Burma Issues - Refugees

Armed conflict throughout Burma has forced millions of people to flee their homes and become internally displaced people (IDPs), or escape across the border to neighboring countries. The threat of violence, persecution, torture, human rights abuses, land confiscation, and lack of food security affect people's lives so deeply that many have no other recourse but to flee and search for safer places to live. While the number of Burma's IDPs and international refugees is hard to quantify, it is estimated that around two million IDPs are living in jungle areas within the country and along the borders of Thailand, China, Laos, India and Bangladesh.

It is also estimated that there are an additional two million legal and illegal migrant workers in Thailand, with 130,000 refugees living in camps along the border. Similarly, there are an estimated 50,000 Burmese refugees in India, while an additional 20,000 are in Bangladesh, and 23,000 are in Malaysia. People in these difficult circumstances usually lack access to education and health care. As the safety and security of life in Burma fails to improve, the number of people being displaced within the country or seeking refuge outside continues to increase.