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Saw Taw Nay Htoo's portrayal of internally displaced Karen children

Internally Displaced People


 

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Saw Taw Nay Htoo's portrayal of internally displaced Karen children
 

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This photo collection is portraying internally displaced children in Karen State, Eastern Burma.


They were taken by Saw Taw Nay Htoo, 24- year-old , displaced Karen, with his handy video camera. His video documenting skill was taught by a volunteer and through his self-taught as well.

These photos were shot in Moon township, in Taungoo District, Karen State.

Saw Taw Nay Htoo, is working as a video cameraman to document the ongoing human rights abuses perpetuated by the Burmese army which are taking place everyday in Karen state .

Saw Taw Nay Htoo  explains that his inspiration for taking such pictures lies in the fact that he wants to show the "real life of internally displaced children" to the world through the power of image.


Saw Taw Nay Htoo himself was a displaced child at the age of five and experienced life on the run without a home.

He fled from his village Htee Wah Blaw, in Hpa-an District, Karen State. Because the Burmese army accused his father of supporting Karen insurgents, he and his family had to escape for their lives from their village. They fled into a Karen  military controlled area in 1985. Three years later, in 1988, the Burmese army attacked that place. Finally, in 1989, the area felt under the command of the Burmese army and Saw Taw Nay Htoo and his family had to flee to Thailand.

For a while, they stayed on the Thai-Burma border at Noh Pa Doh. After three months, his father tried to find a way to take shelter in a refugee camp. They entered Huay Kaloke refugee camp in 1990.

This Karen refugee camp faced frequent attacks by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) in 1997 , a Karen splinter armed group which fight along with the Burmese army.

Saw Taw Nay Htoo explains that when he and his family were fleeing from Burma, he could only attended school "One day in this place, one night at another place", which shows the total lack of stable education internal displaced children are facing.

After he arrived in Huay Kaloke refugee camp, he was finally able to study. He finished his high school there.

 

 


© 2005 Kwe Ka Lu team, friends in Mergui-Tavoy District and overseas Karen in California, USA • Email: ehnadoh@yahoo.com