June 20 marks the World Refugee Day. Oppression, persecution and war create refugees which largely affects women and children. They are running to escape fighting, human rights abuses, terror and hunger. 9 refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border have become temporary shelters to more than 140,000 Burmese ethnic refugees. Accordingly to the UN agency in-charge for refugees, the Thai refugee camps are one of the 29 protracted refugee situations in the world. Moreover, the protracted refugee camp confinement in Thailand continues to make these refugees suffer from long-standing human rights abuses. They remain to be highly dependent on charity for their daily survival and do not have freedom of movement. 2012 marks the over 22 year’s refugee confinement on the Thai-Burma border.

WEAVE will be joining simultaneous World Refugee Day activities to raise awareness about the Burmese ethnic refugee situation, the urgent need to provide adequate funding assistance until conditions for return to Burma are conducive and that funding to support education initiatives to prepare people for return is made available.

Please join us raise awareness on World Refugee Day.