Burma Project 2007 report available now! (click here to view)

Thai-Burma and India-Burma Borders

Many thousands of villagers, students, and professionals fled for their lives from Burma, when the military refused to respect the outcome of a democratic election in 1988 and seized power with the killing of thousands of protesters. Between one and two million of these refugees and migrant workers have ended up on the borders with India and Thailand, still without inadequate shelter, nutrition, medical attention, and education. MMC has been active with these people for more than a decade, and we have had very positive results.

Check out the 2005 MMC Burma Project Report, below, then the 2007 report accessible by clicking here. We are making progress!

2005 PROJECT BURMA GENERAL REPORT

By Myron Semkuley

Thanks to the kind and generous work and donations of so many Canadians to Medical Mercy Canada this past year, the 2005 Project Burma was the most successful ever. This was the 14th year that we took aid to the Burmese refugees in Southeast Asia.

Our 2005 team consisted of 6 people. They were:

·         Dr. Ray Comeau, Family Physician

·         Deryl Comeau R.N.

·         Marjorie Bridge, English teacher

·         Jamie Joseph, paramedic

·         Elaine, our perennial planner, organizer, coordinator, accountant, treasurer, recorder etc.

(Above: Marjorie, Dr. Ray and Deryl Comeau, Dr. Myron & Jamie at Bangkok airport)

We began by travelling straight from Calgary to Zokhawthar, a small village on the India-Burma border, in the state of Mizoram. This trip took us 5 days including overnight stays in Bangkok, Kolkata (a.k.a.Calcutta),  Aizawl and Champai.

          We held clinic for 2 days in Champai, Mizoram State (40Km from the Burma border). Between the 2 doctors and 4 helpers, we saw and treated 175 patients. Then we held clinic for the next 4 days in Zokhawthar where we saw/treated 347 patients in 4 days. Zokhawthar has a population of about 400 people. We were told that about 80% of that population are refugees from Burma who fled from the thieving, murderous oppression in their country, searching for a life more safe anywhere than in their own homeland. For thousands of kilometres along the border, the same situation exists in all the Indian villages, the people being mostly Burmese refugees. When we held clinic in Zokhawthar, Mizoram State we saw many families and groups of people who walked as far as from 20 Km deep inside Burma to come for some free medical help from “the Canadians”. Word of our pending arrival was sent out to many villages up to 1 week in advance.

          Although we did see some patients with interesting and challenging problems, most of the patients were suffering from malnutrition, anemia, vitamin deficiency, intestinal worm infestation, skin infections and depression. Therefore, we listened to their stories (through interpreters), held their hands, showed concern and caring, then gave them de-worming medicine to take right there and vitamins to take home. Many patients were also fed, a warm bowl of soup, an egg or 2, and fruit (oranges and banana). Most of those people rarely ate these foods as it was expensive for them. All they could usually scrape together was rice and some stringy, leafy, green vegetables, 2 times a day. Milk for children is unheard of anywhere in these places. Meat is very expensive for them so they rarely will eat it. Fresh fruit is also expensive for them, so an orange is a real treat to them and it is devoured quickly and deliciously. Any food that we provided to them was graciously accepted, eaten and then gratitude expressed with happy, more relaxed smiles and at least temporarily contented look.

          We take much medicine, medical supplies and clothes to distribute to those people. It is never enough. We buy more medicine there to complement what we had brought. We give the clothes to those that we hear are the neediest. And to everyone, as we distribute our care, medicines, food or clothes, we say that it is all a gift, a helping hand from the people of Canada who really “Care for and wish to Share With, Those in Need”, such as them.

          Being a border village, there was a small Indian army detachment at Zokhawthar. This year (our second year at this village) the army commander wanted to meet us, to show himself, meet those Canadians that keep returning and to practice speaking English. He thanked us for coming and caring for the people of the village and entire district and assured us that he and his soldiers would not allow any harm to come to us as long as we were in his area. He also told us that he had made arrangements with the commander of the Burmese army detachment across the river (the border) for us to have free and unhindered travel throughout that area of Burma under his control. We thanked the Indian army commander and told him that we felt more secure now that we had met him, and that the clinic was open to him and his soldiers if necessary. We did not cross the river to take up the offer of the Burmese army commander. We had no time…..or desire, this year.

