17.09.2006

Chronic emergency

Interview with Back Pack Health Workers’ Team

_ by Raluca Enescu

            It is hard not to be discouraged when a situation seems hopeless. But, in the meantime, giving up your hope is giving up your future. In those times, it is always great to know some people still do not give up.

            Traveling in almost non-accessible areas, in small villages and in conflict areas. Educating people about health issues in places where, otherwise, education and health care would not be accessible. For Mahn Mahn and his colleagues at the Back Pack Health Worker Team, this is part of everyday life.

            I feel lucky I’ve got the chance to interview one of these great people, and I know their appeal for our solidarity will not be ignored.   

Burma Digest: First of all, can you please explain to our readers-what are the aims and missions of the Back Pack Health Workers Team?

Mahn Mahn:  The Back Pack Health Worker Team is a community based organization formed in 1998, by Mon, Karenni and Karen health workers.  The BPHWT aims to equip the community with skills and knowledge in order to manage to their own health problems, while working towards sustainable development. The BPHWT works in regions of armed conflict and rural areas where access to health care is otherwise unavailable.

Burma Digest: Actually, why is the situation of health care in Burma so disastrous? What is happening and who is responsible?

Mahn Mahn:  The situation in these regions of Burma is so disastrous due to more than fifty years of armed conflict, which has included a policy of severe punitive treatment by the Burmese military government, of ethnic minority villagers living in the conflict areas.  Villagers have been beaten, shot, raped, forced to relocate or flee after their homes, farms and community infrastructure has been destroyed.  Villagers who have fled are forced to hide in the jungle with no food or protection and become internally displaced in their own country.

Burma Digest: The Burma Digest has been trying, over the past two months, to find evidence of genocide in Burma. Would the situation of certain areas inhabited by people belonging to minority ethnic groups, which are practically denied access to basic health care be relevant for the subject?

Mahn Mahn:  It is difficult to tell if this fits the definition of genocide and there is ongoing debate about this issue.  Regardless of what you call this situation there is gross violation of human rights in areas that are predominately populated by ethnic minorities in Burma.  As detailed in the BPHWT Chronic Emergency report, the most common abuses include forced relocation, forced labor and seizure of food supplies. These abuses are largely committed by the Burmese military against civilians. In addition the Burmese military block the supplies of medicine and food to these villagers and people who are internally displaced. As a result, people have limited access to food and greater exposure to illness causing factors such as mosquitoes, no sanitation or safe water supply. As revealed in the public health information we obtained and presented in Chronic Emergency, the result is a health catastrophe for people living in these areas.

Burma Digest: How do you feel about your work and about the people you are working with?

Mahn Mahn:  We, the Back Pack Health Workers are committed to our work as many of us are displaced, but choose to work closely with our communities to improve the health situation for all people.  We have been given the opportunity to have an education and we take seriously our responsibility to share our knowledge and skills with our community, in order to improve the health situation. 

Burma Digest: What inspires and motivates you the most throughout your work?

Mahn Mahn:  The BPHWT holds six monthly meetings during these we share information, our experiences, feelings and successes. We share reports from the field and the analysis of our data, which inspires and motivates us to continue to work for the future of our people.  

Burma Digest: Your organization has been working with Dr. Cynthia Maung, who is already an icon of hope for a lot of us. Can you please tell us a little bit more about your collaboration? Did her achievements and ideas inspire you? In which way?

Mahn Mahn:  Dr Cynthia Maung is a founding member and the current Chairperson of the Back Pack Health Worker Team.  Dr Cynthia works tirelessly across many community issues to improve the situation for the people of Burma. 

Burma Digest: What do you think should be done in order to improve the situation of health care in Burma? What should be changed?

Mahn Mahn:  To improve health in Burma, especially along the frontiers, several things are needed, as recommended in Chronic Emergency.  The Back Pack Health Worker Team is currently providing some health care to the community in areas where no other health care is available.  This is a dangerous occupation for the Back Pack Health Worker Team.  Since 1998, when the organization was founded, seven members have lost their lives due to landmines or death by SPDC soldiers.  Community based organizations should be supported to continue to help populations that are most in need in Burma. At the same time the root causes of the health problems must be addressed.  The most important causes are the wide spread human rights abuses perpetrated on the community, the limited community health information and resources to address the problems.  Without dealing with these issues, there can be no sustainable solution to Burma’s health crisis.

Burma Digest: What comes into your mind when you think about the future? How do you think Burma will be like in, let's say, twenty years from now on?

Mahn Mahn:  Unless there is political change in Burma and improved humanitarian assistance in providing security and rehabilitation to the victims of a long civil war, the future is very bleak.

Burma Digest: A lot of readers of the Burma Digest are worldwide campaigners for human rights in Burma. What advice would you give to them, from your experience?

Mahn Mahn:  We ask that campaigners to improve human rights in Burma continue to raise the international profile of the Burmese human rights abuses and increase pressure on the SPDC in order to halt their human rights abuses such as forced labor and forced displacement which are driving the health crisis in eastern Burma. We also ask that they continue to raise the need for humanitarian assistance to the people of Burma by building up humanitarian resources for community managed organizations which can provide long term development for the actual needs of the people.

Your Comments here_

Request: If you can kindly volunteer to translate BURMA DIGEST English articles into Burmese, please let us know burmadigest@tayzathuria.org.uk .

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