Burmese Refugees in Thailand

The chapter on the Burmese refugees in Thailand from “War Is Not Over When It's Over” by Ann Jones focuses on the process and some aftermaths, or bringing the Global Crescendo Project to photograph the daily lives of the thousands of displaced Burmese minorities "imprisoned" in these "temporary" homes for 20 years. Mainly focusing on the Karenni women, who were thought to be shy and self-contained, the GCP brought a voice to many of them, as well as an attempt to bridge the "gap between women and action" that exists as a result of a lack of impunity, patriarchy, and the opportunity to put into action the system of governance. Beyond the common difficulties in the camps, such as disease that passes quickly throughout because the houses are so close together, domestic violence is in high frequency but seldom acknowledged, as "women endure violence because they saw no other choice," ironic because it was a similar form of GBV, or torture, that they were escaping from when they were forced to escape Burma.  In the end, the lives of the women who participated were greatly impacted, and changes began to be made, but most importantly, it began a path to educating and teaching men "how the problem starts and how they can solve it by themselves", learning, and using their knowledge of their history of suffering to promote rights and security writhing the community and the private sphere.

Ann, Jones. "Burmese Refugees in Thailand: Someplace Else." War Is Not Over When It's Over. New York: Metropolitan, 2010. 168-203.