“Myanmar Spring Chronicle – May 7 Overview”, published by MoeMaKa on May 8, 2025*:
Refugee Camps Along Thai Border Face Further Aid Cuts
Recent reports have revealed that international aid to refugee camps along the Thailand–Myanmar border has been reduced once again. The new levels of support have dropped to just $2.40 per month (87 baht) for adults and $1.50 per month (53 baht) for children under five.
These cuts affect refugee camps on the Thai side of the border, adjacent to Karenni (Kayah) State and Karen State in Myanmar. According to the reports, these camps still host over 100,000 refugees.
The camps were originally established in the 1990s, when the military regime known as SLORC launched violent campaigns in Karen and Karenni areas, including village burnings and forced displacements. Refugees fled in the tens of thousands, and Thailand permitted the creation of refugee camps along its border. International aid organizations provided food, healthcare, and basic shelter.
Although Thailand allowed these camps on humanitarian grounds, it does not permit refugees to work legally inside the country.
A Crisis Decades in the Making
At the time, it was hoped that once fighting subsided, the refugees could either return home or be resettled in third countries like the U.S. or Australia. Some were accepted by Japan and Western European nations, but such programs were paused after 2011, when the Thein Sein government came to power. These resettlement plans have not resumed since the 2021 coup.
With the camps now existing for over two decades, their prolonged presence highlights the ongoing failure to resolve Myanmar’s civil war. Generations have grown up in camps without ever returning home—living under conditions of dignity deprivation and permanent displacement.
No Clear End in Sight
Neither the SLORC junta (1988), the Thein Sein government (2010), the Aung San Suu Kyi government (2015), nor the Min Aung Hlaing junta (2021–present) have resolved the crisis. The scale of displacement has only grown, with over 4 million people internally displaced across Myanmar since the 2021 coup.
As the crisis deepens, global interest in the Thai-Myanmar border refugee issue appears to be waning.
Geopolitical Apathy
In today’s world, with the rise of nationalist and interest-driven governments, international support for refugees is declining. When regimes that prioritize profit and militarism gain power, humanitarian causes like border refugee relief receive less attention and funding.
For example, after President Trump resumed office, the U.S. government cut funding to USAID, leading to clinic closures in Thai border camps and the reported deaths of several chronically ill patients.
While the world spends billions and trillions on warfare, there’s growing neglect of millions of displaced people, not just in Myanmar, but globally.
Aid Cuts Also Affect Rohingya Refugees
This isn’t just happening on the Thai-Myanmar border. Over 1 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are also affected by declining international aid. There’s no viable path to return, and the international community has yet to find a solution even after nearly a decade.
A Moment for Urgent Strategy
The Thai-Myanmar border refugee situation—and broader displacement crisis—can no longer rely on dwindling international aid alone.
Political and military stakeholders, along with civil society leaders, must urgently discuss sustainable solutions.
That includes:
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Planning for self-reliant livelihoods
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Expanding support networks beyond traditional aid
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Reframing the refugee issue as a long-term national crisis, not a temporary emergency
If action is not taken soon, the fate of generations already born and raised in refugee camps may remain permanently unresolved.