The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) often does excellent international reportage, especially when they deploy correspondents like Patrick Brown. Tonight’s National News featured a good example. For decades, the dictatorship in Burma has been committing systematic mass murder while suppressing the seven-million strong Karen ethnic group, and using many they don’t kill for slave labour. Brown entered Burma (Myanmar) through the jungles of the Thai border with young Karen who are determined to document conditions in that region with handicams. Brown carefully gave a rundown of the historical background, introduced the main elements of Karen culture, and interviewed several people. Most dramatic was the interview with a frail, elderly woman forced to build roads for the Burmese army — roads which will be used to bring in troops to mine the region and burn down Karen villages.
The report then shifted to a family which has been able to wrangle passage to Canada as refugees. Brown addressed a seldom mentioned problem in such situations. It is the most talented and best educated refugees ― teachers, doctors, bright young students ― who are most likely to engineer a successful escape. Their departure leaves the much more numerous remainder with even less human resources to overcome the problems of displacement. Brown interviewed one young man who is torn between staying to help his own people and the prospect of a new and successful life in Vancouver.
Many years ago, like many Canadians, I did volunteer work to help Han-Viet refugees fleeing Communist genocide. Most of them had fled on rafts, experienced gang rapes, fought off pirates, and sweltered in refugee camps, then found themselves suddenly in country full of snow, and other frightening and confusing novelties. It was both an inspiring and illuminating experience for me. The system that evolved here of linking refugee families with Canadian families and lone refugees with new friends was tremendously effective. This is demonstrated by the rapid upward social movement of Vietnamese refugees in Canadian society that ensued.
Hopefully, the Karen refugees in Vancouver are getting the same kind of volunteer help. Southeast Asia is a complex maze of ethnic groups, languages, religions, and environments. Most of them are little known to North Americans. I was pleased that the CBC finally let Canadians know about one ― just one of many ― horrifying situations. I was also pleased at prevailing evidence from polls (and simply talking to anyone) that Canadians remain strongly committed to welcoming such refugees, the process that has built our country and enriched it beyond our wildest dreams. One look at the faces of these young Karen tells you that they are Canada’s future.
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