Photo: Overview of a portion of the Mae la Refugee camp Greetings, After being in Thailand for nearly a month, we are now back in Ohio. We saw and learned a lot and accomplished much of what we had hoped to do. So it was a long, but good trip. We started in Chiang Mai. A year ago, our expectation was that at about this time of year we would be returning to Chiang Mai to live. But, it seems we'll now remain in the US for the next few years. So we wanted to give our girls, Erin and Shannon a chance to say "goodbye" to what has been their home for most of their life. We also had a storeroom full of furnishings, household goods, photos, kids' school papers, etc. that we needed to deal with. A blitzkreig garage sale disposed of much of what we had, some things we gave away and a few things are being shipped back to us here in Ohio. In Chiang Mai, we also needed to meet with the Thailand Karen Baptist Convention and explain why we would not be staying to work with them. They know quite a lot about their cousins in the refugee camps along the border, but wouldn't know what resettlement entails in the US. They provided much encouragement for us and recommended many Karen language books, Bible study and Sunday school materials and other resources for us to bring back to the Karen here. We shipped back a fair sized supply of these materials and will be sending them to various churches and Karen communities over the next couple weeks. Next on the itinerary was a visit to the Tham Hin refugee camp.This camp had the most crowded housing conditions (houses are 1 meter apart) and the Thai government insisted that all roofing for houses be of black plastic. They wanted to convey that Tham Hin is just a temporary place to stay, so it shouldn't be too comfortable. Black plastic absorbs the tropical heat and makes the crowded houses like ovens. Maybe because of the poor housing, Tham Hin was chosen as the first camp to be allowed to send people for resettlement to the US. Over the past year, some 3-4,000 have left the camp for other countries, most coming to the US. Meeting with the camp committee, it was brought out that in spite of the numbers of people leaving Tham Hin, the camp population is the same now as it was a year ago. This is an indication of the continued attacks on Karen in Burma, but also that others are now coming into the camps hoping for a chance to start a new life in another country. Several older people we met with asked when they would be able to see their children and grand children. The children have left to live in the US, but many parents, since they were involved more directly with the Karen group fighting for independence are now no longer allowed to come to the US. Five or ten years ago, those involved in the independence movement were seen as freedom fighters and the only ones allowed into the US. Since 9-11 though, they are seen as potential anti-government agents and not allowed into the country. Many of the older generation are going to Europe where they are allowed to go, but they wonder when they can see their children in the US. It is a question we have no answer for. While at Tham Hin, it was announced that we were from Ohio. So many gathered around to see the pictures we had of their relatives living around Akron. It was fun to show the pictures, but it is a sad commentary on our world that we create conditions that keep families separated. After Tham Hin, we spent a day around Kanchanaburi, home of the "Bridge over the River Kwai" and maybe slightly less known, Drum Publications. We spent quite a long time getting to know the people and materials of Drum Publications. They have many resources available on line (http://www.drum.fastmail.fm/index.html). Particularly popular is an online English-Karen dictionary as well as some picture dictionaries. We brought back some samples of what they have and would like to find ways to make more of their materials available. The next visit was to the Mae La refugee camp. Stretching some 3 miles along the road, this is the largest of the refugee camps housing close to 50,000 people. This year, the US government began accepting people from this camp into the US. Like Tham Hin, people fleeing attacks on their homes as well as those hoping for a chance at resettlement in another country are coming to the camp. The Thai government of course, is hoping that resettlement reduces the numbers in the refugee camps. So, Thai authorities are saying that some 5,000 of the "new arrivals" (though some have been there for several years) must leave the camp. We visited with Robert Htway who is chair of the Karen Refugee Committee. He was busy finding a place for these 5,000 people to go. Ler Ber Her is an IDP village just on the Burma side of the Moei River. Right now it has a population of just 700 people. But, it seems this is the only place to put the 5,000 that must leave the Mae La camp. So, plans are being made. The people of Ler Ber Her left their original homes 8 - 10 years ago. They settled in other nearby locations but they were attacked and forced to move on two other locations. They have now been at the present location for 6 years even though it is just an hour's walk or so to the nearest Burma military outpost. It seems a precarious place to put 5,000 more people, but options are few. Another issue mentioned at Mae La is the lack of teachers and workers with the NGOs as more people head to the US and other countries. It is often the best educated and best trained that find resettlement the most appealing. So the camps are feeling the affects of a "brain drain". Those teachers that remain also point how big a distraction the resettlement process is for the students. Should they go? Should they stay? Which country should they go to? What is their obligation to their family and to the Karen people as a whole? All these questions weigh heavily on everyone's mind and it seems the ability for students to focus in class is greatly diminished. We visited the camps with CBF colleagues Steve Clark and Annette Ellard. They had made a DVD of interviews we had made with a number of Karen that have already come to the US. We asked them what was hard about coming to the US, what was easy and what advice they had for Karen still in the camps considering whether to come or not. It was announced at the church service that we were there and had this DVD available. So after the service, 2-300 people came to see the DVD and hear what we had to say about life in the US. We don't want to be overly negative or positive about the challenges they face as they come to live here, but we try to "tell it like it is". It is a huge adjustment for people to make, but it is amazing how people can adapt when given the chance. Thra Wado, an instructor at the Bible School in Mae La brought up perhaps the largest issue. He pointed out that while there is a lot of attention at the moment on resettlement in other countries, it does nothing to solve the root problem. Resettlement may eventually reduce the numbers of refugees in Thailand, but the camps will still be there. Resettlement does not help the 2 million or so from Burma , most there illegally, scratching out a living in Thailand. Resettlement also does nothing to help the 1/2 to 1 million Internally Displaced People (IDPs) living on the run inside Burma trying to stay ahead of the army. The only real solution is change in the government policies of Burma so they no longer attack their own people. So while it is good to help the Karen get established in new countries, we also need to advocate for change in Burma to address the root of the problem. There is a big challenge in front of us as the Baptist Churches in the US. The Karen are coming in increasing numbers and we need to do all we can to welcome them and give them a start in their new country. If we had any doubts, they were dispelled on the way back to the US as we shared the plane with 60 - 70 Karen from Mae La on their way to the US to live. We also need to find ways to stay informed and to advocate for change within Burma. These are big challenges but we serve a bigger God. He will lead us and the Karen in the way we need to go. Thank you for your prayers, support and willingness to get involved! Yours in Christ, Duane & Marcia Binkley