October, 2009 - Volume 17 No.7

Inside This Issue


Entangled in Red Tape
The jobs are waiting for Burmese refugees in Thailand, but the road to them is full of obstacles.

A Fresh Start
Resettlement programs offer tens of thousands of refugees the chance of a new life in the West, writes YENI.

Blending In
Unlike other ethnic minorities, the Shan are seldom recognized as refugees and must keep a low profile to survive in Thailand. KO HTWE reports.

Homesick
YENI finds that even after years of living on the Thai-Burmese border, most Karen refugees hope to return to Burma one day.

A State of Fear
Caught in the crossfire of Burma’s civil war, hundreds of thousands of Karen, Karenni, Mon and Shan are trapped in No Man’s Land, reports SAW YAN NAING.

Peace in Name only
DAVID SCOTT MATHIESON explains why war and refugees will remain a fact of life in Burma’s borderlands as long as the causes of conflict are not addressed.

A Sad, Sad Celebration
Twenty-five years of challenges and achievements for the Thailand Burma Border Consortium—and no end in sight. JIM ANDREWS reports.


The First Shots are Fired
WAI MOE asks if recent clashes on the Sino-Burmese border are a sign of things to come in the restive region.


The Need for Border-based Aid
Humanitarian agencies in Rangoon cannot supply aid to eastern Burma, so cross-border assistance from Thailand must continue, writes AUNG ZAW.


THE BACK PAGE
A Major Career Change
A former military man markets himself as a musician.

Graffiti Gains Ground
A popular art form moves into the mainstream.


• Intelligence
• News in Brief
• Business