An Illegal Mission to Burma (also known as Myanmar)

In November 2007 I embarked on a risky 12 day aid mission with a team representing Christian Solidarity Worldwide. I support a broad range of charities but in this instance I felt I needed to do more than monetary giving and actually participate in the act of giving through love and time in a hands-on way.

What motivated me was hearing about the brutality of Burma’s ruling military regime, known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). The world news came to my attention in September 2007, when the regime launched a severe crack down against tens of thousands of Buddhist monks and civilians who had participated in peaceful protests. The events of September 2007 were just the tip of the iceberg, after 45 years of tyrannical rule, including the suppression of democracy and basic human rights and the gross mismanagement of Burma’s economy.

These people have endured horrible mistreatment, many having watched members of their family beaten, raped and/or killed as well as being used as slave labour and being forcibly relocated. They suffered what many believe to be a slow and systematic genocide undertaken by the SPDC.

When researching and considering the trip I gave serious consideration to the physical danger (my status was as an illegal visitor); physical discomfort and medical risk. I also had to consider leaving my elderly Mother and children. I decided to do what I could do and leave God to deal with what I couldn’t and step out under His protection.

The Trip

After landing in Bangkok, and then arriving in Chiang Mai (northern Thailand) the team headed for the Thai-Burmese border. During a scenic river raft ride an opportune moment was identified at which point we jumped onto land and ran into the hills in order to avoid detection by the army. Once in Burma we visited Shan and Karen Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and Karen and Karenni refugees along the Thai-Burmese border.

Getting to some of these camps involved travel by car as far as we could go and then exhausting hiking with backpacks deep in the jungle and up numerous hills.

Despite exhaustion and rugged surroundings, we were delighted to be amongst these special survivors. I was able to assist the 200+ orphaned children of the Mae La refugee camp through providing uniforms to wear to school and purchased musical instruments and sport equipment for schools in 3 refugee camps. The team I was with were able to provide much needed medical assistance.

The highlight of the trip was the village children who walked for nearly 2 days to sing English Christmas carols to us. Despite their circumstances, they derived great joy from giving back all they had to give, which was their voice and energy. The Mission team’s simple acts of kindness meant the world to these people and in return it gave the team such joy to be able to make a difference, no matter how small.

My Reflections on this trip

I felt an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. What difference can I make? Can I really have any impact on this situation? What can one person really achieve? I was upset, confused, and desperate to make an impact on these people’s lives. We speak of these people as ‘victims’ – I’d rather think of them as survivors of a world that we have made. And as long as we in the free world have a voice, hands and feet backed by freedom of speech and religion, we must stand up for the rights of the less fortunate, oppressed, the poor, the young and the voiceless.

One person cannot change the world but we can make a difference individually and together. We must play our part to make it happen. I strongly believe that we need to be in the “midst of it all” so that God can use our hands, resources and mind to do His work. – 1 John 3:17-18. “17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

You don’t have to go on a mission trip to be the hands and feet to those in need….just keep a lookout for opportunities where you can demonstrate God’s love; where you can make a difference; where you can bring joy to someone’s life…if only for a brief moment.

Some facts About Burma

Burma is now called Myanmar. Around 70% of Burma’s people are ethnic Burmans. The remaining 30% of the population are represented by other ethnic groups (including Shans, Karens, and Kachins).These ethnic minorities tend to live along the borders and in mountainous areas. Burma shares borders with India, China, Bangladesh, Laos and Thailand.

The military regime has brutally suppressed ethnic groups wanting rights and autonomy. Military governments, which have ruled Burma from 1962 – 2011, have been accused of corruption, heroin trafficking , human trafficking, and human rights violations—including forcible relocation of civilians and the use of forced labour.

Burma is a resource-rich country with a strong agricultural base, and is a leading producer of gems, jade, and teak. Burma’s natural resources include petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas and hydropower.

Unfortunately, the military controlled political environment has prevented the economy from developing, and the Burmese people remain poor. There is an estimated 450,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) living in camps and on the run in the jungle (according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre website, Nov 2013 http://www.internal-displacement.org/statistics)

Since my trip, many political and human rights reforms have been undertaken, however a Human Rights Watch report, released in March 2012, states that human rights abuses by the Tatmadaw continue, especially in border regions, such as Kachin State, where 75,000 civilians have been displaced, since hostilities broke out in 2011 between the rebel group Kachin Independence Army and Burmese government soldiers. According to the report, forced labor and military conscription, blockage of international aid, attacks on civilians and private properties, rape and torture, as well as use of landmines, continue to be practiced in the country.

(Wikipedia, accessed 25/11/13) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011%E2%80%932012_Burmese_political_reforms