of Partners activities with the Karen people. Their tenure as leaders has enriched our team, established new and innovative ways of working with the refugees and displaced people of Burma, and brought consistent Christ-centred leadership to their team of 14 people. They will be missed.

STAFF RETREAT 2007

Our sta always looks forward to our annual sta retreat, and this year was no exception. About 80 people were gathered for three days of serious business and hilarious fun where the theme was Partners Survival Skills. Because the retreat was in Mae Sot, all our Karen sta were able to attend, along with their spouses and children a great treat for all of us! Brad Jersak and Andy MacPherson from Canada did a fabulous job teaching, and we all left the retreat feeling like we had gained two new friends. The evenings were spent doing team building exercises, and watching three episodes of the Partners sta version of ALIAS. We are already planning for next years gathering!

Partners staff and friends

The REALLY bad guys; Bia, Bom, Dorothy and Chris-in Partners version of ALIAS

18 PARTNERS MAGAZINE 2ND QUARTER 2007

Displaced Re ections
A book of strength and beauty by Partners co-founder, Oddny Gumaer.

PRAYER
Refugees and displaced people from Burma shed

By Oddny Gumaer Photos by Brent Madiso n

light on life, love, and faith

Close your eyes and imagine this: Soldiers are coming. There is no time to indulge in the feeling of dread and fear. The minutes are short. You need to decide what you want to bring. Planning is impossible. Pray for the villagers whose homes are being attacked and destroyed, and who are forced to ee. For them this is reality. Close your eyes and imagine this: Before you even reach the rst road, you hear the screams and the gunshots. You see your closest neighbour running out of her house screaming. You see smoke. You see your own home disappear in ames. You hear the terri ed howls from the animals on the farms. You see soldiers entering the houses. You smell burnt wood and esh. Pray for the fathers who try to protect their families. Close your eyes and imagine this: Your home is now the mat you brought with you when you ed. Your food is gone; you eat what is available from the jungle. Your children are sick, but there is no medicine. You dont know what happened to your son. Did they capture him and kill him, or perhaps use him as a slave? Pray for the mothers who su er for their children. Close your eyes and imagine this: You have just nished making a straw mat that can be a roof to shield you from the sun when one of your guards come and tell you the news you have been expecting, but hoping you would not hear: soldiers are 2 km away and coming your direction. There is nothing to do except pack up your belongings and start walking. Pray for the children who are sick and afraid. Pray for the families. Close your eyes and imagine this: You are an IDP. You have no right to protection, you have nowhere to go other than further up the mountain. Pray without ceasing for the IDPs of Burma and the relief teams that risk their lives to help them.
www.partnersworld.org 19

As the designer and editor of Partners Magazine, co-founder of Partners Relief & Development, and tireless advocate for the people of Burma, Oddny Gumaers experiences and writing will inspire and challenge you. Along with Oddnys prose is the stunning photography of Brent Madison, capturing the essence of Burmas oppressed yet beautiful people. Open Displaced Re ections and meet the people of Burma. They are beaten, displaced and victimised by their own government. Yet they are beautiful, full of grit and humour, and deeply rooted in a rich history of faith. In this hardback book of photos and re ections, Oddny does more than tell stories. She opens a door for us to live in the shoes of people who de ne what it means to demonstrate grace under pressure. This book is dedicated to the displaced people of Burma and all sales income will go to directly help them. To order your copy today, detach the coupon and send it in the enclosed envelope with your cheque. Please make cheques out to Partners Relief & Development Australia. You may also order Displaced Re ections on our secure online Partners Store at www.partnersworld.org. For retailers and volume orders, please contact us at publish@partnersworld.org.

So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannise will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men.
Voltaire

Australia: PO Box 13 Alstonville NSW 2477 info@partnersworld.org.au www.partnersworld.org.au

UK: 15 Kingsthorpe Close, Forest Town Mans eld Notts NG19 OPD info@partnersworld.org.uk www.partnersworld.org.uk