Name: Lahpoi Ja Seng

Age: 36

Ethnicity: Kachin

Family: Married with 5 children

Before sunrise at 4am on June 10, 2011 Lahpai fled her home in a nearby Kachin village with her 5 children.  They were not forced or asked to leave.  They fled from fear of arrest, kidnap and potential violence.  Her husband stayed at home to look after their house and farm.  They walked through the jungle with several other families from her village.  They walked for 11 hours, stopping only briefly to rest, eat leftover rice and drink water.  They carried a few extra sets of clothes, some prepared food and around 5,000 kyat (US $64).  They brought no cooking pots or bedding material.   They arrived at an IDP hide site at 5pm that evening.  Her children suffered from headache, fatigue and diarrhea.  Many other families were staying at that hide site in temporary shelters constructed by the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO).   Lahpai and her children were led to a barren stall in a vacated, outdoor market where around 160 other people were staying.  They were given a 12’ by 12’ area to sleep and store their belongings.  They were also provided food, blanket, sleeping mat and mosquito net.  A medical clinic and temporary school is also available to them there.  Every 3 days Lahpai’s husband comes to visit and play with the children. 

Before she left her home, Lahpai heard gunshots and bombs near her house but did not see any soldiers.  She has never suffered any past abuse from the Burma army.  She and her family are Christian and her village is made up of Baptists and Catholics.  Her church congregation is around 20 members.  Lahpai spends her days sitting around with other displaced families and looking after the children.  She hopes to go back to her village soon and she worries for her husband, her home and her farm.

“I want independence and equal rights.” 

 “I am thankful I have never suffered from SPDC before, I know God protects me.” 

“The government is not fair and they do not treat us with equal rights.  Please pray for freedom and equal rights.”

(Names and exact locations changed or withheld for security)

A Kachin child rests on the floor of a rented factory space in Yunnan Province, China on July 20, 2011.  This small space with no windows and no toilet is shared between two Kachin refugee families who have fled recent fighting near their village in Kachin State, Burma.  This room rents for 200 Yuan a month (US $30).  No UN or Chinese government assistance is currently being provided to over 3,000 Kachin refugees who have fled attacks from the Burma army. 

(Names and exact locations withheld for security)

A family rests on a concrete floor at an internally displaced person camp near Laiza, Burma on July 4, 2011. Over 8,000 Kachin civilians have fled to a handful of these locations in a KIA (Kachin Independence Army) controlled area near the Burma China border. Those displaced are receiving temporary housing, food, medical care and basic education by the KIO (Kachin Independence Organization).

(Names and exact locations withheld for security)

A Burmese boy poses for a portrait in front of a wall of trash in Mae Sot, Thailand on June 1st, 2011. This boy, from neighboring Burma, lives at the town garbage dump with his family in extreme filth. Choosing to spend the days scavenging for recyclables, his family is quick to tell you that this livelihood is more lucrative than their option over the border. The border areas of Thailand are full of Burmese migrants willing to work low paying jobs of hard labor for the hope of beginning new lives in relative safety.