Back in May, the
US Campaign for Burma asked
Walter Koenig (
Chekov) if he would be interested in traveling to the Thailand/Burma border region and report on the situation in this troubled area, which includes a massive refugee problem on a scale larger than Darfur. The actor accepted the invitation and his eyes, and hopefully the eyes of others willing to help, have been opened to Burma's problems.
At STARTREK.COM we deal in the make-believe and in the world created by Gene Roddenberry where the problems that are a reality in Burma don't exist within the United Federation of Planets. The sad truth is that there are several hot spots in the world where local political unrest has led to extreme poverty and indigenous populations being uprooted. In the worst cases, such as the Darfur regions of western Sudan in Africa, brutal genocide also factors into the equation. And although the atrocities in Darfur may garner the most media attention, other places deserve closer scrutiny as well. Burma has been a bit under the radar and their human rights record only seems to be getting worse.
Burma, or Myanmar, is an ethnically diverse country bordered by Thailand, China, India, Bangladesh and Laos. It has a long-standing military-led government that routinely suppresses democracy, highlighted by the permanent state of house arrest for the elected leader — and 1991 Nobel Peace Price winner — Aung San Suu Kyi. Incarcerated for the last 14 years, even pleas for her release from former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Anan have gone unheeded by the military rulers of Myanmar. It is this military regime, predominantly in power since a brutal suppression of democracy in 1988, that has been the source of the worsening refugee problem.
The refugee crisis focuses primarily on the Karens, the people who inhabit a state in eastern Burma where a long-simmering struggle for autonomy has focused the military leaders on displacing the indigenous population. Currently, an estimated 1.5 million Karens from 3,000 villages have been forcibly uprooted. This total represents more refugees than the crisis in Darfur.
Koenig was shocked by the statistics and suffering in the region and felt obligated to raise awareness of the situation. His visit to refugee camps in the border region has now been documented and the next step is to spread the word, not just throughout the Star Trek community, but as far beyond it as possible.
At his recent convention appearance in Las Vegas, Walter had this to say about Burma: "I met with political prisoners, orphans, the woman who runs a medical clinic. They are actively trying to not only return to a state of personal health, but return the government to a state of health. The UN needs to pass a resolution to condemn the atrocities happening there. China [and Russia are] standing in the way of that.
"At this late juncture in my life, it became significant for me," added Walter regarding his motivations for going to Thailand.
The actor kept a journal of his travels to the border regions and his meetings with doctors and refugees. You can also read more about Burma on his website. If you would like to become involved, please read more on the US Campaign for Burma site and educate yourself with the help of their own interactive guides. You can also read various reports on Burma/Myanmar at Amnesty International.
The Burma/Myanmar problems are extensive, but with awareness and action the issue can be raised to higher levels; a possible outcome being a change in direction for members of the UN Security Council. And, perhaps in the not-too-distant future, we will see a resolution that restores democracy, the very will of the people.
