Haruka Nuga

2011519927
Karen Refugees in Thailand: Rights to Education for All
Introduction
Over the last few years, the Royal Thai Government (RTG) has made significant changes
over a short period of time regarding the issue of refugees from Burma along its borders. Such
changes include recognizing refugee resettlement as a possible solution in the near future,
allocating Thai authorities to handle camp registration and status determination procedures as
well as approving more opportunities for refugees to access education or skill training. Despite
the changes initiated by the RTG, education reformation has been slow to move forward
particularly when it comes to providing higher education opportunities (Banki & Lang, 2008).
This paper aims to discuss the challenges of the Karen education programs, particularly higher
education, in the refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border and how to improve educational
opportunities to provide quality education for all using previously written studies about the
refugee camps and personal empirical experience living on site in Mae La Refugee Camp.
Background & challenges
Since the 1980s amidst the various rights violations and instability of Burma, refugees
have crossed the border to escape the countrys military regime (Oh & Van der Stouwe, 2008). It
has been estimated that around 1.5 to 2 million people from Burma are in Thailand to escape fear
and abuse in their own country to seek safety and security elsewhere in neighboring countries.1
The first refugee camp was established in 1984 within the Tak province and according to The

1 Boosting the signal: Helping migrant workers from Myanmar in Thailand. (2012)
http://www.mapfoundationcm.org/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=98:boosting-the-signal-helpingmigrant-workers-from-myanmar-in-thailand&catid=38:articles&Itemid=65

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Border Consortium, there are now 119,340 people as of May 2014 within the nine refugee camps
along the Thai-Burma border.2
People from Burma who reside in Thailand are classified differently amongst the international
community and the RTG. The categorization of migrating groups of people affects the degree
and the kind of protection and rights an individual is entitled to within the host country. The RTG
is very specific in how they categorize people from Burma as temporarily displaced and
therefore most are not recognized as refugees in the country (Caouette & Pack, 2002). Thailand
is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugee and doesnt
refer to asylum in Thailand as refugee (Oh, 2010). As a result, the role a nongovernmental
organization (NGO) can play to help the Burmese people currently living in Thailand are limited
and it wasnt until 1996 that NGOs were authorized to provide educational assistance (Bowles,
1998). In 1998, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was
invited to open offices within refugee camps to observe situations. It was the
first of its kind along the Thai-Burma border and many thought it would help
in providing protection to those seeking refugee status. However the role
their presence is limited due strict government regulations in providing
assistance (Caouette & Pack, 2002). The RTG enforces strict regulation
against NGOs and foreigners who are not allowed within the camp on a long
term basis (Bowles, 1998).
On July 2, 2014, the RTG and the military have tightened security and
enforced firmer regulations within the refugee camps in the face of the
2 The Border Consortium, Refugee and IDP Camp Populations: May 2014http://theborderconsortium.org/camps/2014-05-maymap-tbc-unhcr.pdf

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military coupe that occurred earlier this year. The Leadership and
Management Training College (L.M.T.C.) in the Mae La Refugee Camp has
been directly affected by the reformed regulation. It relies upon funds a
sponsor provides to run the school by meeting conditions to be eligible to
receive aids. One such condition to meet to receive the fund is to employ a
foreign teacher to teach subjects such as English or Literature. Shortly after
the camp commander announced stronger enforcements of the already
existing rules, all foreign teachers who were there without the proper
permission from the authority were to leave immediately. This makes it
difficult in the future to hire the kind of help needed to run a school and
employ the right kind of teachers for respective subjects. A general ban was
also reinforced by the authorities to stop refugees from leaving the camps.

With the tight government control over the camp, refugees are reliant
on aid both from community-based organizations and international
organizations (Bowles, 1998). In L.M.T.C, resources such as updated teaching
material and access to specialized information about a subject are limited.
Often times, the curriculum, the available classes and the subjects students
can major in are dependent on whether there is enough course material to
cover the class for an entire year. Some classes are therefore dropped for the
time being until new resources can be accessed through NGOs. Resources
such as well-trained teaching personnel are also lacking to run the school
3 The Irrawaddy. Travel Restrictions Tighten for Burmese Refugees in Thailand. http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/travelrestrictions-tighten-burmese-refugees-thailand.html

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with a variety of subjects. In recent years, the significant cuts in assistance
towards education have also impacted refugees on the border and frequent
change of teachers without the funds to provide stipends for teaching
personnel (Frelick & Saltsman, 2012). Especially after the enforcement of no
foreign teachers within the camps, L.M.T.C. is low on staff to teach their
students. Another criterion for eligibility to receive funds from a sponsor
include hiring teachers who will only teach one specialized subject whether it
would be science, math or English so current teachers cannot cover multiple
subjects to teach its students.
Ever since the 1980s, when huge influx of Burmese people started crossing
the border and refugee camps were created, the RTG has always been firm
on the temporary nature of these arrangements (Lang, 2002). Permanent
structures are also prohibited as stated by the Thai authorities. Schools along
with other structures within the refugee camps such as houses and stores
must be built for temporary use only. However under certain circumstances,
use of semi-permanent material such as iron poles and steel roofs can be
used. Expansion of school sites is also prohibited and schools must utilize the
space assigned to them by the Thai authorities (Oh, 2010). At the L.M.T.C.,
semi-permanent materials were used such as steel roofs and iron poles to
provide a spacious and stable learning environment for the classrooms but
the dormitories and houses that people lived in at the camps were strictly
made out of bamboo floors and poles as well as a roof made out of leaves.
Such poorly built infrastructure is unstable and particularly during rainy

