BMWEC, Burmese Migrant Workers Education Committee

BMWEC is a Community Based Organisation working on the issue of Education for migrants children in the Northern Province of Tak in Thailand and in the IDP area (Internally Displaced People) within Burma.

We work to help the communities of migrants fleeing from the dictatorship in Burma and its consequences. They flee political opression, economical disaster and more recently the devastation of cyclone Nargys and the deadly lack of reaction from the ruling military junta.

They come from various groups, the Arakan, Karen, Shan, Mon and others from different states within the Union of Burma. These Burmese communities in Thailand are stateless, often unrecognised even as refugees. Like the people it tries to help, to date BMWEC itself remains an unregistered organisation, and so we ourselves are in a precarious situation in Thailand.

BMWEC promotes and coordinates education amongst the migrants and helps to provide schooling for children who are living through great difficulties. BMWEC delivers services to Migrant Schools such as funding for running costs, provision of stationary and other schooling needs, provides training and support for the teachers, gives legal support and works on advocacy for migrant education.

Migrant chidren know particultar difficult situation. The society has built dependancy mechanisms and put the parents at the outskirts of the society. The children are the direct victims of that situation.

BMWEC promotes and coordinates education amongst the migrants and helps to provide schooling for children who are living through great difficulties. BMWEC believes that we must educate these children to help them build our common future and to increase the chances for real change in Burma.

We also advocate strongly for migrant education rights and recognition by the Thai Govenement, Agencies and International Organisations in order to allow these migrant children to benefit from “Education for All” policies.

BMWEC delivers services to Migrant Schools such as funding for running costs, provision of stationaries and other schooling needs, provides training and support for the teachers, gives legal support and works on advocacy for migrant education.