Government Of Canada Renews Support For Burmese Refugees And Displaced People

(RTTNews) - Canadian International Development Agency, or CIDA, said on Saturday that the Government of Canada would continue support for Burmese refugees and displaced persons living in Burma's border areas.

The renewed funding amounts to $15.9 million over five years, and builds on CIDA's $12.4 million contribution for assistance in the region provided over the previous five years. CIDA is continuing to provide assistance in the region through Inter Pares Canada, a Canadian humanitarian organization, which supports numerous organizations, including the Thailand-Burma Border Consortium and the Mae Tao Clinic.

In the border regions of Burma, conditions are dire and continue to deteriorate in the face of escalating Burmese military action against ethnic minority groups. There are more than 140 thousand refugees in camps in Thailand and more than 500 thousand internally displaced Burmese. These numbers continue to rise as many Burmese flee states that border on Thailand, China, India and Bangladesh to escape conflict, forced relocation, or forced labour.

Support from the CIDA for the Burma Border Assistance Program assists refugees and displaced Burmese citizens living near the Burmese border through food assistance, health care and human rights work to help Burmese refugees and displaced persons living in Burma's border areas. The renewed support is in place for another five years.

With the Canadian government's renewed support there will continue to be an emphasis on building local expertise in anticipation of a political solution to the problems in Burma. When adequate government services such as health care for border area states are established and when civil society inside Burma can function openly, the people trained by this project would have the skills and knowledge necessary to for employment in civil and state organizations.

by RTT Staff Writer

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