The Shan are an ethnic group currently persecuted by the national military government in Burma (Myanmar). The Burmese government has banned the Shan language from all public institutions, engages in systematic rape and torture of the Shan people, and has captured many Shan as forced labor for the national army.  Many of those we have interviewed in our community speak about getting caught in the crossfire of violent conflict: having to carry heavy weapons at gunpoint for Burmese soldiers, watching the military junta tell them to relocate their entire villages, and having to pay “taxes” and give food to Shan rebel soldiers who stop by villages at night.  Because of this, half a million Shan have crossed their eastern border into Thailand.  Many of the families in our community walked for 4 or 5 days through the jungle, carrying young children on their backs, to begin their new lives.

While Shan people living in Thailand often have a much higher quality of life than they would have in Burma, their legal and economic disenfranchisement persists. Although official Thai policy guarantees Shan access to basic social services, real-life protection of these rights in some areas is spotty at best.  This is partly due to fears that such services might attract a large number of refugees from Burma, and partly because Thailand is struggling to provide such services to its own people.  Many Shan have working permits, but their earnings are as low as $30 per month.  By way of comparison, a beginning Thai public school teacher earns approximately $600 per month.  Nearly all of a Shan worker’s earnings go toward food, with housing needs typically met by squatting on undeveloped or sharecropping land.  In addition, the Thai government charges each applicant an annual fee of $100 for each work permit, which amounts to 3-4 months’ worth of wages.

The Shan people’s Thai residency remains tenuous, even when a family member obtains a work permit. Few Shan immigrants attain refugee visas, even as the Thai government grants Karen and other Burmese minorities refugee status.  This situation places the Shan in especially precarious situations, since they do not have access to refugee camps, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), or international human rights institutions.

That said, the Shan also have a long history in northwest Thailand. They share with Thais not just a border, but also a dominant religion (Theravada Buddhism), a linguistic family, and, we hope, an interest in everyday life with peace and dignity.