We met with Zokhawthar Village Council for the first time this year. After all the introductions and speeches, the main discussion was about a permanent medical clinic in Zokhawthar. At the end if this discussion, it was generally agreed that if the Village Council would supply an appropriate parcel of land without cost, then the clinic committee would, free of charge, arrange to construct a building for use as the clinic and residence for the doctor. Medical Mercy Canada would work to provide:

·         Funds for construction of the clinic.

·         Ongoing material and financial support.

·         Annual visits to monitor, assist and possibly improve the operations of the clinic.

(Above: Elaine explains use of meds to health worker Sui Ngam, at Zokhawthar clinic)

Meanwhile we left the rest of the medicines that we brought, some suggestions and funds to continue the clinic, at least on a part time basis for the next year. The committee caring for the clinic has named it “Medical Marcy Zokhawthar” and the one in Champai, “Medical Marcy Champai”. This was their idea and was to honor the kind people of Canada that put together their time, work and money to make possible these clinics for the very poor on the other side of the world. We believe that all MMC members and donors should be proud to know that their efforts have given a new meaning to the lives and hopes of so many displaced people in faraway countries.

The clinic in Aizawl, Mizoram State was struggling, rather ineffectively. We had many discussions with the committee managing the clinic, the clinic staff, other people interested in the clinic and members of our Canadian team. We searched deep into our minds and souls for a solution. Finally we decided on a small, manageable group of 4 people to operate the clinic (1 doctor, 1 accountant/recorder, 1 office assistant and 1 manager to oversee everything and communicate with us on a regular basis). Due to difficulties in the complex city of Aizawl (only seeing is believing, it is indescribable), this team of 4 will make trips to the poor villages anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours drive outside of Aizawl.

A certain number of these clinics will be visited on a regular basis. If the Village Council of those villages offers free land, then MMC may provide funds for a permanent clinic facility and ongoing material and financial operating support. We hope that this will help to get the people and their local leaders involved in developing and maintaining “their clinic”. A feeling of community ownership and pride hopefully may develop. The same as we are trying in Zokhawthar.

After 2 full busy weeks in India (where we all became sick with one thing or another, had to use medicine and all recovered) we flew back to Kolkata and Bangkok. Our good Thai friends, Mr. Permsak and his wife Noi Singsomboon hosted all 6 of us, then at their expense arranged our trip north to Mae Sot (6 people, 14 large boxes of medicines and supplies, 4 large suitcases, 6 smaller pieces of hand luggage, 2 drivers, all in 2 trucks).

We spent 2 weeks at Dr. Cynthia’s Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), Mae Sot, Tak Province, Thailand seeing patients and training medics. I worked in Out Patient Department and Dr. Ray Comeau worked in Medical Inpatient Department. We both gave formal lectures in the afternoon. Many wonderful as well as many sad, tearful stories could be told of this experience. Medical Mercy Canada left $11,400 Canadian dollars for the MTC Blood Services Program as we are the sole supporter of this very important and valuable program. Details of this program and our support are available upon request.

After 2 weeks in Mae Sot, 3 members from the team had to leave. Jamie, Elaine and I travelled for 5 hours in an open vehicle to Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son Province where we spent several days. We re-acquainted ourselves with our long-time friends in the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) and the Network for Democracy and Development (NDD) groups.

From there, Jamie was able to make a quick motorcycle trip to a refugee camp where he spent 2 days and 1 night. There he saw how 10,000 refugees live poorly in the camp. There are no such camps as these on the India Burma border. He saw the young people in the ABSDF and NDD groups give medical and education support to their own people in the camp. Four boxes of medicines, medical supplies and clothes were left for those 2 groups as well as some funds for a training program.

Next we travelled farther north to Fang, Chiang Mai Province where Sai Sam met us. He took us to his Tin Tad Clinic in the village of Ton Hoong, just 15 minutes drive from Fang. This village is entirely made up of Shan migrant workers and refugees. We stayed there for 3 days and nights, seeing some patients, visiting with and teaching the medics there whom we have known for 5 years and to whom we give partial financial support. We also interviewed the young Shan students that MMC is sponsoring to attend school.

