Thailand Burma China Laos

JULY TO DECEMBER 2008 TBBC would like to thank our Donors and Members for their generous contributions and support in 2008 i l TBBC Programme Report July to December 2008 JULY TO DECEMBER 2008 iii l TBBC Programme Report July to December 2008 Introduction This six-month report describes the programme and activities of the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) during the period July to December 2008. TBBC is a consortium of currently twelve NGOs from ten countries working to provide food, shelter, non-food items and capacity-building support to Burmese refugees and displaced persons. It also engages in research into the root causes of displacement and refugee outfl ows. Membership is open to other NGOs with similar interests. TBBC’s head offi ce is in Bangkok, with fi eld offi ces in the border towns of Mae Hong Son, Mae Sariang, Mae Sot and Sangklaburi. TBBC works in cooperation with the Royal Thai Government and in accordance with regulations of the Ministry of Interior. It is an active member of the Committee for Coordination of Services to Displaced Persons in Thailand, committed to coordination of all humanitarian service and protection activities with the other 19 NGO members of CCSDPT and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. TBBC’s programmes are implemented through partnerships with refugee committees, community-based organisations and local groups. TBBC’s programme is evolving as circumstances change, seeking to promote the self-reliance of displaced people through the utilisation and development of their own resources in preparation for long-term solu- tions. TBBC will be willing to support voluntary repatriation of the refugees when the situation allows safe and dignifi ed return to Burma, and to assist, as appropriate, in their subsequent rehabilitation. TBBC is a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales, Company number 05255598, Charity Commission number 1109476. TBBC’s registered offi ce is at 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL. Donations can be made through the TBBC website www.tbbc.org. TBBC’s Strategic plan objectives, 2005-2010 • To ensure access to adequate and appropriate food, shelter and non-food items for displaced Burmese people. • To reduce aid dependency by promoting sustainable livelihood initiatives and income generation opportunities. • To empower displaced people through support for community management and inclusive participation, embracing equity, gender and diversity. • To advocate with and for the people of Burma to increase understanding of the nature and root causes of confl ict and displacement, in order to promote appropriate responses and ensure their human rights are respected. • To develop organisational resources to enable TBBC to be more effective in pursuing its mission. THAILAND BURMA BORDER CONSORTIUM liv JULY TO DECEMBER 2008 Contents 1. Executive Summary 1 2. Refugee situation July to December 2008 a) Refugee populations 6 b) Planning initiatives and RTG policy 11 c) Migrant workers 12 d) Internally displaced: the situation in eastern Burma 13 e) Political developments 15 3. Programme July to December 2008 3.1 Supporting an adequate standard of living a) Food security programme: food, nutrition, and agriculture 18 b) Cooking fuel, stoves, utensils 24 c) Soap 26 d) Shelter 26 e) Clothing 28 f) Blankets, mosquito nets and sleeping mats 28 g) Procurement, quality control, distribution/ ration books, monitoring, stocks 29 h) Feeding fi gures 34 i) Logistics/ Supply chain management 36 j) Preparedness, new arrivals and vulnerable groups 37 k) Support to Mon resettlement sites 38 l) Safe house 26 m) Assistance to Thai communities 39 n) Coordination of assistance 40 3.2. Promoting livelihoods and income generation a) CAN 40 b) Weaving project 40 c) Cooking stoves 42 3.3. Empowerment through inclusive participation a) Camp management 42 b) Community liaison 45 c) Gender 48 d) Protection 49 e) Peace building, confl ict resolution 51 3.4 Strengthening advocacy 51 3.5 Developing organisational resources a) Governance 53 b) Management 54 c) Communications 39 d) Resource Centre 57 e) Visibility 59 f) Strategic plan 60 g) Cost effectiveness 60 h) Funding strategy 60 i) Programme studies and evaluations 62 4. Finance 4.1. Expenses 64 4.2. Income 67 4.3. Reserves and balance sheet 69 4.4. Monthly cash fl ow 71 4.5. 