The Burma Army has targeted and attacked ethnic groups for nearly 20 years, thus leading them to flee their country and seek refuge in foreign countries. Among these people, are the Karen, who fled Burma and found refuge in Thailand.
Some Karen People are given the opportunity to be resettled in a third country, for example England, Australia or the United States, while some other hope to return to Burma.
In 2012, after the KNU negotiated a ceasefire with the Burmese government, there have been rumors about the possible repatriation of refugees from Thailand back to Burma.
In August 2012, Saw George, Secretary of the Karen Refugee Committee, declared that: “I think refugees will be sent back to Myanmar. We are called Karen refugee people and we are temporarily settled in seven refugee camps, looked after by the Thai government and UNHCR, so both of these groups have to know what we think about repatriation. In my opinion, there is not really peace in Myanmar yet and the repatriation program is too early. At the moment, we can’t return because there is no real peace”.
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