At night we slept in the private quarters of the training centre, a building that MMC financed to be built for Sai Sam. There he has one large room for teaching small groups of up to 30 students, one large bedroom for visiting foreign trainers (like us), a smaller room for his office where he has a small library and his computer and a large bathroom with a shower area and a sit-down toilet. There is a plaque that you can see as you approach the building saying “Tin Tad Training Centre, supported by Medical Mercy Canada” It gave us a warm feeling of pride to know that Sai Sam has, on Thai soil, his own training centre/office/visitors quarters, where he can freely train his medics, communicate with the world and accommodate foreign trainers like us. We left 2 large boxes of medicines, supplies and clothes there.

Our last 10 days we spent at Sai Sam’s newest clinic just over the border in Burma, across from the most northern tip of Thailand. The Ban Mai Shorn Naine Clinic is still under construction, very primitive, minimally supplied and minimally staffed. More about that later. We slept in a small bamboo hut with a mosquito net over us to keep out mosquitoes, spiders, snakes, chickens and elephants! Every meal was rice and this, rice and that, rice and some other shrubbery. Dust was everywhere.

Daily schedule:

Up at 6:30 am. Toilets across the road. No hot water

7:30 am Breakfast.  Rice and …….whatever.

8:00 am Begin daily conference with Sai Sam.

9:00 am Begin in-patient rounds.

If I was in IPD all morning, Jamie would be teaching from 9am to noon.

12 noon to 1pm.-lunch. Rice and…….whatever.

1 – 5 pm Teaching. Either Jamie or me or both of us. We were fortunate that teachers that were teaching English in the village school were free on most days and spoke good enough English to help us by translating our lectures. They really enjoyed this as it gave them an excellent opportunity to practice listening to and speaking English, translating our lectures into the Shan language and then translating the students’ questions from Shan into English. All 4 teachers said that they appreciated the opportunity and learned a great deal of English, and medicine.

5 to 6pm cold bucket shower and dress before the mosquitoes came out and the sun set – darkness!

6-7pm supper. More rice!

While we were there, we had 2 emergency episodes, both children, both respiratory distress, both at night. For one child we were able to get together enough medical pieces to treat and prevent a mortality. The second child, 10 months of age, had Jamie and me sitting on the edge of the bamboo bed as we could see that she might stop breathing any moment. Jamie took it as a personal challenge, kept talking to that child and stimulating respirations while I convinced Sai Sam that this child must be taken to a Thai hospital immediately. That meant getting a vehicle that could travel the narrow, bumpy, dirt roads at night which nobody wants to do. It also meant checking with the Thai border officer to see if he would let a vehicle leave the Burmese village, cross the border into Thailand with unregistered Burmese people to go to the nearest Thai hospital, a 30 minute drive away. Normally no one is allowed through the border check points at night for any reason. Thankfully the border guard that night was in a good, receptive and cooperative mood and agreed to let through the vehicle carrying the very ill child through to the hospital.

Every evening from 7-9pm we gave talks to the medics on various elementary medical topics. Then off to our bamboo shack and mosquito net, debrief, candles out and into the sac, usually before 10:30pm. Busy, full days. But it was so beautiful and heart warming for the 3 of us to be in the company of Sai Sam and all 26 of his medics and trainees. They were all spending their lives trying to learn how to help their fellow-man who have been subjected by the Burmese Army troops to all the most heinous and degrading treatment that can be inflicted upon anyone for no reason other than greed, power and control. We slept well every night with our hearts at peace, warmed by these gentle people, their smiles, their determination not to be beaten but to continue to strive for their rightful claim to a better life, both collectively and individually. We felt honoured and privileged that we were able to be there to help them claim those rights and build their new, better life.

However, their village, including the clinic, is up against the Thai Border. The Burmese army is only several kilometres away, “up on that far hill over there and down in that valley”. So….

We left 6 large boxes of medicines, supplies and clothes (see photo below), hopefully some education and hopefully lots of lifted spirits.