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seasons during the summer, damage makes it difficult to find suitable
teaching spaces. As Thailand sees it, once situations back in Burma are more
suitable and permits return of people from Burma, they would return back to
their country (Lang, 2002).
Despite strict regulations enforced by the RTG, education is regarded
highly within camps. The state of isolation and exclusion from the rest of the
world provide a somewhat stable educational environment for the students.
Although the quality of education may be basic at best, the enrollment rate
of primary students is close to 100% and there are a number of schools
across all camps to provide some form of academic education. Most of these
schools are run by active members within the community who help to form
the school and dedicate their time to teach students (Oh & Van der Stouwe, 2008).
Many young people within the camps, some of whom were born there, place a large emphasis on
education because they see it as a way to ensure a somewhat better future for themselves and
their country. With very few entertainment options within the camps, young people look to
educate to provide some activity to do during the day. Students also tend to be much more
politically informed and patriotic about their own country than their counterparts in large cities
around the world. Most students have ambitious hopes and dreams to attend higher education
and to somehow give back to their country and its people whether itd be as a doctor or teacher
to educate or help their people back home in Burma. However there are a number of political and
legal hurdles to cross in order to gain higher education beyond the camp.
During the time within the refugee camp, certificates are issued upon the students after
completion of school. However these certificates are not recognized in Thailand or Burma.

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Within their immediate community in the camps, these certificates are regarded with high value
of their academic achievements. But outside of their community, there are many limitations in
using those certificates. Entering university or applying for scholarships to pursue an education
becomes that much more difficult without proper documentations of prior formal education and
hinders access to higher education to young people within the refugee camps. Certificates within
the refugee camp teaching Karen students are rewarded by the Karen Education Department
(KED) which also overlooks the education within Karen community in the camps. However
there are some positive aspects of receiving a KED certificate. There is great ownership in the
Karen education system and with that comes many connections within their community
(Sawade, 2008a). Many of the students go on to work with other NGOs or within the camp after
their education is complete because of its value within the Karen community. Particularly those
who complete their Post-10 education tend to work for other NGOs along the border or within
the camp while those who underwent medic training went on to join medical NGOs as nurses or
other related medical personnel.
The RTG has recognized the validity of certificates earned in the refugee camps and has
worked with international NGOs along with the Thai Ministry of Education. But in order to issue
certificates from the Thai government, a specific curriculum must be enforced. At least 70% of
the curriculum will be the Thai curriculum including math, science, Thai and English while the
other 30% will be set aside for schools to teach its own language or history accordingly (Sawade,
2008b). This proposed curriculum for refugees and migrant students could help refugees gain
properly recognized certificates but adopting a curriculum of a country that doesnt want to
integrate them is unacceptable to those who display a strong ownership of the current Karen
education system.

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Leaving the refugee camp quarters to find appropriate education is also illegal. Those
who leave the refugee camp within proper documentation or permission are considered illegal
and are subject to arrest or deportation (Frelick & Saltsman, 2012).
With these existing challenges in providing education for all, the prospect for higher
education for students both within refugee camps and migrant schools are not favorable.

Improving Education Systems

There are a number of ways in which governments and international organizations could
work together in order to improve the prospects of higher education for refugees from Burma.
The RTG is highly encouraged to become a signatory of the United Nations Convention
Relating to the Status of Refugee. By being able to classify the large number of refugees from
Burma can help provide them with the appropriate kind of protection in Thailand and provide
them more opportunities in the educational front. New policies can be enforced to provide
assistance in areas that are needed.
Cooperation with the Thai government is crucial in reforming refugee education. Since
1990, Thailand has been part of an Education for All campaign enforced by UNESCO. Under
this campaign, education should be provided to all children despite their status classification
within the host country. However many migrant children or refugees arent provided with
qualified education. Some families arent aware of the rights they have to receive education in
Thailand and each local province might reinforce these policies differently. Especially if families
are illegally in the country, they might not want to approach the authorities in the fear of getting

