Many people who flee persecution from Burma to Thailand are unable to
enter the camps as refugees and are therefore ‘classed’ as migrants in
Thailand.
There are as many as one million migrants from Burma
in Thailand. With limited rights many of these migrants are employed in
D irty,
D ifficult and
D angerous low paid jobs. And what about their children?
Though under Thai law all children regardless of status should be able
to access the Thai education system the reality is that due to many
barriers most migrant children are unable to do so.
These
barriers range from fear of the authorities, through to lacking the
income to cover school costs such as uniforms and books and not being
able to speak the Thai language. An added problem is that education
gained in Burma is not recognised in Thailand. Even if a child has
completed secondary school in Burma, they still have to start their Thai
education from primary school.
Parents also fear that
sending their children to Thai schools will identify their
whereabouts and they will be deported back to Burma. Furthermore, these
schools do not teach their languages or anything about their culture.
The result is that many of these children are either forced to
work in difficult conditions with their parents or are left at home in
cramped and unhygienic conditions, often without minders. Many are
consequently found wandering the streets and are vulnerable to all sorts
of abuse, trafficking and exploitation.