Soe Zaw Zaw – Aged 15

In the picture you can see one lady and a bird in a cage. The lady is Aung San Suu Kyi, she is well known across the world for winning a noble prize for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights. She is also the democratically elected leader of Burma and she wants freedom for her people. The lady is still under arrest and has just faced another court case against her. The bird represents peace and freedom. One day the bird in the cage is going to be free and fly into the sky. I am very sad that the innocent noble prize winner is still under arrest by the Burma Government.

It makes the Burmese people very sad too. If Aung San Suu Kyi is set free, how happy the people across the world will be! I am very shocked that the Burma Government have kept her arrested until now. I hope that Burma will get Democracy and become a happy land soon. I pray for Aung San Suu Kyi to be healthy and free, that is why I made this picture.

This picture is to tell that Aung San Suu Kyi to be free as the bird free from the cage and fly to sky. I am still studying and working in the plantation with my parents. Like Aung San Su Kyi, we also cannot be free in Burma so her struggle is like the struggle of us all.

Ei Ei Htwe – Aged 13/14

The art work symbolizes the uprising in Burma on 8.8.1988. We must never forget the 8888 demonstration. The people were seriously attacked by the Government. The Government killed many people indiscriminately, including students, monks, teachers and many ordinary people. In the picture you'll see digits, monks and guns. The monks are very respected in Burma and although the demonstrations were led by students the monks also had a leading role in the demonstrations and gave the people strength, this is symbolized by their central position in the picture. The four number ‘8s’ represent the well known date of the uprising, it is a very auspicious date in Burma.

The guns pointing directly at the monks represent the violence inflicted on them and others by the junta.

Lin Htut – Aged 10/11

I would like to live an environment like in the picture. Now my place is in the rubber plantation. I feel bored. Our plantation is very large and I have no friends who live around me. I can only play with friends during school time.

The place where I live does not have a river as in the picture. I like to swim a lot but our place doesn’t have a similar river or lake so it is boring to stay in the rubber plantation and I cannot leave easily and go swimming, even though there are streams, ponds and the sea not far from my house. I drew this picture and the idea for the picture just came from my feelings. I think if I had a chance and am free to live in a place like in the picture’s environment, I would be so happy! I hope this picture, which is my dream, will encourage other people to fight for their dreams and be free to live where they want.

Ei Ei Moe – Aged 11/12

My drawing is about Burmese migrant children studying in a learning center set up in Thailand.

Our Learning center has 57 students and runs from Grade1 to Grade 4. We have a school truck for our transportation. We have four teachers. We are studying Thai, English Burmese and math curriculums. I am very happy to go to the learning center. I never studied in Burma but fortunately  I can study at this learning center. It is good for the next children who arrive here because of their parent's migration job. Teachers are kind and give love to the students. Our students love the learning center. We clean our Learning Center inside and outside daily.

With my art work I hope to promote education, especially in our learning centre because in Burma many children do not go to school but if they come here there is a chance for them to study. I also want to tell parents that even if their situation is difficult and they are isolated and far away from other people, please do not keep your children there and make them work with you. Please give them the same chances as me and allow them to study and make friends at school.

Soe Soe – Aged 12/13

In the picture you will see a big scary dragon. The dragon represents the Burmese government. The dragon is an angry animal that doesn't have any human feelings. He destroys humans and their materials and happy souls. So the message of my work is that if you are angry like an animal then other people go down into trouble.

The dragon animal can get very, very angry and get a hot mind. He is selfish and he doesn’t care about good or bad. If he is angry he doesn’t care if someone is older or younger or religious. In the picture you will see a soldier’s helmet on the dragons head and many people under the dragon. Dragons live far from humans. He is individual. Even his home is a very nice place. There are mountains around, forest and it is a very quiet place. He mostly lives in a cave for his security. In the picture the dragon gets angry and kills people, monks and other good things. He looks like a dragon soldier. I hope to shame the soldiers who are like this, and show everyone that they have no feelings just like a dragon.

Ni Ni Win – Aged 16

The art work shows the audience about the lifestyle of the Inlay ethnic group in Burma. I want people to know about this ethnic group in Burma who live on man made islands in a lake surrounded by mountains. I want the viewers to see what their livelihood is and know more about where they are, their geography and scenery that surrounds them. In front of the mountains is a large man made island on which you can see some fields that are being farmed. There is also a very small floating island. You can also see the famous pagoda which is actually in the middle of the lake (but behind the island in the picture). In the water are two boats and people fishing inside.

I was born in Thailand because of my parent’s migrant situation. I have never been to Burma. I would like to take care of and preserve the Burmese culture and Burmese traditions. My picture shows the Inlay Lake environment and I want people to know how the people are struggling and working hard for their life.

