Page 30 - ELG2505 May Issue 494

FEATURE

Ultimately, Thailand’s Ministry of the
Interior controls Ban Mai Nai Soi, prioritising
repressive authority over education, turning
syllabus mapping into an uphill battle within a
system that keeps refugees in perpetual limbo.
This all seems by design.

Camp commandants, corruption,
and constraints
Thailand’s broader political environment
clearly exacerbates the challenge of
delivering ELT, and recent changes in camp
leadership raise additional concerns among
educational NGOs.
Anonymous sources I spoke to often noted
that transfers, such as moving a civil servant
from Thailand’s south to a quieter post,
often reflect underlying issues within Thai
administration.
This concern is especially relevant in Ban
Mai Nai Soi, where critics fear corruption
under the recently appointed Commandant,
Sitthiphon Manchai, who wields vast power
over 10,000 stateless refugees.
Control and crisis at Ban Mai Nai Soi Alleged corruption is compounded by human rights abuses, like
Deep in the jungle at Ban Mai Nai Soi, then, 10,000 mostly women a 2002 incident reported by the Asian Human Rights Commission in
and children are confined to bamboo huts in prison-like conditions, which Thai guards raped two Karenni refugee girls.
without running electricity or proper infrastructure. During my stay, an ELT curriculum designer from Mote Oo
Why is this the case? How can this happen in a country that attracts Education suggested that Thai authorities had later restricted camp
millions of tourists each year and is a major ELT destination? access after the victims sought justice over hush money.
Well, Thailand’s Ministry of Interior enforces these conditions Though shared off the record, this likely explains why WEAVE’s
through a Camp Commandant, currently Sitthipon Manchai, and his ELT interns still require Camp Passes from Manchai’s office, adding
paramilitary forces from Military Taskforce 17. another barrier to education in the camp.
The country’s refusal to ratify the U.N. Refugee Convention and WEAVE’s CEO, Mitos Urgel, underscores worsening conditions for
strict oversight by its National Security Council (NSC) over all Karenni refugees post-coup, with tighter movement restrictions, labour
educational activities only compound the issues. laws, and health challenges directly affecting students’ ability to attend
Plainclothes officials frequently visit organisations like WEAVE, ELT programmes.
for instance, interrogating staff and closely monitoring operations; She refrained from commenting on Thailand’s historic human rights
something I observed firsthand in Mae Hong Son. abuses, Commandant Manchai’s previous role, or the NSC during my
Meanwhile, the regular Thai Army patrols the frontier where they time at WEAVE, but her silence was telling.
forcibly return refugees, aka, refoulment, perhaps influenced by old
friendships between Thai and Burmese generals.
This combination of military pressure and bureaucratic oversight
creates a complex political environment for refugees, teachers, and
syllabus designers; especially those working in ELT.

WEAVE’s work on the border: Education under surveillance
Since 1990, WEAVE has supported ELT along the Thailand-Burma
border, primarily helping the Karenni National Women’s Organisation
(KNWO) provide democratic citizenship education in its camp schools
via a Women’s Studies Program (WSP).
English plays a central role, offering refugees a pathway to further
education, employment, or resettlement; however, in Ban Mai Nai Soi,
language choices are fraught with complexity.
In multilingual refugee camps, language learning is never neutral:
Burmese is seen as essential for a future federal democracy but is also
the language of the junta.
Speaking Kayin, the mother tongue, reinforces identity, while
learning Thai is actively discouraged to prevent assimilation.
Navigating these complexities is just part of the challenge; despite
funding from major donors like Oxfam and UNHCR, WEAVE
operates under intense scrutiny, with limited resources, while ELT
practitioners face stringent restrictions.
The NSC oversees all educational, humanitarian activities, meaning
every aspect of ELT – from syllabus content to teaching methods and
foreign instructors – requires approval.
I encountered these constraints firsthand during my internship.
My work on WSP syllabus alignment ensured ELT complemented other
modules, yet unreliable Wi-Fi, overburdened teachers, and traumatised
students made balancing educational goals with reality a constant struggle.
30 May 2025