We came to feel close to every one of the 26 people at the clinic and were sad to leave them. We left over $8000 Canadian dollars to:

·         Finish construction of several parts of the new clinic. ( In-Patients ward, Out-Patient building, teaching centre, laboratory and dormitories)

·         Cover travel costs for 3 of the top trainees to attend Dr. Cynthia’s Mae Tao Clinic for a two-year medic program.

·         Fund some of the personal needs of the 73 (up from 60 in 2004) orphans who are being cared for by the entire village collectively (see photo below).

We promised to return next year if health and finances allow, as we certainly feel that we must continue to “Care for and share with those in need”, our “children” over there.

Above, seventy-three orphans who are being cared for by the entire village collectively …

Please help Medical Mercy Canada to continue to do this. Be proud of your contributions of money and/or time just as we are proud of your efforts as generous Canadians to help those in need.

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(Below are two reports from volunteers on the 2005 MMC Burma trip:)

Newsletter from Marjorie Bridge.

Our India Experience.

My first impressions of India when we got on the road to Champai was of washing lines, and I thought of the second world war song "I'm going to Hang out the Washing on the Siegfried Line", for it seemed an endless line of washing for hundreds of miles twisting round and round the mountains, up and down, village after village on the dusty road in front of the bamboo shacks.
I suppose the women have little else to do. I marvelled at how the little houses clung by their fingernails to the main road, which was really more of a dirt track, with tarmac in some places and in others just dirt and full of potholes. The backs of the houses jutted out from the side of the mountain and were supported by bamboo poles hopefully stuck in the mountainside, until another flood washed the whole lot out and presumeably down the mountainside.
There were plenty of washouts and lots of indian soldiers helping to mend the road. Everything was done on the road, and our truck had to manouver past the children, hens. chicks and people doing all their business in the road, for there was nowhere else to do it. I could see little efforts at farming, since it was one steep mountain after another.

The scenery was spectacular, lush green mountains, jungle. A harsh life, but I guess when you're so poor you make do with what you can. They were terrific structural engineers with no training. We took photos of a bamboo waterline, about 2" diameter that ran from a waterfall around and down the mountainside to supply water to the road construction crews miles away. This line was supported at intervals with crossed bamboo sticks with enough fall to keep the water flowing. No million dollar pipelines here. People did their weaving on the road on big looms and it seemed like a thousand nursery schools were having a day off, every day, for there were so many children. I've never seen so many young children in my life. The people are so resourceful. They built hen runs under their tiny houses to be cool, and nearly every house had a bamboo pigpen with two big fat pigs in it. I imagined that when someone killed a pig it would be shared among the whole village, no refridgeration here.

Calcutta was something else. The filth was an issue in itself. I saw cows and goats in the road, women labourers in filthy saris waiting for work orders it seemed, beside a construction site near the airport. We went out to dinner and saw a man squatting over a little fire on a piece of filthy wasteground with his family peeping out from a put together tin shack.

It appears that the indians don't hold cleanliness as a priority. They just throw their garbage in the street and forget about it. Hence the streets are a disaster. Such poverty is hard to imagine. But we saw poverty over and over again. We also saw the nouveau middle class of indians dining out at the same place as us at a supermarket type diner, so not all are poor. The hotels are run by a bunch of men, strictly business, so they don't have a clue about vacuuming a carpet in a room or cleaning the place.

At the clinic at Champai some of the people had trekked from Burma to see the white doctors. Two young men carried their mother all the way to get her attended to. We saw awful poverty and diseases that one would never see in Canada. Things would never be allowed to get that far. Most of them had scabies and worms, so I was given the job of dishing out the worm pills, along with getting them to take their outer layers of clothes off. It's cold up there at night, so they wear a lot of layers. Many of the patients were little children. I saw one little boy with terrible grey flesh bitten deep into with scabies around his ankles. We saw cases of leprosy and TB and wasting diseases. They were all so grateful and I was so glad I had been able to participate, giving out T shirts and balloons to the kids.