Saw Yan Naing – Aged 11

In the picture you will see two big spirals which are the destructive cyclones called cyclone Nargis. Underneath them you will see their path of destruction with houses turned on their sides and trees and people broken. You can see on the left the sea water coming into the fields. The sky is very dark because it is a big storm and the land is dark too because it is not a happy day but sadness has come to Burma.

When Nargis hit Burma there was heavy rain, a very big storm and a high tide came to the costal area at night time. So many people were sent to their death. Our country was very unlucky during that period. The people who wanted to help the victims could not help them. The victims have suffered because of that until now. There were many paddy fields before Nargis but now the sea water has come into the fields and destroy the soy plants. Even now the Nargis victims have not been ready to resettle and resume their lives, please help them. With this picture I hope to remind people that even though Nargis happened a long time ago, people are still suffering and need your help.

Lae Lae Htwe – Aged 11/12

When I had joined the summer camp .We had been to a big waterfall for a trip. Before joining summer camp I wanted to go to a waterfall and many of my friends also often said they wanted to journey to the waterfall .I feel so happy because now I have been to the waterfall where I always wanted to go to. The issue for me is that this is my happy memory and this type of painting I have learnt recently. I want to show people what I have learnt and how I was lucky to go to a beautiful peaceful place.

I liked it very much and we played in the water for the whole day. Before returning to camp I decided to draw that waterfall picture to remember the day as I was so happy that the teachers had taken us there. Fortunately I was selected for the Batik painting group to enter the competition, so I had a chance to create this picture. You'll see in the picture the many big trees along the waterfall, the mountains, the sunrise behind the mountains and the rocks at the bottom of the waterfall. It is a scene full of nature and can give peace to those who see this picture. I would like to become artist and to teach the kids to draw nature. I am interested to create more art.

Kyaw Moe Lwin – Aged 12

With this picture I want to give the message to take care of the environment so it can always be green. We must respect nature and the land because it is beautiful. I am drawing this picture because I want the earth to be green and full of plenty of nature. Now the days are getting hotter and more dry. Nature is being destroyed by globalization and the people creating buildings and using big cars. I was really upset recently when I saw all the trees being cut down near my house. They are clearing the land to build.

If the nature is destroyed the weather is also going to change and get worse and the earth is going to be terrible. So the victims are humans and animals. This picture shows the mountains and sunrise, the trees along the river are very natural. I’d like nature to be ever green and I want people to take care of it also so it can be ever green. I hope this picture inspires the people to respect nature more.

Htun Nay Aung – Aged 9

The picture shows the beautiful beach and sea. Behind are the mountains and forest. This place is surrounded by fresh air. People who need to be healthy should live around here. It is Khuk Khak Beach near to where I live now. The message of my picture is to come and feel the peace and beauty of the beach or just look at the picture and feel the beach.

Most of the beaches are places where people can relax. The people with poor health who can take a breath of the fresh air on the beach are going to happy. I feel that the sea and beach is relaxing for people. The people come to the sea in the day time until to evening and go back home. So the beach is left alone. Many fish are in the sea and beautiful coconut trees are along the beach. Many traditional bamboo bungalow are located beside the beach. I want people to be able to relax when they look at my picture of the beach, I want people to feel peace in their hearts and in their minds, and I hope people will go to the beach to breath the fresh air to revitalize their body and spirit.

Aung Soe Win – Aged 14

In the body of art work you will see the life style of rubber plantation workers and also for their children. The message is that they are strong resilient and hard working people who have a hard life. You can see that they work can be dangerous and you can see a man using a big knife but he is also smoking a cigarette so he is also relaxed. You can also see that the work is very dirty, you cannot smell through the photograph but the work is also very smelly.

The reason I chose to do this piece of art is because I live on a rubber plantation and I help to tap rubber with my family so I know the life of rubber workers very well. Sometimes I am happy because even though my house is small I have a big family and I like to work and stay all together under the same roof. However, I am not happy because we work very hard but we are under the control and pressure of our employer. Sometimes we do not get good payment even though we work hard and produce a lot of rubber and take care of the plantation as if it was our own. We look after the trees well because they are our livlihood but our employer does not take care of them himself as he should. My family are very peaceful and loving, even when our employer does not pay us correctly my parents do not say anything they do not want to cause problems and fight. Last year when the price of rubber fell a lot, from 100 baht a kilo to about 25 baht a kilo, the price of food went up. So it was very difficult for my family because there are 8 of us.

I have many relatives in Burma and I want to go back to Burma and live free and own our own family plantation together, but the government now is very, very bad and would take all our money. We can just hope that one day we can be free to live well in Burma.

With my photographs I hope to educate people in Thailand and abroad about the life style of the rubber workers so they can understand it is not an easy life but it can also be enjoyed, the job itself does not have to be stressful, only the money situation can be difficult and a challenge.