Sangkhlaburi 18.02.09

---

Life in a middle of nowhere, green around, sun till 18-19, hot 247, basic organic food, no electricity,funny toilets. That is my life now. Everything is so diffrent but somehow also so close to me. Sometimes I feel like on a survival camp.
Sometimes when I see how local people live I am wondering how life is funny! Why are we chossing to live particular ways? Is it because of the place where we end up? Is it our choice or just accident or destiny?
Since I have been here I was amused when I saw how pinapples grow, when I realised how important drinking water is, when I realised how luxury working toilet is and finally when I relaised once again how important is to understand and respect the nature.

People who live in this part of the Thailand (people who we are trying to support) are refugees from Burma but most of them are from different minorities Mon,Sian(?) and Karen so they speak different languages - they got trapped between Burma and Thailand. These people decided to runaway form Burma because of political situation in Burma, lack of education and employment and being forced to laborer.They feel unsecure, untrustful and scared. Most of them they do not speak any Thai.
The Thai goverment does not want then to apply for Thai citizenship. The only document which the refugees ale allowed to have is a card which has few different colours - different types.To get one of the cards they need to give a reason why do they want to runaway from Burma and then they may recieve a card. If they get a red card it means they can not go anywhere further then Sanghklaburi, if they have for example blue they can not further then Bangkok and if they have purple they can not leave Sanghlaburi -never. There are few more kinds of this card and I will try to find out more how it works. Refugees can not become Thai citizen inless they are maried to Thai citizen. On my way to Sanghklaburi I saw the 'Imigration checking point', the bus stopped and guards where checking all passangers (not me) if they have these spaecial cards.

To be cont....

xxxx

---