I found it sad that one would see a young mother, pregnant, with a tiny one on her back held by her shawl, another on her hip and two or three clinging on to her skirts. We had to show many people how to use a puffer for asthma and I thought it would be a good thing to have a running video, like they have in Canadian Tire, showing how to do it, as it took up a lot of time. Similarly, there could be a video showing, whilst they were waiting for prescriptions, on hygiene, for this is sorely needed. I hope somebody out there can find a way to provide these. They have electricity in the clinics.

When we drove to Zokowthar on the Burmese border, the road was mostly a dirt track, twisting and turning up the mountains, full of potholes. We all got sick, one way or another, except for Dr. Myron. We joked that he ate so many chillies that they killed every germ that got near him. The people were waiting in droves when we arrived, their eyes hungry and searching, almost pleading "Please see me and make me better". But every day we had to turn some away, there just wasn't time to see everyone, even with two doctors.
Fortunately, MMC has a great committee of dedicated volunteers who organise the clinics and there is a very nice Doctor Sui Nam, a lady, who generally runs the clinic, twice a week.

Aizawl is a major city and we went there first. Everyone had to take photographs of this amazing place, perched on the top of the highest mountain, glistening in the sunlight like some magical city devised for The Lord of the Rings. It sort of gives the impression of hanging in the air. But when you get there, there is no planning, so it is a mass of buildings and shop shacks all scrabbling for space together, cheek by jowl. It smells of spices and sewage, depending on where you're walking. Because the road winds up around the mountain like a piece of string, they have devised a set of steep steps at intervals on each street, so that you can climb up to the next street. Being India, naturally the garbage is just thrown down gullies at the sides of these steps. I asked the hotel boys when they cleaned these gullies out? "We don't" they said. "The Monsoon will come in March and wash it all away". Good thinking, Batman.

I loved Aizawl, although it was cold at night and there were no heaters.
We had to wash in a bucket of hot water each morning. I loved the markets and there was plenty of food to go around. The people were better off there.
There were body shops next to food shops, the cars being worked on in the street. the noise was incredible. One had to marvel at the neat and tidy schoolchildren in their uniforms and backpacks each morning, alongside the porters c arrying impossible loads on their heads, and some of these were old women, going up all those steps. I used to sit on the balcony of our hotel at breakfast and watch all this teeming life going on around me. It's so different from Canmore, or Calgary, where everything is so ordered. Many of the taxis are old and battered and one got the feeling they were held together with pink string and sealing wax. I marvelled that the one that took us to the airport even managed it. Remarkably they always did.

There was a dedicated doctor, Dr. Chuanga, who ran the clinic in Aizawl alongside Helen, whom I shared a room with in Champai. She was a wonderful young woman who had been with Mother Theresa at the convent for eight years.
I truly admired her and we had many laughs.

Well, these are some of my impressions, I could go on and on. I felt glad that the next generation is being educated and it's education that will change things, and an effort by the government in general to educate all the population about hygiene. Unfortunately,in the hill villages, it seems that there is little chance of education. But the people were happy, in spite of all and waved to us as we passed, proving that you don't have to have all that we have to be happy. Family seemed to matter more to them and their traditions and perhaps we could learn something from them!

Marjorie R. Bridge
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Our MMC Experience Along the Burma - India Border

