Sangklaburi area

Sangklaburi TBBC Field Office

82/1 Moo 3 Tambon Nonglu,
Sangklaburi
Kanchanaburi 71240
tbbcskb@tbbc.org

A field coordinator, three field assistants, one food security assistant, and an administrator are based here.

The Sangklaburi field office supports two camps, Ban Don Yang and Tham Hin, and monitors the Mon resettlement sites.

Don Yang

Orientation

‘Ban Don Yang’ means ‘rubber tree village’ in Thai.

History
This camp was formed in May 1997 from two former sites, Thu Ka and Hti Ta Baw. These former sites straddled the border and were relocated after the offensives in Tennessarim Division and Dooplaya District in February 1997. Initially, living conditions were very rudimentary, with plastic sheeting for roofing and lack of adequate space between dwellings. Nowadays, houses have more suitable grass thatch roofs.

With the closed nature of Tham Hin camp, most new arrivals in the southern border area that are permitted to enter a camp have been sent to Ban Don Yang (350 in March 1998, 1,500 in February 2000, 270 in September 2001,). In 2001, Chumphon camp was closed down and its population was transferred to Section F in Ban Don Yang.

Early in 2005, nearly 400 of the UNHCR’s urban-based PoC (Person of Concern) caseload were transferred to this camp as part of the Royal Thai Government’s policy to have all PoCs located in camps prior to consideration for resettlement to third countries. This has caused some tensions within the community, with some PoCs voicing complaints and demonstrating against their new rudimentary living conditions.

The camp has never been attacked although, with its proximity to the border, there have been occasions for increased security awareness.

The camp lies directly opposite the Mon resettlement site of Halockhani – a collective name for an area consisting of 5 specific resettlement sites – which lies less than a kilometer away. The main military presence on the Mon/Burma side of the border is the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA) . The nearest major SPDC garrison lies 12 kms away to the northeast at the 3-Pagodas Pass; however, smaller outposts do lie nearer.

Demographics
Population: 3,939 (July 2007)

Non-Governmental Organisations/UN Agencies

Halochanee

Population : 11,855

Halochanee is a collective name for an area consisting of 5 specific Mon resettlement sites – which lies less than a kilometer away from Ban Don Yang. The Mon refugees returned to Burma in 1996 after the New Mon State Party (NMSP) reached a ceasefire agreement in June 1995. However, the refugees did not return to their place of origin, but took the temporary measure of setting up resettlement sites at Bee Ree, Tavoy and Halochanee close to the border, where they still remain. Over the years the settlements have increased and there are currently 5 sites under the administration of the NMSP.

Tham Hin

Orientation

History

Tham Hin was formed in May 1997 following offensives by the Burmese military in Tenasserim Division, which caused extensive displacement of civilians across the Thailand-Burma border. Three temporary sites were established for the displaced persons: Huay Sot and Bor Wii in Suan Phung District, Ratchaburi Province, and Phu Muang in Danmakhamtia District, Kanchanaburi Province. The conditions at these sites were kept very rudimentary (sleeping on the ground with only thin plastic roofing and skeletal bamboo structures). Agreement was reached in April 1997 to move the three sites to the current camp location, and this was completed two months later in June with an initial population of 7,202.

Though Tham Hin has been a de facto “closed site” since the end of 1997, major increases in the population have occurred. In September 1997, 121 people arrived from Huay Satu; in December 1997, 550 new arrivals came from Bor Wii, and; in April 2000, 121 Tavoyans arrived from Padaeng.

In December 2001, with the closure of the UNHCR camp for political refugees at Maneeloy, a new zone (Zone 4) was created for the remaining residents from there.

In March 2005, about 400 Persons of Concern (PoCs) registered with the UNHCR and based in Bangkok were transferred to Tham Hin as part of the RTG’s policy of ensuring all asylum seekers from Burma be based in camps rather than urban areas. The US government is planning to offer the majority of Tham Hin residents the opportunity to resettle in the US following the Thai authorities’ recent approval.

Conditions at Tham Hin are severely cramped, and have been kept intentionally rudimentary by the military authorities.

The camp has never been attacked, though Burmese Army troop movements in the area have sometimes led to increased security awareness.

Demographics
Population: 7,059 (July 2007)

Non-Governmental Organisations/UN Agencies