Well, I gather that the situation along the Burmese border following the elections has made international news. The morning of November 8th, fighting broke out in Myawaddy between the SPDC (military government) and on faction of the Karen army who had been previously allied with the SPDC. The fallout was that many civilians were caught in the crossfire, and over 15 000 - 20 000 fled across the Moei river into Mae Sot.
The refugees were temporarily held at an army base near the Mae Tao Clinic, and many international and Thai NGOs stepped in to provide the basics - shelter, water, sanitation, food. At the Mae Tao clinic, we were all waiting for an influx of people seeking care, but it remained strangely quiet there. Myself and a few others went to the temporary camp, to see if there were ways we could assist. When we asked what was most needed, the reply was "organization". Though it was quite impressive, the response that occured within 24 hours of the refugees arriving, there was also quite a lack of obvious coordination - latrines hadn't been set up and people were having to use the bushes, the fair distribution of food and water was a challenge, and it was clear that major public health concerns like dehydration and heat-illness could evolve quickly with so many people in such a confined space. For better or worse, after two days, the Thai government exerted some strong diplomatic pressure, and the fighting settled down in Myawaddy, and people were forced to return home. I have heard that the fighting continues along the border, with many people still seeking refuge in Thailand and that many people have returned to Myawaddy to find that their homes have been burned, and their families separated. So, it seems that the post-election unrest is far from over.
From a personal point of view, it was quite frustrating to be able to offer so little help to the situation. Without language, many foreigners found themselves quite useless, though some began fundraising efforts. It seemed that there were resources available, and people willing to help in any way they could, but the lack of organization in an emergency situation was the limiting factor. I have a new appreciation for the field of disaster management! It was also eye-opening to be at the temporary camp and to see children playing, and people smiling and chatting with oneanother - none of the mass hysteria that I would expect from people fleeing a war zone. The calmness was unsettling and made me wonder what many Burmese peoples lives must be like that this appeared to be an almost "normal" state of affairs.
Mae Sot and the Mae Tao clinic are back to their regular states - though with quite a bit of excitement and attention to Aung San Suu Kyi's release yesterday! News is pending...
There have been some difficult goodbyes at the clinic, and a raucous goodbye party that Ale and organized as a thank you to the Inpatient Department. I'm feeling a lot, though I can't see clearly enough through the jumble of emotions to articulate them. I am looking forward to a change of scenery, and some time to reflect and slow down with myself. Tomorrow morning I hop on a bus to the Chiang Mai area, where I will have two weeks to visit some friends, and return to Muvikhi, the Karen village where I lived five years ago!
The journey continues...
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