January 2005

Deryl Comeau

My husband, Ray, and I, Deryl, frequently reflect back on our recent experience in Mizoram State. We often think of the patients and their families, and of the group of local people who faithfully accompanied us and willingly helped us at the clinics. We are reminded of the persecution of the Burmese people and marvel at their determination and inner strength.
It is disturbing and overwhelming to see the conditions that these people live under and the poor state of their health. We heard personal accounts of survival and escaping from the clutches of the Myanmar military.
The Burmese are so undeserving of the injustices, malnutrition, poverty and lack of safety and security that they are subjected to on a daily basis.
The clinics were held in the Aizawl area, in Champhai and Zowhawthar, which is a village directly across the river from the Burma border.
Unfortunately we were only able to see 1/3 to 1/2 of the 200 to 325 daily registrants. People patiently waited in line, sometimes for days and then accepted that the sicker, the babies and those who had a 3 - 4 hour walk back to the the village would be seen first. It was extremely difficult to turn people away.
The six totes, each weighting 30 kgs., that were brought from Canada containing the physician packs (purchased with donations) and the donated supplies, instruments and clothing were well utilized and received. There were many supplies that we ran out of, including worm treatments, scabies lotion, vitamins, inhalers and antibiotics. The need was beyond what I had imagined as these people are suffering with poor personal and dental hygiene, malnutrition and bellies full of worms. The patients gave histories describing symptoms of pain, fever, coughing or asthma. Many had experienced these symptoms for several years but sometimes for 1 or 2 decades.
Our experience was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting but extremely rewarding. Ray and I knew that we were in the right place and for this reason we will return next year. These people have faith in God and have reminded us of what is important in life. I know that they want the world to know of their plight - not for sympathy - but for support and assistance as they reclaim their human rights and homes.
We will forever remember the genuine smiles and expressions of gratitude from the Burmese after receiving medical care, vitamins, a bowl of rice soup or a balloon. We often felt inadequate in our own abilities and what we had to offer them medically and emotionally. It was humbling to be told that they believe that their prayers have been answered and that we were sent to them by God.
Ray and I are proud to be MMC members and are grateful for this life changing opportunity of working with the beautiful Burmese who have been displaced to the India-Burma border area.
 

NEWS OF MMC BURMA TRIP, March 2004

"SCHOOL IS ONLY A DREAM" -Dr. Myron Semkuley

In western Burma the ethnic CHIN people, along with all other ethnic groups, have been trying to escape the brutal oppression of the Burmese military regime (for over 30 years). Located beside India, the CHIN have been seeking refuge in eastern India, mainly in the state of Mizoram. All the recent refugees are desperately poor, uneducated and suffer from various chronic diseases. They possess only what they can carry with them, have no security or protection from people who would take advantage of them and are afraid of everyone. There are no schools or medical clinics for them, as they have no money. They live in almost slave labour conditions, and beatings are their daily lot.

In 2002, an MMC team consisting of two doctors, a nurse, and an assistant began the first free medical clinic to exist for these people in Mizoram, India. We returned in 2003 to expand our work and again in January 2004. MMC is now trying to support small clinics in three separate locations. The newest clinic is in the village of Zokawthar, located on the border of India and Burma. Eighty percent of the population there are Burmese refugees. Nearly all had never seen a health care provider in their lives. Most had never seen Caucasian people!

Elaine and I ran a clinic this January in Zokawthar, with the help of an English speaking CHIN school teacher. We had people coming from many miles inside Burma to see us, hoping for a little care, attention and help for their medical problems.

One woman came with her 9-year-old daughter. They were very frightened, sad, thin and unwell. She told me, through the interpreter, that she had 3 children. The oldest, 18 years of age, was working for less than $2 CDN per day, and her 9 and 13 year old children were home working with her. They had left Burma six months earlier to find a better and safer life in India. None of the children had ever been to school. The mother was more concerned that her children were growing up without an education than she was about any health problems.

After speaking with her, I ordered some anti-worm medicine, vitamins and iron for her and her daughter. I then asked the interpreter (a school teacher) what was necessary for the two youngest children to attend a local school in that village. He told me the cost for one year would include a small school fee, some books and a compulsory school uniform, which would total 1000 Indian Rupees. That is $15 CDN per child per year!

I asked the interpreter to tell the mother that her two youngest children would have the funds to begin school (for the first time in their lives) for the next term, in March 2004. MMC would supply those funds and the secretary of our Zokawthar Health Care for Burma Committee, No Kap Thang, would pay the fees and obtain the uniforms and school supplies.

When the mother heard that, she and her daughter immediately smiled, unable to contain their happiness. Imagine the children going to school! The daughter suddenly did not feel unwell but was almost jumping with joy.

Such a small thing is so important and valuable to those people. Many such incidents occur every day in our clinics, when we provide medical assistance, food, clothing, compassion, educational possibilities to those poor who come to us. All of this is made possible by the kindness and generosity of those who donate to MMC.

There are so many more that we have not yet been able to reach or help. With your continued support, we will help more of these oppressed people to have some hope and happiness in their lives. We feel that we must help them to the point where they can help themselves. This can only help the cause of Peace on Earth.