TBBC

This week SEAS visited TBBC (Thailand Burma Border Consortium) and listened to a presentation about the organization itself and the situations that it deals with. TBBC is an NGO made up of several smaller organizations that helps to provide humanitarian aid for refugees in Thailand, namely those housed in the refugee camps along the Thai-Burmese border. TBBC has been my favorite organization that we have visited so far, especially since our presenter seemed so enthusiastic.
Her name is Sally Thompson and she is the Deputy Executive Director for TBBC. She has been working with the organization for years, and she had a lot of information to share with us about how the TBBC has grown and adapted to meet the needs of an increasing number of refugees that have fled Burma over the years.
Sally Thompson was knowledgeable and passionate about the objectives of her organization, and it showed in how animated she was about answering our questions and providing anecdotes to further illustrate them. She told us of her work with resettled Burmese refugees and their cultural difficulties in resettling. I especially found interesting her story about an extended family of several generations who all wanted to either be resettled together or not at all; this story just served to illustrate that there is no set family unit when it comes to resettlement. Some people resettle by themselves or with one other family member, or they may travel in large groups. She told us some heartbreaking stories of families prepared to resettle that have had to return when one family member became ill.
Even in addition to these compelling stories, we were given a good foundation for discussing the current situation in Burma and what organizations like TBBC and others are doing or should be doing in order to assist in providing refuge for the refugees produced by this conflict. One of the poignant and sensitive points that Sally Thompson touched upon was the question of how comfortable to make the camps for refugees. This question has since been discussed in our class on migration issues and nationalism. While the goal is to provide some place that is comfortable for these people that have been run out of their homes, there is also a need to ensure that these populations do not become dependent upon the aid that is provided. Thailand as a government tends to take the approach that the refugee camps should be made as temporary as possible, and Sally Thompson told us about the positive things that TBBC does to try and foster a level of independence in the Burmese communities in these camps. To provide one example, to supplement the minimal rations that camp residents are given every month, seeds are also distributed so that refugees can plant food. The seeds given are selected because of their sustainability. TBBC distributes seeds that will grow seeded plants so that the seeds of harvested crops can be replanted to provide a predictable source of food.
TBBC was more or less our introduction into topics of refugee issues. This visit to TBBC and the articles we have read provide an excellent jumping point from which to begin discussing some of the more sensitive questions regarding issues of humanitarian aid, politics, and asylum. All of the questions regarding migrant issues and nationalism that we have dealt with in class thus far have interested me, personally, and I am even more excited to now be digging into refugee issues and learning about what is being done by state and non-state actors to define what a refugee is and how to best aid them.
It is wonderful to be here in Southeast Asia and to be able to visit places like TBBC to learn about what real people are doing to deal with some of the things that we are learning about in class. When we are able to have conversations about migrant issues or nationalism with locals, government officials, and NGO employees, it really brings the material to life.
I honestly couldn’t be more grateful for having been granted this amazing opportunity, and I want to thank you to everyone who has made this possible for me!
--Aja