Written by: Kyaw Min Swe (chief editor of The Voice)

(This article was published in The Voice, a weekly Burmese journal. It was published in early November 2010 and has been translated from Burmese into English.)

In the background is a green mountain range, red ball of sun and wide range of blue water. A small boat is sailing on the water and some birds are flying across the sky. This picturesque scene is not outside but rather a drawing on a computer screen. The drawing was made by a 10 year old child using a computer mouse. Maung Lin Htut, the son of a migrant ethnic Mon couple originally from Boh Net village, Belu island, Chaung Sone Twonship, Mon state of Burma was one of the many migrant children who received computer training.

Maung Lin Htut commented on his experience drawing on a computer and said, "I love drawing on paper at other times but for now, drawing using the computer is more comfortable and quicker. On the computer it is easy to erase but it is very difficult when drawing on paper."

Maung Lin Htut is now in a 20' x 10' wide learning room where there are 4 tables holding 6 computers. He is sitting behind the tables surrounded by other children of similar ages. All together, there are 11 girls and 11 boys whose eyes are all glued to the computer screens in front of them. These are the children from Burmese migrant families whose parents came to work in fishing industries and rubber farms in Phang Nga province, southern Thailand. The computer training was provided by Foundation for Education and Development (FED) that works for the advancement of Burmese migrant workers in Thailand. The computer trainer was Ko Ohn Ohn, the web master of FED.

FED was established as an NGO in 2004 to give assistance to Burmese migrant communities after the Tsunami devastated the region. Since that time, FED has worked to promote the living conditions of the Burmese migrant communities by providing standard education to Burmese children. There is no doubt that the Burmese migrant communities in the areas have better living conditions as a result of FED’s work; the staff at the foundation is mostly Burmese.

Mr. Htoo Chit, the executive director as well as the founder of FED, explained the purpose of conducting a computer training remarking, "This was the first basic computer training. Computer knowledge is essential for today’s society and with training we aim to ensure that the Burmese children will not be behind others when they are seeking jobs in Thailand." Mr. Htoo Chit escaped to the Thai-Burma border after 1988 and later became involved in an armed struggle. The conditions he faced while he was in the jungle caused him to give up arms and change to a peaceful means of resistance. Not only is armed revolution difficult to achieve, it also negatively impacts local people in the areas where forces settle and carry out movement. These are the main reasons that he abandoned the armed struggle.

Now Mr. Htoo Chit is taking care and giving assistance to Burmese migrant workers in Thailand. This is one way for him to perform his duties to his country and the citizens of Burma and also make a contribution to the peaceful reconstruction of the country. Since he arrived in the Tsunami affected area and began giving assistance to Burmese migrant communities, he has done his best to work with local Thai authorities to gain a better understanding of their activities and on their efforts to help local residents. He tries to keep the authorities from discriminating against Burmese by helping them to understand the migrant situation. Additionally, he has worked to reduce misconceptions and unclear images about Burmese migrant communities that are held by some local Thai people by increasing the education and skill level of migrant workers and by building an understanding between both parties. Therefore, he has gained the opportunity to take care of and give assistance to people and children from his nation without grudges from the local Thai people.

Mr. Htoo Chit shared some advice about living in harmony with the local community. He said: "Here, there are many Thai employers who have bad images of Burmese workers. We, the Burmese, are working in their land, so we have to respect their culture, rising palms together and saying ‘Sawadee Khap.’ We should practice this kind of behavior so that they may be pleased. We should respect the culture of locals so that they will return the respect. Local people here are very kind but we should ensure that we have good behavior so that we may live harmoniously."

Maung Lin Htut is the son of a migrant couple who worked in rubber farm. Like his family, thousands of families from Mon state and Taninthayee division came to work in Phang Nga, southern Thailand. Phang Nga (about 788 km south of Bangkok), is a place that is generally better for Burmese migrant workers because local residents face less discrimination, fair and good employers and have better living conditions. Their income is not much but it is much more than where they came from. Children from neither the rural areas nor the cities in Burma have ever been given the opportunity to learn about computers so the children are very fortunate to have this training.

"The training lasts about six days and teaches about how to open, close and use basic software. There are many children and we only have a few computers so there is a rotation system and it takes time," Ko Ohn Ohn explains.

The purpose of this basic computer training is to increase the personal capacity of Burmese children, to raise self confidence, to have computer skills for when they apply for jobs and to ensure that they are not left behind the local Thai children. The 22 children in the training look very impressive as they are waiting patiently for their turn to use the computer. Their eyes look intently at the computer screens with fascination and patience. If they do not have the chance to use the computer after this training, will they forget what they have learned here? That question was answered by Daw Nannilar the coordinator of regular education department. She explained that, "We have a ‘summer camp’ regularly where the computer trainings will continue to occur. Additionally, we have another training session in December."

FED provides education opportunities to Burmese children in Phang Nga province; like schools in Burma, FED hires teachers to teach multiple subjects including Burmese, English and Thai. This is very beneficial to the Burmese children. The education runs through the high school level and Burmese children are sometimes able to integrate into the Thai education system depending on their interests and intellectual ability. Some of the promising students that integrated are currently working with local business men who requested their services. This has given FED a good name.

"They can speak both Thai and English so hotels want them because they are more useful and less costly than Thai staff but it is my wish that they do not go to work for a 9,000 - 10,000 monthly salary. I want them to complete university level of education and work in higher standard jobs."

This statement came from Mr. Htoo Chit; who has cared for these children as his own. What he says is true, work depends on education level and we want Burmese children living in Thailand to study at as high a level as possible. There is a brighter future ahead for those Burmese, Mon and Karen children who attended the computer training today. The computer room was bursting with excitement and joy; mixed forms of impressiveness, happiness, discovering, interest and wonder are seen on the face of every child. Over the past 5 years, it was not possible to even hope for this kind of opportunity for the children or even for them to live freely. However, now there is a school ferry that arrives at the rubber farm where they live and takes them to school. These Burmese children have also gained confidence in themselves. Their faces are fresh and enthusiastic as they now have goals and objectives for the future. The children are like flowers; if there is fertile soil, a healthy environment and sufficient watering and weeding, they will bloom. The better the lives of these children, the better the future looks for the people of Burma.

The future of Burmese children in Thailand can definitely impact the future of Burma. Eleven year old Khin Mar Nyo is the thinnest and smallest but also the most intelligent in the computer training room. She stated her goal for the future saying, "I will be a teacher when I grownup.” Maung Lin Htut also commented on his future. "I want to be artist," he said.

The computer trainer asks the students "Are you happy about attending the computer training?" All children reply loudly by rising their forefinger and middle finger up like "V" shape and smiling; "Yes, we are." Their voices rise out of the training room and are likely heard throughout Phang Nga. And the red ball of sun, like the one in Maung Lin Htut’s painting, decorates the real sky, shining in support as it recognizes the happiness of the children.