Myanmar to Australia: the Refugee Journey |
2017
Although the humanitarian crisis currently occurring in Africa, Asia and the Middle East may seem far away, the forced displacement of millions of people has had a global impact in the form of refugee resettlement.
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Australia accepts 13,750 refugees annually from numerous different countries, including Iraq, Syria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As a declared ‘safe zone’, Wollongong has accepted an average of 248 refugees annually since 2005 from countries such as the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Iran, and Syria.
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One country from which Wollongong has repeatedly accepted refugees is Myanmar. Myanmar has a population of 48.7 million people, which is split into people of the Bamar, the Chin, the Kachin, Karen, Karenni, the Mon, the Rakhine, and the Rohingya ethnic groups. The country experienced a military coup in 1962 that saw the country oppressed by a violent regime until it was liberated in 2011 and control was given to a civilian government, however, persecution did not end.
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The current government of Myanmar proclaims itself as a democratic government, however, much of the persecution experienced by minorities in the state is perpetrated by the Myanmar military. The Bamar is the majority ethic group in Myanmar, and all of the minority groups face different levels of discrimination. Many have fled to refugee camps on the Thai-Myanmar border
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With over 100 Myanmarese refugees arriving in Wollongong annually, it is increasingly important that the refugee journey is properly understood. This project explores the work of UNHCR in refugee resettlement, and the experience of Bu Meh, a refugee from Myanmar who moved to Australia several years ago. The positive angle of the video is due to the need for a change in perspective of refugees in Australia. Although Australia is falling severely short of its humanitarian responsibilities, stories such as Bu Meh’s showcase the life changing ability of humanitarian aid in the form of refugee intake, potentially causing future change.