Uprooted minorities, 50 years on the run
Mission inside Karen State, Burma
Fifty years of civil war against ethnic groups have left Burma one of the poorest countries in the world. The military regime attacks the ethnic minorities, killing thousands, and leaving separated families and millions displaced all around Burma.
The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) is a multi-ethnic humanitarian service movement that brings medical assistance in the war zones of Burma. The medical supplies, cameras, GPS, food and clothing get into Burma carried by porters as persecution and warship does not allow the building of roads or the use of vehicles. From the Burma side it is forbidden to foreigners, medical help, or merchandise, to enter the Karen territory.
The FBR training center, Kawthoolei camp, is located 30 miles from the border inside the war zone. It is used by the FBR from October to December to train people in medical assistance. Doctors from the US and Europe are coming to teach basic medicine principles for three weeks.
Participating in a FBR mission I stayed 3 weeks in Burma living in Karen villages, Kawthoolei camp and documented the life in Karen State.