About this project

The Idea

Burmese Refugees: Letters from the Thai-Burma Border is a collection of thirty-one different stories written by Burmese refugees currently living in camps along the border of Thailand and Burma.

The uniqueness of this book is that the narratives are written by the refugees themselves.  Most accounts of life in a refugee camp are either academic or journalistic.  Both the academic and the journalistic points of view are important, but what we are trying to accomplish with this project is something different.  We want to provide a platform that is unfiltered.  We want to avoid agendas—political or otherwise—and understand exactly how the refugees came to be in this situation.  We want to hear the voices of the refugees directly.

In order to avoid sensationalism or a “selling” of atrocities that the refugees have faced, we have collected a group of letters written from the refugees themselves—in their own words. 

These stories document persons from the 8888 generation, the 2007 Saffron Revolution, and various ethnic struggles.  In the book, the refugees describe how and why they had to flee their homeland.  They explain what it is like living in a refugee camp.  They tell us of their hopes, dreams and aspirations for the future.  All of the narratives are genuine, firsthand accounts and truly need to be brought to a larger audience.

Creating awareness with the book, along with the multimedia component—including photos, video, website and additional information for those wanting to learn more/get involved—is what this project is all about!

In August, we will offer the title for distribution/sale at all major book retailers and online.

What People are Saying

So far the reviews we have received on the developing manuscript have been positive and encouraging: 

Ashley South, author of Ethnic Politics in Burma, has said the book is a “testimony to the struggle and suffering, and enduring hopes, among the refugee population along the Thailand-Burma border.”

Michael Fruct, former Education Coordinator for Jesuit Refugee Service in Mae Hong Son, has said, “better than any other current publication I've read, this title paints an accurate portrayal of what life is like in the refugee camps inside Thailand.  The book's strongest point is that the editors let the Burmese refugees speak for themselves.”

We are also expecting a full review from Pascal Khoo Thwe soon, author of From the Land of Green Ghosts: A Burmese Odyssey.  We will post an update when we receive it!  

What the Money is for

After the writing’s done, the hard part really begins.  What we require is funding for all the necessary steps needed to bring a professionally-crafted print publication to market in the current era.   This includes: basic editing, copy/line editing, proofreading, layout design, cover design, review copies,  critique reviews, ISBN, bar code, press-release writing, press-release distribution, book reviews,  marketing samples, marketing consultation, postage/handing expenses, website hosting and so on.  Whittling down these expenses as much as possible, we were really pleased to see that we have saved expenses on all accounts.

Why Burma

The misrule of the Burmese military junta continues to be the main catalyst of refugees in Southeast Asia today.  The government stands accused of the following: political imprisonment, torture, forced labor, forced relocations, recruitment of child soldiers, state-sponsored murder and ethnic cleansing.  Today, it is estimated that there are at least 150,000 Burmese refugees living in camps along the Thai-Burma border.

How Kickstarter Works

Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing way to raise money for creative projects.  We've set a fundraising goal and a deadline by which we need to meet that goal. The trick is that if we don't reach our goal by this deadline, we don't get any of the funds that our supporters have pledged.  Help us not let that happen!

On the bright side, we can go over our goal (and hope to do so).  We'll use any additional funds on additional marketing resources so we can reach an even larger audience.

We're incredibly grateful to you for your support, and we can't wait to share the book with you. THANK YOU!