2008 grant allocations 71 4.6. Sensitivity of assumptions 71 v l TBBC Programme Report July to December 2008 Appendices TBBC A) History and development, Organisational structure 85 B) Summary of TBBC and NGO programme from 1984 95 C) Accounts 103 The relief programme: background and description D) Programme constituents: 1.Supporting an adequate standard of living a) Food security programme: food, nutrition and agriculture 107 b) Cooking fuel, cooking stoves, utensils 110 c) Building materials 111 d) Clothing 112 e) Blankets, mosquito nets and sleeping mats 113 f) Educational supplies 113 g) Emergency stock 113 h) Procurement procedures, tendering, transportation, receipt, storage, distribution, food containers 114 i) Quality control, monitoring 116 j) Logistics/ Supply chain management 119 k) Assistance to Thai communities 119 2.Promoting livelihoods and income generation a) CAN 120 b) Weaving project 120 c) Stove making 121 3.Empowerment through inclusive participation a) Camp management 121 b) Community liaison 122 c) Gender 122 d) Protection 124 4.Strengthening advocacy a) Advocacy activities 124 5.Developing organisational resources a) Strategic plan 125 b) Programme evaluation and review 125 c) Performance indicators 126 d) Cost effectiveness 126 e) Staff training 126 f) Sustainability and Contingency Planning 127 g) Continuum strategy (Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development) 128 h) Visibility 129 E) Programme performance indicators including Logframe 130 Thailand-Burma border area F) A brief history of the Thailand Burma border situation 150 G) Internal displacement, vulnerability and protection in eastern Burma 152 Members and staff H) TBBC member agencies, advisory committee, member representatives and staff, 1984 to February 2009 154 I) TBBC meeting schedule 2009 156 Abbreviations 157 Maps A) Burma states and divisions vii B) Burmese ethnic groups viii C) Displaced Burmese December 2008 ix D) Camp populations 7 E) CCSDPT services 87 F) Border situation 1984 to December 2008 151 G) IDP maps 152 THAILAND BURMA BORDER CONSORTIUM lvi JULY TO DECEMBER 2008 Burma States and Divisions Note: Names in parentheses are those used by SPDC TBBC: February 2009 vii l TBBC Programme Report July to December 2008 Major ethnic groups of Burma Based on: Martin Smith: Burma - Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity THAILAND BURMA BORDER CONSORTIUM l viii JULY TO DECEMBER 2008 Displaced Burmese December 2008 CHINA Shan State BURMA LAOS Naypyidaw Mae Sai Karenni Site 1 Wieng Heng State Mae Hong Son Site 2 Chiang Mai Karen Eastern Burma: Pegu State Division IDPs (including 12,000 Mae La Oon 500,000 Mae Ra Ma Luang THAILAND Mon in resettlement sites) Thailand: Rangoon Mae La Refugees in camps 150,000 Mae Sot Refugees outside camps 200,000+ (including Shan) Mon Umpiem Mai State Nu Po Migrant workers 2,000,000+ Halochanee Don Yang Che-daik Bee Ree Tavoy Kanchanaburi Bangkok Tham Hin Tenasserim A N D A M A N S E A Division Wa relocations Forced village relocations since 1996 IDP camps Refugee camp Mon resettlement site Town Capital Ranong Border line ix l TBBC Programme Report July to December 2008 1 Executive Summary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY his report describes the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) programme during the second half Tof 2008 and presents an operating budget of baht 1,130 million (USD 33 million or EUR 26 million) for 20091. It tells a remarkable story of how TBBC managed to maintain its services in a year of turmoil, but also describes the tough challenges ahead for 2009. Refugee Situation: As the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) militarises, assimilates and exploits the natural resources of the border areas of eastern Burma, the human rights of indigenous ethnic groups are abused with impunity and a steady fl ow of new refugees continues to fl ee into Thailand. The TBBC feeding fi gure was 135,623 at the end of December 2008, but although this represented a reduction of 3,347 since June, it was known that there were large numbers of unregistered people in the camps, probably more than 40,000. These were mainly in Tak Province where, in the absence of a refugee status determination process, TBBC maintained artifi cially low feeding fi gures. The growing number of unregistered people and the diffi culty in determining reliable feeding fi gures are demanding the attention of all stakeholders. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been working with the Royal Thai Government (RTG) to establish a new “pre-screening” process to “screen out” those “without a manifestly just claim to asylum”, which will be piloted in four camps during the fi rst half of 2009. Meanwhile, TBBC is in the process of verifying the number of camp residents, both registered and unregistered, and compiling this into a data base. The data base will be used with a new ration book system in 2009 to more closely control rations. However, with more reliable data available from both the pre-screening process and TBBC’s verifi cation exercise, the result may well be higher feeding fi gures during the year, and increased expenditures. Resettlement is currently the only durable solution available for the refugees and 17,172 left for resettlement to third countries in 2008. The fact that this did not signifi cantly reduce population numbers makes the search for new strategies even more urgent. Whilst it is important that the pre-screening process is effective to ensure that only genuine asylum seekers access assistance, it also important to fi nd ways to help the refugees become more self-reliant though livelihood opportunities.

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