Thai Burma Border Basic Facts :
• The Karen people of a large ethnic nationality (9 mill.) within the Union of    Burma/Myanmar (40 mill.).
• 20% are Christian, mainly Baptism and Anglican, 70% Buddhist, remainder animist.
• The refugee camps were established in the mid 1980s; now there are 120,000 refugees; 400,000 displaced people within Burma.
• A civil war between the Burmese military government and the Karen has been waged for over 50 years.
• The Thai Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) provides monthly supplies of rice, fish-pasted and oil for the refugees; the Australian Christmas Bowl contributes funds to TBBC for this purpose.
• In the border areas of Burma hunger, malnutrition, HIV/Aids, village attacks by the military, including rape, enforced labour … are now extensive.
• In the refugee camps there are Anglican congregations who belong to the Province of the Church of Myanmar.
• In September 2005 Bishop Desmund Tutu was joint-signatory to a submission to the U.N. Security Council urging that it is now the time for U.N. intervention in Burma.
• Australia, along with some other western countries, is presently increasing its Karen refugee intake: ’06 -400, ’07 -900.

The Australia Karen Foundation
was established in 2006 to assist the plight of the Karen refugee community. Its founders are Australians who have visited the Thai Burma border. They have stayed with the Anglican community there and have visited community organisations. They continue to be in contact with ‘border’ community leaders.

Opportunities for Parishes ….
• visits of Karen people living in Melbourne to the parish
• regular updates on the Karen situation
• informed shared prayer
• fund-raising for projects
• individual participation in annual study tour to the Thai Burma border
• invitation to attend Karen community celebrations in state capitals

Contact Person/Organisation:
Rev’d Ron Browning ….. 93916778, 0417544923
rmbrow@bigpond.net.au
Australia Karen Foundation
P O Box 1022
Newport
3015