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deported or arrested.4 A nationwide campaign to publicize this policy that Thailand supports to
help spread information about the rights that displaced people have is important in getting
children into schools. Although education is provided within the camps already, there are very
little government interventions or support. The government needs to regulate education around
the country and set up curriculums accordingly. This is one of many step in improving higher
education prospects for the refugees.
The difficulty in providing certificates to refugees from Burma is regulating what kind of
curriculum to adopt. Setting up a proper educational structure adopted for refugees and migrants
alike can help to regulate schools across the country. This is one of the largest hurdles in issuing
certificates to students. However with the KED wanting to take ownership of their own
educational system, it makes it difficult to adopt the curriculum so that the RTG could approve of
the arrangement to certify the students that finish their respective educations within camps or at
migrant schools. Collaboration with the RTG and the KED is needed if the issuance of
certificates are to be a reality in the near future (Oh & Van der Stouwe, 2008). Currently, for
Thailand to issue certificates for education, a certain level of Thai language capability is
necessarily to participate in the curriculum and take certain tests to evaluate their abilities and
knowledge. Thailand should issue certificates that would allow refugees from Burma to mostly
maintain the education that they have attained already so that they can apply to universities and
jobs outside their immediate community within the camps or nearby areas (Sawade, 2008a). If
there can be a way for the RTG to issue certificates based on the curriculums that are set in place,

4 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand. Right to Education for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
http://www.mfa.go.th/humanrights/implementation-of-un-resolutions/72-right-to-education-for-migrants-refugees-and-asylumseekers-

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higher education can be easier to attain with internationally recognized education qualifications.
Refugees should be able to formally learn their own cultures and languages in their curriculum.
Through proper policies and regulations that can help to classify people fleeing from
Burma as refugees without being restricted to specific areas of the country. Especially now with
stricter regulations in regards to leaving the camp, people cant leave to attend schools or to find
work outside of the camps.
The RTG needs to refrain from viewing the current migration situation of people from
Burma into Thailand as a temporary one. Such movement of people have been occurring since
the middle of the 1980s and the years of conflict is unlikely to end in the near future (Colm,
2004). If the RTG in the future does begin to issue Thai certificates upon completion of formal
education within the country, there is also the need to revamp the logistics of running these
schools such as the infrastructure and staff. Majority of the schools have poor infrastructures
because of the tight regulations the RTG has enforced when coming to building permanent
structures within the refugee camps. If funds and regulations were amended so that the campuses
of various schools could be improved, it would help accommodate its students and provide for an
appropriate learning environment.
The shortage of qualified teachers and trainers are important issues to address and such
people are lacking in schools for various reasons. But these issues can be addressed with proper
funding and training of teachers from NGOs. With the current restrictions imposed by the RTG,
it makes it difficult for schools to access these funds or resources from other organizations. Often
times, the RTG would restrain NGOs along the border as to not increase the number of people
who cross the border (Thailand Burmese Border Consortium, 2004). Addressing logistic hurdles

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of reforming education among refugees from Burma takes a lot of manpower, funding and
resources from NGOs would certainly help to speed up the process if NGOs were allowed to
play larger roles in their capacity and expertise. Particularly when teaching English, having
foreigners being able to come to teach would be beneficial for the students along the border if
rules were more lenient towards NGOs and the help that they bring. Working with NGOs and
education experts is useful in helping to provide a guideline for curriculums and providing
teaching material and resources. Updated teaching material is another resources needed in order
to successfully run a class and schools being able to access it would help to provide proper
insight into the topics.
There is also a need for the international community to work with the RTG in order to
address a number of issues including education. NGOs should also put pressure on the RTG and
the Burmese government to allow for access to education and other rights. The international
community should be advocating for proper protection of refugees and to provide proper status
in addressing those who fled from Burma. Assistance to these people should be accessible to
them and monitor the current situation. Particularly the UNCHR should be allowed more
leniency in their role within the refugee camps rather than being allowed to observe current
situations. Refugees in the camp should be able to ask for help and be provided with the
necessary aids and protection that the UNCHR can offer to them. NGOs should be able to fund
programs and actively work with the authorities in Thailand and Burma to present a number of
opportunities to them. But along with providing funds, its important to provide security of funds
in the years to come. Sometimes schools that were funding previously were losing funds over
recent years and need to find a way to replace those funds that would have come from NGOs or
sponsors. Rather than thinking about short-term ways to fund schools or programs, its durability

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in the long-term is also important to plan ahead so it can be a sustainable source of fund for
many schools.
Higher education institutions should also be more proactive in providing opportunities for
refugees. By setting up special programs with specific schools within the refugee camp, although
it may not be credit-bearing, could still be a useful way to introduce higher education courses or
specialties in subjects to students. In terms of resolving all logistics and manpower issues of
reforming education for the refugee community could take years to reach acceptable levels. But
in the meantime, summer programs or semester-long programs can be organized by schools to
bring in professional educators and students to have a mutual sharing of knowledge. The MOEI
program set up by the University of Hong Kong is an excellent example of a higher education
institution reaching out to refugees from Burma to aid in their education. Something similar
could be adopted by other universities around the world to help increase their exposure to
cultures and people outside the border and a glimpse into higher education beyond Thailand. Its
most certain that through universally recognized certificates, refugees from Burma would be able
to pursue higher education and jobs in areas they desire.

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Thailand Burmese Border Consortium. (2004). Between worlds; twenty years on
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