Myanmar Refugees in Limbo, Thailand in Denial

Who would have thought that the infamous assault by the then State Law and Order Restoration Council, as Myanmar’s military junta was formerly known, on the strongholds of the Karen National Union (KNU) in January 1984 would leave a massive time bomb for Thailand some four decades later? That military operation forced the mass displacement of Karen people and those from other ethnic groups, pushing them to cross the Thai border in search of refuge.

Today, these displaced communities reside in nine refugee camps dotted along the lengthy and porous Thai-Myanmar border. Since Myanmar’s independence, armed conflicts and ethnic tensions have continued unabated, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.